Afterwards, we had a twist on the famous "Egg Drop Lab" that many science teachers use in their classrooms. For this lab, we had to construct a device to protect our egg from cracking during a two story fall (with limited materials) into a specific landing site. In addition, we had to build a rover that would move our egg down a ramp. For every inch your rover traveled, your team earned points, and for every inch away from the landing site your device landed, you lost points. This was a great twist to this lab, and we definitely plan on implementing this lab in our classrooms! Our device ended up winning out of everyone's! We named it...IDK (since we didn't know what to call our spectacular contraption).
Then, we headed to complete a water purification lab. This lab required us to build a water filter (again, using limited materials and a limited budget) that would filter water from a pitcher that had many "impurities." (They never disclosed what was in the water, but it smelled like vinegar, green food coloring, glitter, and several other strange items). We had an hour to build our filter, and during this lab we discussed how astronauts have to filter their urine and water while in space. By this point in the day, we were exhausted. Some groups drank their water after it was "filtered," but we just didn't have the energy!
After our labs, we headed to the Astronaut Simulators. We were able to participate in the Multi-Axis simulator (the one that spins you around and around) and the 1/6 gravity chair, which allows you to jump and move as if you were on the moon. These simulators were so much fun, and I especially loved the feeling of weightlessness from the gravity chair! We only got to participate in each simulator one time since there were so many people, but we could have done it over and over again!
After the simulators, we headed to graduation. Each of us were given a diploma and our wings. We were also given the "rip and flip" of our name tags, turning them right-side-up to indicate that we were indeed Space Camp graduates. It was kind of emotional, as we knew our journey at Space Camp was coming to an end. I don't think it really hit us until that point that we were leaving the next morning. :(
After graduation, Honeywell threw us an amazing party! It was sort of like a wedding reception, with a band, a DJ, and tons of food and goodies! We got to dance to our favorite songs ("Sweet Home Alabama" and "Teach Me How to Dougie" being the big hits of the night) and spend our last evening with our friends.
After the party, we went out to a local restaurant with several of our Team Zarya teammates to spend more time together. We really didn't want the experience to end. :(
The next morning, we sadly packed up our room and went to the airport with our friend Even. I was actually thankful our flight was delayed so we had more time to chat with him! Who wishes for their flight to be delayed except for teachers leaving Space Camp?! :)
Overall, I think what we'll take away most from this experience are the unbelievable friendships we've made. We've met so many amazing teachers from all over the world. Having professional dialogue together, working as a team, and sharing our love for teaching has truly made Space Camp the most effective professional development experience ever. Thank you Honeywell for choosing us to participate in this unforgettable experience!
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