Stardate: April 2021
Quest: World Earth Day
Prologue: Just STEM!
Just STEM! is an eTwinning project focused on STEM based learning.
In STEM lessons, the students don’t sit back and watch. They investigate, resolve problems and learn how to make things happen. During the project, the teachers-captains challenge the students-astronauts to accomplish missions by investigating the Earth from outer space and solving real life problems such as Global Warming and the humans’ need of sustainable development.
Mission Earth
The fourth and final quest of the Just STEM! eTwinning project
The students work in multinational teams which are formed according to their preferences for jobs of the future (based on STEM skills).
Level One: The mission starts with an online workshop via Zoom. The students-aerospace engineers teach their peers to build paper rockets which will be used `to fly` the astronauts above the clouds.
Level Two: The students-environmental engineers coordinate the crew to perform proficiency Earth observations. They use online apps to access ESA and NASA satellites data base (Sentinel Hub EO Browser and EOSDIS Worldview). The aim of the investigation is to identify Global Warming problems and to find solutions to solve them. The students open Notebookcast whiteboards for a collaborative writing and drawing activity: a description in pictures and words of the Earth seen from outer space. The final result is a common story, `Our special planet`, presented in an E-book.
Level Three: Global Warming is a delicate topic for young students. Our courageous participants face all the problems and, even more, they find an interesting and enjoyable way to present them: Comics created in Toony Tool and Birds Dessines.
Level Four: The crew decides to gather all the solutions for the Global Warming problems in one unique concept: sustainable development. As result, the students-systems engineers coordinate their peers to use Minecraft and MS Paint to design Green Cities of the future. The final designes are presented in the Green City E-book. The mission ends with students-astronauts sharing their common products via social networks, on World Earth Day, in an online awareness campaign.
Epilogue
By the end of the mission, the students grew a better understanding of the world they live in, developed critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills. They became more confident in themselves and learned to take responsibility for their own decisions.
Using innovation and a wealth of knowledge, the participants dreamt of the future, acted like young responsible citizens and understood that daring is the first step to success.
Crew: 70 students and 5 teachers from 5 European Schools
- 27 astronauts aged 10, coordinated by captain Alina Marilena Buduleanu from Scoala Gimnaziala Nr. 29, Galati, Romania
- 21 aerospace engineers aged 9, coordinated by captain Necla Avci Sezen from Hurriyet Ilkokulu, Dalaman, Turkey
- 12 environmental engineers aged 11, coordinated by captain Oxana Coroleac from Centrul de Creatie Tehnica pentru Copii, Chisinau, Republica Moldova
- 15 systems engineers aged 10, coordinated by captain Vida Sarauskiene from Dubysos aukstupio mokykla, Aukstelke, Lithuania
- 8 biologists aged 9, coordinated by captain Derya Yalciner from Ciftlik Ilkokulu, Dalaman, Turkey