Proteins are considered to be the body's building blocks. The more that scientists know about proteins, the better medicines can be created to fight any diseases attacking proteins. But scientists need to be able to study crystals of the proteins. In November 1983 the space shuttle Columbia docked with the space station and grew protein crystals in a zero-gravity environment for scientific research. This project added insight into the world around us.
Alum crystals are easy to grow and if undisturbed, can form beautiful, sizable shapes. Materials needed to grow an alum crystal are alum, two clean jars, water, a nylon fishing line, a pencil and two paper towels.
The space shuttle Discovery conducted a project experimenting with boiling liquid in space. The astronauts learned that boiling liquid in space acts differently than boiling it on Earth. The importance of this experiment was in learning how to transfer heat more efficiently back here on Earth. An experiment following the different states of matter that water goes through when subjected to different temperatures can help students to understand how to use temperature scales, and track different states of matter, and what is happening to the underlying molecules that cause a substance like water to go from liquid to solid.
Water provides an easy means to introduce second graders to the different states of matter and how temperature can shift water from liquid to solid and gaseous. The experiment would require ice cubes, Fahrenheit and Celsius thermometers, a pot to place the ice cubes in to melt and then to heat to the point of evaporation.
Space shuttle astronauts, especially those who have spent time on the space station, have experienced bone loss. For every month in zero gravity, astronauts lose 1 percent of their bone mass. More than a force, gravity is a signal that tells body parts how to react: muscles contracting, bones strengthening. Second-graders can learn about such scientific concepts as gravity and air resistance through simple gravity experiments.
By dropping a shoe and a piece of paper from the same height, a teacher can open up a discussion with students about gravity and air resistance. Generating predictions before the demonstration begins (Which object will hit the floor first? Will they hit at the same time?) will capture student interest. Materials for this experiment are a shoe and a piece of paper. The same experiment can be repeated, but this time with the paper wadded up into a tight ball.