Expedition Space Lab Mission:
Plants in Space
2 Activities: Select one or more of the activities below to complete this mission!
ACTIVITY 1
SPACE STATION EXPLORERS PARTNER PROGRAM:
ISS GROW LAB/GROWING BEYOND EARTH
- Using the same methods and equipment used on the ISSInternational Space Station, students can grow plants in growth chambers to examine the similarities and differences of growing plants both on and off Earth.
- By participating in Growing Beyond Earth, students learn how to replicate methods and utilize equipment used to grow plants on the ISS.
LESSON
A-Mazing Plants (Photoropism) from the Virginia Department of Education
All plants need light to survive. But did you know that plants grow toward the light? In this activity, students will examine plant behaviors and observe what plants do to to survive.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
NASA Astronaut Paints a Picture of Growing Plants in Space
Plants in Space!
ACTIVITY 2
SPACE STATION EXPLORERS PARTNER PROGRAM:
EXOLAB
- Students conduct experiments, such as growing plants, in their classroom ExoLab while following along with a concurrent experiment on the ISS.
- Students receive real-time data from the ISS that they can analyze and compare with their ground-based experiment. ExoLab is an amazing way to learn basic biology, practice working with datasets, and investigate how gravity affects living things.
LESSON
Plants in Space from Orion’s Quest
Each time you look outside, you probably see some type of plant. But what do plants do in a microgravityThe condition of perceived weightlessness created when an object is in free fall, for example when an object is in orbital motion. Microgravity alters many observable phenomena within the physical and life sciences, allowing scientists to study things in ways not possible on Earth. The International Space Station provides access to a persistent microgravity environment. environment? In this activity, Orion’s Quest allows students to observe differences in plant behavior on Earth and in space.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
NASA Astronaut Paints a Picture of Growing Plants in Space
Plants in Space!
Career Connection
Soil and Plant Scientist
Speaker’s Bureau
TAKE THIS MISSION TO ANOTHER LEVEL!
ExoLab
Purchase an ExoLab growth chamber.
Experiment using an ExoLab kit in the classroom and monitor the same experiment on the ISS.
Expedition Space Lab is an online tool from the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory that provides educators with easy access to ISS-related lessons, activities, and other resources to integrate into their curriculum.
