GRADES 9 to 12 | 2023-2024
Challenge 6: Growing Beyond Earth®
YOUR CHALLENGE:
As NASA looks toward a long-term human presence beyond Earth’s orbit, there are specific science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) challenges related to food production in space. Established in 2015 as a partnership between Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and NASA’s Exploration Research and Technology Programs, Growing Beyond Earth enables student community scientists to actively contribute data toward NASA mission planning. Download PDF
New Schools will conduct the following experiment:
Returning schools will choose on of the following experiments:
PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS:
Teachers must register to attend a mandatory workshop lead by NASA to receive information on research protocols by September 1, 2023. There are three workshop dates offered: Saturday, September 9, 2023, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm OR Wednesday, September 13, 2023, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm in ENGLISH OR Thursday, September 14, 2023, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm in ESPAÑOL. Teachers must attend ONLY ONE of these workshops.
Those teachers registered for the workshop must submit a Lease Agreement if they plan to participate in this challenge
Data and research presentation must be submitted for entry submission to be considered completed
Download the one page fillable PDF Proposal Template.
Complete fillable form including testable hypothesis, identification of control and variable, materials, and brief explanation of methods and
Upload completed form to Challenge 6 Entry Form.
IMPORTANT DATES | |
Registration for Mandatory Workshop | Friday, September 1, 2023 |
Final Trial 1 Data Entry Due | Friday, November 17, 2023 |
Trial 2 Proposal Due | Friday, December 15, 2023 |
Trial 2 Data Due | Friday, April 5, 2023 |
Trial 2 Research Presentation Submission Due | Wednesday, April 17, 2024 |
Virtual Growing Beyond Earth® Student Research Symposium | Saturday, April 20, 2024, Time TBD |
✓ Data Requirements: | |
Weekly student-created, scientifically relevant tweets including the school’s name, @GrowBeyond Earth, and descriptions of any photographs, illustrations, or graphs. | |
Data updated weekly on provided Google data sheets. All appropriate data fields complete and valid on provided data sheets. Any irregularities or empty fields accompanied by an explanation. | |
On-time entry submission. Late entries will be accepted with a reduction in points. |
✓ Proposal Requirements: | |
Student designed, original research project informed by Trial 1 data. | |
Proposal utilizes provided template with all sections completed. | |
Proposal includes a bibliography citing 3 sources, MLA or APA format. | |
On-time entry submission. Late entries may not be accepted. |
RESEARCH PRESENTATION SUBMISSION:
Research Presentation (suggested presentation template) submitted via provided entry form
✓ Presentation Requirements: | |
Presentation is 7 slides MAXIMUM: 1 opening slide, 1 closing/references slide and 5 content slides. | |
Presentation opening slide includes descriptive title, student(s) first name, last initial and school name. Presentation must include an introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusion and at least 5 references following MLA or APA format. | |
All photographs, illustrations, graphs and tables must include captions. | |
On-time entry submission. Late entries may not be accepted. |
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
For more information on how your submission will be evaluated, see Symposium Evaluation Sheet – COMING SOON!
300 Total Points Breakdown:
Trial 1 and Trial 2 Data: Max 100 pts
Proposal: Max 50 pts
STATE ACADEMIC STANDARDS:
Visit Challenge 6 Lesson Planning Guide to learn ideas for implementing this Challenge in your classroom.
CHAT WITH A SCIENTIST:
We will be hosting an OPTIONAL online chat with NASA scientists about the Growing Beyond Earth project. Teachers participating in GBE will receive an invitation a week before each chat with instructions on how to participate. See below for a list of scheduled dates and recordings:
FAIRCHILD FIELD TRIP EXTENSION:
Bring your class on a virtual field trip at Fairchild. Please visit Explorer Field Trip Programs for more information.
CHALLENGE RESOURCES:
Growing Beyond Earth® (homepage)
Research Toolkit: Returning Schools: Coming Soon OR New Schools: Coming soon.
What to Tweet
2021-2022 Growing Beyond Earth® results
Growth Chamber Assembly Demonstration (video) – UPDATED October 4, 2022.
Growth Chamber Assembly Demonstration – short version (video) – UPDATED October 4, 2022.
Click HERE to see the Growing Beyond Earth 2022 Student Research Symposium Winners
TEACHER WORKSHOP RECORDINGS AND PRESENTATIONS:
2023-2024 Introduction to Growing Beyond Earth Presentation by Dr. Gioia Massa (video)
2023-2024 Introduction to Growing Beyond Earth Presentation (powerpoint)
Cultivar Testing Workshop Recording
Irradiated Seeds Workshop Recording
Dynamic Lighting Workshop Recording
Herb Selections Workshop Recording
Combined Containers and Companion Plants Workshop Recording
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Advanced Plant Habitat
Veggie Fact Sheet
Astro Science Journal for Teens: Can we grow safe and nutritious food in space? – UPDATED January 19, 2023
Astro Science Journal for Teens: Can we grow safe and nutritious food in space? TEACHER’S KEY – UPDATED January 19, 2023
Growing Plants in Space – UPDATED January 19, 2023
GBE Twitter Feed
Growing Beyond Earth® TEDx (video) and Space Station Live: Veggie 01 (video)
2015-2022 Growing Beyond Earth® Seed List
How Plants Grow in Space
APA and MLA Citation Generator
For additional resources, please visit the Teacher Resources webpage.
This website is based upon the work supported by NASA under grant award No. 80NCCS22M0125. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.