Students will create a postcard, describing an idea for a future space constitution, that will ride to space on a rocket and then be sent back to them. They will complete this task individually. It may be assigned as homework, if appropriate for your classroom.
Learning Objectives
- Consider how government will need to be organized in space.
- Get excited about space exploration through a personal connection to current space engineering.
What You’ll Need
Hands-on
- Paper
- Pen or pencil
- Stamped envelope
Minds-on
- Creativity
- Exploration
- Perspective-taking
- Empathy
Send a Postcard to Space
The Club for the Future is asking students from around the world to send them postcards answering the question:
WHAT WOULD YOU INCLUDE IN A SPACE CONSTITUTION?
Create a space constitution or set of values for a space settlement. Cut out the postcard and write a final draft of your space constitution on the back, then mail it to the Club. Then, the Club will put your postcard on one of Blue Origin’s New Shepard rockets and launch it to space! Upon your postcard’s return from space, it will be stamped “Flown to Space” then mailed back to you as a special keepsake.
For Students
Ask students to consider who they think should be part of writing a constitution for space.
For Teachers
Think about ways to integrate STEM and literacy.
How might you plan your STEM lessons to address specific ELA skills that you want to reinforce, such as informational writing, speaking and listening, or critical thinking?