Class a Blast: Montgomery students explore space
MONTGOMERY - What started as a whimsical approach to teaching students about the challenges of space exploration has evolved into one of the most popular courses on campus.
Nearly 100 students apply for Tracey Larson’s space science course at Montgomery Middle School - but only 16 are selected each semester for participation in the uniquely hands-on approach to science.
“It’s an incredibly popular class,” Larson said. “The kids learn about the preparation for a mission in space and then they actually get an opportunity to fly a simulated mission.”
Like a real NASA mission, preparation for space travel begins in the classroom where students learn the mechanics of basic science and astronomy. They then go on to prepare for a specialized role connected with the mission.
“Some students will be in our mission control center, and others will be aboard our shuttle simulator,” Larson said. “But everybody understands they have a key role to play that is important to the success of the mission.”
The mission control simulator provides an impressive array of sensors, camera monitors and computers that enable the ground crew to communicate with the astronauts during the mission.
Even more impressive is the space shuttle simulator. The scaled-down version of a space shuttle is remarkably similar to the real thing and is housed in a separate room so students get the effect of isolation during a mission.
“We’re very grateful to the parents and volunteers who helped create our shuttle unit,” said Sheryl Moore, principal at MMS. “They’ve done an incredible job of assembling a remarkable teaching aid.”
During a mission, students spend seven continuous hours on a simulated mission - performing prepared experiments, conducting space walks and dealing with challenges that can occur in space.
“We had a brief power failure during one mission,” Larson said. “We incorporated the rebooting of computers into the experience.”
Dealing with adversity and unplanned challenges is part of Larson’s curriculum. Even if nothing is going wrong, she introduces unannounced difficulties to see how students react.
“We’ve had remarkable success with the students in the program,” she said. “They really get into the spirit of the process, and that helps them learn so much more than just reading material from a textbook.”
Student astronauts are equally pleased with the space science course at MMS. Stone Gammage, 12, credits the program with making education fun.
“It’s really interesting to get involved with so many projects and activities,” he said. “It’s an experience of a lifetime.”
Each mission in space ends with a re-entry to earth. The simulated landing, involving the coordinated efforts of students at mission control and onboard, is not easy and does not always end in success.
“Landing the shuttle is not easy,” said Kaitlin Jones, 11. “You have to train for a long time. It’s sort of like a video game, but it’s a lot more realistic.”
That’s the goal of the program, Larson said.
“Once you get the kids interested and motivated to pursue the subject on their own, they learn far more than the basics,” she said. “The space program at MMS has exceeded our most optimistic expectations.”