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What happens when we take plants out of their comfort zone—into the void of space, the harshness of Mars, or the searing heat and bone-chilling cold of the Moon? Join us on a journey to uncover how science is revolutionizing the way we grow food in environments where life itself seems impossible.Discover the excitement of learning by doing with a hands-on STEM activity following an inquiry-based learning approach that brings science to life through simple, low-tech materials. Aimed at middle school students, this engaging activity transforms space exploration into a collaborative adventure, with experiments that can unfold over days, weeks, or even months, fueling curiosity and creativity. By exploring plant growth under the extreme conditions of space, students step into the shoes of real ISS researchers, sparking imagination and critical thinking to inspire the scientists of tomorrow.
Attached is the Teacher’s guide (instructions and guidance for the research activity)
Transparent plastic bottles (e.g., water bottles) can serve as plant growth containers. This design allows students to easily observe plant development.
Students should be able to:
Students will:
Students will be introduced in STEM Concepts:
Space gardening is a crucial step toward sustaining long-duration space missions and future colonization of the Moon and Mars. Through hands-on experiments, students can better understand how environmental conditions affect plant growth and contribute to solving real-world challenges in space agriculture.
As space agencies like NASA, ESA, and private companies plan long-term missions to the Moon and Mars, sustaining human life beyond Earth requires innovative food production methods. Traditional food supply methods—such as sending pre-packaged meals—are not sustainable for long-duration missions. Growing plants in space provides:
Plants require four main factors for growth:
On Earth, gravity helps roots grow downward (positive gravitropism) and shoots grow upward (negative gravitropism). Sunlight provides a full spectrum of light necessary for photosynthesis, and temperature remains relatively stable within plant-friendly ranges.
The space environment presents unique challenges that affect plant growth:
A Brief History of Plant Habitats in Space
Space agriculture offers innovative solutions, and explores unprecedented scientific frontiers. Whether it’s cultivating crops in the microgravity of space or optimizing farming techniques on Earth with the help of satellite data, it is clear that the future of agriculture will go beyond our planet and reshape our relationship with food, nature, and the cosmos. New methods, include:
In this activity, students will simulate the experiments astronauts conduct on the International Space Station (ISS), specifically in the Vegetable Production System called "Veggie." The purpose of Veggie is to help study plant growth in space conditions, allowing fresh food to be added to astronauts' diets in long-duration missions. Additionally, this research provides astronauts with a "piece of Earth," contributing to their well-being. Experiments in space last for cycles of 7–15 days, repeated four times, with each cycle lasting seven days. In class, different student groups can repeat the experiment. It is essential to document the process through photographs and notes. The teacher teams up 3-4 students.
Before starting the activity teachers should construct the infrastructure needed for the experiments (about 5 heours), as follows.
Construction of Plant Growth Chambers
Students will conduct experiments in growth chambers where plant containers will be placed. They can design and construct these chambers while ensuring the following:
Procedure
Safety Note: Use LED lights, as incandescent bulbs produce heat that could harm the plants or cause fires. LEDs do not pose this risk.
Construction of Plant Growth Containers
Transparent plastic bottles (e.g., water bottles) can serve as plant growth containers. This design allows students to easily observe plant development. For short-term school experiments (7–15 days), cotton is an ideal growth medium. Cotton minimizes risks of disease and pests while allowing observation of seed germination and root growth. The brief experiment duration eliminates concerns about nutrient deficiencies.
In the following 14 days, students will be asked to conduct different experiments, investigating the effect of light, of temperature and of gravitation on seed germination and young plant growth. The different experiments are described step by step in the Teacher's Guide.
After the experiments, students must complete the following worksheet.
Title:
Objective:
Case study:
Method:
Data: (table, graph, fotos)
Results:
Based on the data collected, groups should have a guided discussion on the results. That way they will understand better the space environment for growing plants. Students should recognize that:
The overall conclusion is that plants can grow in space only if astronauts create controlled environments: using the right light spectrum and intensity, maintaining suitable temperatures for healthy grow. Light or moisture can guide and compensate the plant;s growth in the absence of gravity, like on the ISS where plants grow in random directions. This shows the challenges of space gardening for long-term missions on the Moon, and Mars.
This will be accomplished with the presentation of their work, at the end of their research tasks, and by comparing their data with other teams’ research, coming to conclusions.
Biology, plants growth
