NASA Explorer Schools educator Holley Sykes, a resource teacher from Briarwood Elementary, just finished an activity called Fluid Shift. Students are challenged to simulate the bodily fluid shift seen in astronauts while in space. After taking a baseline heart rate and baseline ankle measurement, students lie on the floor and point their legs upward against the wall. Every minute their lab partner takes an ankle measurement and every two minutes a new heart rate. After 10 minutes, students compare their ankle measurements and heart rates. See additional activities at http://neon.intronetworks.com/#. Register, log in, join the NES group, and navigate to Other NASA-related Activities I’ve Done forum and look for the Astronauts in Space entry.
If you do this, or another NASA-related activity, with your students be sure to get credit toward NES recognition by adding it to your activities profile on the NES Virtual Campus.
Link to the NES Virtual Campus home page.