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Mission Two Reach for the Sky
Mission: Reach for the Sky
Destination:
Pupils launch this mission from the National Space Centre in Leicester, learning about mankind's obsession with space exploration. Pupils discover what it takes to be an astronaut and get up close with some of the equipment and technology used to take humans into space. After navigating the planets of the solar system, pupils climb to the top of the iconic rocket tower, on their way to the 3.8 billion year-old piece of moon rock..
Text:
'Grandpa's Great Escape' by David Walliams, the story of Grandpa, formerly an ace pilot in World War II now living in an old people's home and longing to re-live his past.
Leaning Outcomes:
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To identify the forces that act on objects
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To explain how forces are overcome in space
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To investigate how air is used in the cooking process
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To discuss the historical and political context of aerial battles in the second world war
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To investigate the principles of air travel
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To model and test projectiles and investigate how different designs change their ability to fly
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To explain different weather patterns and identify the link between climate and geographical location
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To identify the generic conventions of the scifi genre
The Learning:
In English pupils studied the genre of science fiction and created their own piece of descriptive writing about aliens, underpinned by an understanding of generic conventions.
In Science, pupils studied the forces in space travel to understand how forces act on objects in different atmospheres and in a vacuum. Pupils looked at how forces are overcome in order to travel in space.
Geography looked at weather and climate, with a specific focus on extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes, tornados and tropical storms. Pupils further looked at how some of those extreme weathers were linked to geographical locations and climates.
In Food Technology, pupils cooked an prepared using recipes that involved the introduction of air. Pupils studied techniques such as whipping and beating, and made bread, focussing specifically on how yeast makes bread rise.
In DT, pupils were learning about the principles of flight and the forces acting upon objects in the air. Using research, and trial and error, pupils made projectile flying objects, which they remodelled in competition with their peers to ascertain how best to design a flying object. In Art pupils used mixed media in a project based upon hot air balloons and skylines.
Linked to the studies in DT, a mini-project on rockets was used to study some key Mathematical principles. Students looked at scale drawing, symmetry, viewpoint and projections as a basis for rocket design. Charts and graphs were used to map out and measure distance and time in flight.
The Historical study of the Battle of Britain, the Blitz and the RAF bombings of Germany, gave pupils a deeper understanding to the key events referenced in the mission text, 'Grandpa's Great Escape'.
Mission Time Remaining:
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