Instructional Procedures

1. Watch the Day in the Life of a NASA Food Scientist Video. Discuss how food scientists are continually trying to improve food for astronauts and for longer missions like going to Mars.
2. Explain to students they will be working in teams to come up with new meals for astronauts to take into space. As a group, they will need to select a meal, decide how to preserve the meal so it will not spoil in space, and make sure it is lightweight and easy to store.
3. Discuss with the students that since we have been sending people into space, food has always been a critical factor. From the first trip to space to now, food has drastically improved. (Remind students of the video they watched yesterday and what food they saw astronauts eat.) Astronauts have discovered that their taste buds are not as effective in space. Since there is no gravity in space, fluids in the body are evenly spaced. Fluids tend to block the nasal passages, this can feel like a cold and causes the taste buds and sense of smell to be affected.
4. Explain that, as food has improved in space, one common concern with astronauts remains—the lack of flavor in the food. Astronauts will often pour condiments on their food, like ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, or BBQ sauce, to give intensity of taste. Granulated condiments like salt, pepper, or other seasonings can only be used in liquid form. Since there is no gravity in space, sprinkling granulated seasonings on food would almost be impossible because they would float away, with the danger of getting stuck in vents or contaminating equipment. As the students are planning their meal, they need to be sure to take this into consideration. Astronauts want meals that will be flavorful.
5. Watch one or more astronaut eating videos.
6. Remind students that their job is to come up with a meal that they can send into space. Put students in groups of 4-5 students. Have groups brainstorm ideas of foods that they could send to space. Give the groups 5-10 minutes to come up with a meal.
7. Have groups share one of their ideas. Project the MyPlate Graphic onto a large screen. Ask the students if they know what this image is. Explain to students that MyPlate is a guide to help people eat healthy. Within meals, we want to try and include the five food groups: Fruits, Grains, Vegetables, Protein, and Dairy. With the list of meals that are on the board, go through and help the students categorize the meals they have come up with. For example: Taco:
   • Grains: taco shell
   • Protein: meat
   • Vegetables: tomatoes, lettuce
   • Fruit:
   • Dairy: cheese
8. Have a discussion with students about healthy eating.
   • What can you do to make sure food is healthy?
   • How can you incorporate all five food groups?
   • Why aim for a healthy diet?
   • What nutrients does each group typically provide?
9. Explore USDA FoodData Central. This resource allows students to look up specific foods and see the nutritional content of each food source.

Days 5–6 Instructional Procedures

1. Review the driving question: “How can we preserve flavorful and nutritious meals for astronauts to take to space?”
2. Give each student a Food in Space Worksheet. Set the food in space articles around the room and have students circulate around the room in groups to learn more about food preservation and food in space. Give each group about ten minutes to read each article. After ten minutes, have the group move to the next article.
3. After going through all the articles, the students should get into their groups of 4-5 and discuss what they learned about preserving food for space.
   • Will their food be able to be preserved?
   • Is their meal easily packaged and sent into space?
   • Will their food give an intense flavor?
   • What can they do to make their food better based on what they learned from the articles?
4. As a group, students should finalize their meal idea. Have them list all the steps they need to accomplish to put this meal in space.
   • Where will the food be grown?
   • Prototype
   • Processing/preserving
   • Packaging
   • Nutritional analysis
5. Give students time to think about the tasks they need to complete based on the list of tasks, and have them create a project timeline. (Answers will differ: finalize food plan, designing packaging, development, prototype, testing, etc.). After groups have written down all the tasks, have them identify the careers that would go along with each task. For example: Packaging = packaging designer.
6. Optional activities: Freeze-drying uses expensive equipment and is a long process. Since you may not have the option of buying or renting the equipment, students can participate in the following optional activities:
   
   • Activity 1 (Drying Lab): Teach the drying process as a preservation method; have students dry a variety of foods in an oven and compare with freeze-drying. Use a university extension guide (e.g., UGA Guide to Preserving Food) for times/temperatures.
   • Activity 2 (Tasting Lab): Provide a selection of commercial freeze-dried foods and explore rehydration methods and taste/texture outcomes.

Days 7–8 Instructional Procedures

1. Give students the opportunity to work together as a team to develop their final product of preserving a flavorful and nutritious meal for astronauts to eat in space. Remind students that in space, both smell and taste are reduced.
2. Review the requirements of the final product:
   
   • Solution to the driving question: Explain how the meal preserves flavor and provides nutrients; describe how you’ll demonstrate enhanced flavor.
   • Nutritional analysis: Provide the meal’s nutrition profile; identify key nutrients (protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, etc.) and why they matter.
   • Packaging plan: Specify what needs preservation, how it will be packed, how it will be rehydrated, and whether any components require heating.

Day 9 Instructional Procedures

1. As teams are finalizing their product, they should begin preparing for their presentation. Students can choose the way they present their final product (PowerPoint, Prezi, video, poster, brochure, etc.).
2. Provide each group with the Rubric and Checklist for PBL Presentation. Explain to the groups that their presentation should include:
   • A statement of the driving question
   • The team’s solution to the driving question, including:
     • Nutritional analysis of the meal
     • Packaging approach and preservation method
     • How the meal provides adequate flavor in microgravity

Day 10 Instructional Procedures

1. Each group should be given the chance to present their solution to the class. If possible, invite a food scientist to come and watch the presentations and provide feedback to the groups.
2. Provide audience members with the Rubric and Checklist for PBL Presentation to complete for each presentation.
3. Require every team member to contribute during the presentation.
4. Each student should complete a Peer Collaboration Evaluation.
5. Debrief as a class:
   • What went well?
   • What was challenging?
   • What could be changed to improve the overall project?