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Space Week Challenge

World Space Week STEAM Challenge

October 4-10 | For Kindergarten through Sixth Grade

The Iowa NASA Space Grant Consortium (ISGC) is sponsoring a World Space Week Challenge (WSWC) for Iowa youth in grades Kindergarten through six.

What is World Space Week?

World Space Week is an international celebration of science and technology, and their contribution to the betterment of the human condition. The United Nations General Assembly declared in  1999 that World Space Week will be held each year from October 4-10. These dates commemorate two events:

  • October 4, 1957: Launch of the first human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik 1, thus opening the way for space exploration
  • October 10, 1967: The signing of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space,
    including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.
World Space week Fact Sheet

Challenge Activities

ISGC’s WSPC features activities from Iowa 4-H and NASA Iowa Space Grant Consortium’s STEAM Academy as a celebration of World Space Week. You can join to celebrate World Space Week with ISGC’s Space Week Challenge.

The Challenge features four activities from the Iowa 4-H and NASA Iowa Space Grant Consortium STEAM Academy to increase awareness of space and our connections to space. The challenge begins on October 4th and ends on October 10th. Use the links below to access the challenges and supporting YouTube videos to completion. 

Challenges

Space Week Challenge Bookmark

Challenge #1 – Straw Rocket Challenge

Directions

Challenge #2 – Build a Moon Habitat

Directions

Challenge #3 – Cosmic Art Challenge

Directions

Challenge #4 – Planetary Poetry

Directions | Pages Template 1 | Page Template 2 | Page Template 3

Reflect on Your Findings & Answers

The project work submitted should include the work done in each of the four STEAM Academy challenges “Challenge Directions: Do/Reflect/Apply” section along with an answer to at least one of the overall questions:

  • Why do we need to sustain our space in the orbits around Earth?
  • When you think of the future of space – traveling to the moon and other planets, living and working in outer-space — what might be some problems that we could encounter?
  • What ideas do you have to solve those problems? What are some ways that we can take care of outer space so that all can enjoy it for years to come?

The answer can be a poem, a story, an essay, a video, a song, or any other format that helps the youth get their answer.

Additional Space Materials

Additional space themed materials can be found on the WSW has a World Space Week Teacher Activity Guide for use in grades K-12.