CHALLENGER'S LOST LESSONS - ER - NASA

4Nazzal, the JSC Historian, came to the editor’s rescue. Theyprovided both excellent photos and videos of Christa, Barbara, andBob going through the scripted on-orbit performance of the lost sixlessons. Additionally, an internet search found the NASA Educators’Guide for the pair of on-orbit live experiments. The ChallengerCenter website, founded in honor of Christa and her fellowcrewmates, had a .pdf copy of the lesson plan. Unfortunately, theplan dealt only with the pair of live lessons. The proposed six onorbitfilmed demonstrations were not addressed.Approach: The basis for the project is Mayfield’s article on thehardware development of the six lost lessons. To its content, thiseditor adds photos, video clips, and supporting narrativesupplementing Mayfield’s observations and writings. Theseadditions are set off in brackets, [….], to distinguish them fromMayfield’s work for the JSC Education Office. The editor, using thevideos and Mayfield’s descriptions, has authored classroom versionsof each of the six lost lessons. Often included are sketches andimages of the apparatus related to the experiments. To assist theclassroom teacher in performing each of the lessons, the scriptedexperiments are included in the project. They are attached to the bodyof Mayfield’s work and accessed on the CDROM via holding downthe CTRL key and clicking on the individual items listed above,“hydroponics, magnetism,…etc.”. Each includes a materials list,precautionary comments where appropriate, setup, as well as step bystep instructions for performing each experiment.The NASA 1985 publication TEACHER IN SPACE PROJECT Guideexplains why virtually no follow on material was prepared forperforming the six lost lessons in the classroom. The Guide statesregarding the plans for the six filmed lessons:Filmed Activities: In addition to live lessons, McAuliffe willconduct a number of demonstrations during the flight. These filmedactivities (the six lost lessons) will be used as part of severaleducational packages to be prepared and distributed after theMission.”