Cooperation is the key!
Science and Social studies (cooperation)
The astronauts carrying out experiments on board the International Space Station (ISS) take part in global effort involving many people:
- Scientists from different countries work together: they investigate if similar research has been done in the past and with which results, they think of a new interesting experiment to be flown onboard the ISS
- Scientists collaborate closely with engineers to build the experiment: the technical knowledge of the engineers helps the scientist prepare the experiment for the specific conditions of space and of the Space Station
- Astronauts collaborate with the scientists and the engineers to know what the objectives of the experiment are and how it should be carried out LI> On board the Space Station, an astronaut may need help of another astronaut to perform the experiment. In this picture, ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers is turned around by another astronaut in order to find out whether he can feel if he is upside down.
- The results of the scientific experiments are shared with the scientific community, in conferences for example, for possible future cooperation.
Science is synonym of cooperation on an international level. You may find knowledge in books, but the experiences of other people are another great source of knowledge.
Activity: Cooperation is important when you work as a scientist, as it is for many other jobs as well! Each of you chooses one adult he/her knows (not necessarily a scientist) and makes an interview with him or her. You can ask the questions below, but you can also think of some yourself…
Conclusions:
- Question by question, share the results of the interviews in class and discuss: why do people work together? How do they communicate? Could they work completely on their own? Would they like to collaborate more?
- Do you work together in the classroom? At school? When do you cooperate with many people? Do you like to work with more people? Which job would you like to do when you are older? Will you have to collaborate with many people?