On May 4th the fifth graders at St.Mary Catholic Community School went to the Challenger Learning Center in Hammond, IN. The students had spent the last several weeks studying and learning about outer space, comets, asteroids, meteors, and most importantly, teamwork. When the fifth graders arrived at the Challenger Learning Center they were split by class 5A and 5B to complete that day's activities. The students participated in a Space Simulation Mission, did a Living in Space Lab, and watched a Planetarium Show.
During the mission half of the students went on the spacecraft simulator and the other half were part of Mission Control. Halfway through the mission the groups switched places. During the mission both fifth-grade classes found what they believed was a new comet. The students needed to work together to apply their math and science skills in order to complete the mission.
The students from Mrs. Crisman’s class made the following comments about the mission:
“We needed to work together to complete the mission on time so the comet didn’t hit us,” stated Anna Alspach.
“I loved that I was able to use the headset, to send messages to the other group.” - Victoria Townsend
“The field trip was so cool! The mission felt so realistic. I wish we could do it again or go back for another mission. I was a part of the navigation team. So it was my job to find the location of the comet.” -Joseph Mullally
During the Living in Space Lab the students learned about how astronauts survive in space. “I loved that we designed a space suit, to see if our potato astronaut would survive getting hit by a rock.” - Ryder Duncan
“I really enjoyed everything at the Challenger. It was a great way to show what we have been learning in Science class. It was a great educational experience! I also loved getting to eat the freeze dried apples. “ - Adelyn McGoldrick
Mrs. Christina Crisman's 5th grade class
Avery Clarke works to complete the mission using a special apparatus.
Nathan Ford, Elijah Horton, Mia Horton, Gia Miller, and Maueve Scott work to complete the simulated mission
Joseph Mullally and Abygail Cervera communicate with Mission Control
St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point offers grade levels Junior Pre-Kindergarten (for three-year-olds) through eight. Mary’s faculty teaches a rich curriculum supported by cutting-edge technology. The school offers a multitude of activities and experiences including fun and educational field trips at each grade level including trips to Chicago, Indianapolis, and an 8th grade trip to Washington DC. To learn more about St. Mary’s School or schedule a tour, visit school.stmarycp.org. St. Mary’s is currently accepting new students for the 2022-2023 school year.