Space Food Explorations: Rural & Tribal Library Toolkit Project Phase 2

Activities Space Food 👩‍🚀
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Hi everyone!

We’re branching out :palm_tree: our activity remixes for PLIX Rural & Tribal Library Toolkit Development: Phase 2 Explorations. This thread is a sandbox :beach_umbrella: for Jennifer R., @AmeliaS, Brandie L., and @lcdever to share, explore, and remix :astronaut: Space Food for their library patrons and community.

Feel free to say hi :wave: and respond to their explorations!

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We received our box last week! I have been busy researching videos about preparing food and eating in space to share with the kiddos. I am trying to decide how I want to present this project. I am thinking I might give them the challenge of preparing an ice cream sundae party. How will they prepare the ice cream? What toppings will they have? I’m not set on this yet, just an idea.

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Amelia, that sounds like a sweet and delicious idea :yum:. Have you heard of liquid nitrogen ice cream?

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Hi Amelia - I liked your idea of freeze dried food and I will incorporate that into our event.
I want to make a space helmet with a plastic milk jug and use tubing and some kind of screen for the face mask part. I will try it this weekend and post a picture. I know that I will need some examples to get the kids at my event thinking. The toolkit box is helpful.
We did a couple of the 4-H space kits but since I have a wide age range the coding one was a bit over their heads. They are really hands on so I am hoping this event will be more exciting for them.
Let me know if you come up with some examples to share.
Thanks,
Lynn

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Hi there, @AmeliaS and @lcdever :slight_smile: When I’ve run Space Food, workshop participants always love seeing videos of life aboard the ISS! Here are a few clips I find to be handy (and fascinating!)

The above all relates to existing space food practices! I find it also helpful to talk about what the FUTURE of space food could look like. Maggie Coblentz, the researcher at MIT behind this work, has a ton of cool projects in this domain. Check out:

Hope this helps :slight_smile:

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By the way, @AmeliaS, +1 for the sundae framing! I think it sets a nice constraint (sets a low floor) but still allows for a ton of creative potential (wide walls + high ceiling!). Can’t wait to hear more about these explorations.

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Thanks Avery! I will check these out.

Lynn

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I have not, but that sounds interesting! I will for sure look into it!

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Thank you so much, Avery! This is a huge time saver for me! I am excited to share these videos with the kids!

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Thanks! I am excited to see what the kids come up with!

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After trying out your activity, how will you remix?

  • What did you find most enjoyable? Which elements were challenging? What are you excited to explore next?
  • Which focus strategy (passive programming / take-n-make kits / locally relevant remixes / extended interaction plan) are you exploring to adapt / remix the activity? How does this connect to your community or context?
  • What are some concrete next steps to take for rolling out this activity with your patrons?

These questions will help guide your project plan in the coming weeks.

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What’s most enjoyable/challenging about the activity?

  • < add your notes … > I think the most challenging thing about the space food project will be thinking about the limitations astronauts face when preparing their meals and trying to put ourselves in their shoes.

We will be doing our challenge March 10th-24th.

Share your ideas for running the activity in your library/community

  • < pick one > Passive Programming / Take-and-make Kits / Locally-relevant Remixes / Extended Interaction Kits
  • We are doing this as an extended interaction project. It will be a 3 week program.
  • < some initial ideas > I am going to let the kids choose what they want to make to help them prepare food in space or how they would take on preparing their favorite meal.
  • During the first session we will watch videos of how astronauts prepare and eat their food, take a digital tour of their kitchen, and talk about the things they can and can’t eat.
  • In the second session the kids will start thinking about what tools or objects they will create to help astronauts eat and prepare food.
  • In the last session they will pick up where they left off the week before with their creations. The kids will then have the chance to tell us all about what they created.
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Do I need to post this in space food check in?

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Just here is perfect

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Yesterday at Discovery Club we watched part of the ISS tour and talked about the challenges of eating in space. We discussed what might happen if you opened a bag of nuts or a bottle of water in space. The kids paid attention to the video and thought it would be very cool to float around like the astronauts.
I had assembled the contents of my space food toolkit on a large table and provided the kids with bags so they could choose their materials. It was chaotic but we got through it. There are a couple of kids that just want to get into everything without thinking about it. The box of small springs was immediately turned upside down by one boy and I made him put it back together. He is very reactive and this may have been too much all at once. There were many cool things on that table and he wanted to get into all of it.
There were three kids who I could tell were already thinking about what they are going to do. One chose many items just so she had what she wanted. The other was very quiet and I am anxious to see what he comes up with. We are closed next Monday for the holiday but I told them to bring their projects back on the following Monday. I am anxious to see what creative things come through the library door. I feel like if I get three projects back it will be worthwhile.
The little boy in the front of the attached picture just kept telling me he needed help and was totally into the little play-doughs. He was originally not part of the older kids group but just could not stay away! I think he is 4 years old.
The other popular items were the velcro and all of the tubing. Two of the kids who are brothers kept asking me if they needed to pay. So interesting!
I am posting one of my examples and a picture of the chaos. More later…

Lynn's example
Lynn&#39;s example1920×1440 192 KB

Space Food toolkit
Space Food toolkit1528×2037 294 KB

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