Greenhouse Design
Welcome to greenhouse design! Your task is to figure out how we will grow the plant-based foods that we need and want on Mission 5. You are also responsible for making sure that we meet the needs of all plants on Mission 5, from tasty tomatoes to towering trees.
The steps below will help you figure out what you need and how to get it. Take careful notes in the Design Packet!
When you're done, you will create a design schematic, also called a blueprint, of your system. You should also be able to answer these TEST QUESTIONS without the help of your team. (Yes, these are the actual questions on the test!)
The steps below will help you figure out what you need and how to get it. Take careful notes in the Design Packet!
When you're done, you will create a design schematic, also called a blueprint, of your system. You should also be able to answer these TEST QUESTIONS without the help of your team. (Yes, these are the actual questions on the test!)
- Which of Earth's systems (biosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, or atmosphere) is the greenhouse most closely related to? Why?
- How does the greenhouse interact with the other Mission 5 systems? Discuss inputs and outputs and be specific!
- What do the interactions between the greenhouse and other Mission 5 systems tell you about how Earth's systems interact? Give examples.
STEp 1 What do we want?
Brainstorm a list of plants that we should include in Mission 5.
Let's think about food first:
Talk to the other teams and make sure you've included all of their plant needs, too.
Let's think about food first:
- Grains
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Beans / legumes
- Nuts
- Don't forget foods that we don't usually think of as plants, like coffee, tea, chocolate, and sugar!
- Animal feed is pretty important, too!
Talk to the other teams and make sure you've included all of their plant needs, too.
Step 2: How can we make this work?
Remember, it's your job to make sure these plants stay healthy throughout our long mission. You want them to thrive, which means to grow well.
What do each of the plants you brainstormed in step 1 need to be most happy and healthy? Will you grow all of them on a farm or will you have whole ecosystems that you need to plan for? Give as much information as you can about what you need.
The resources below can get you started. You may also research on your own. Remember to record ALL your conclusions!
What do each of the plants you brainstormed in step 1 need to be most happy and healthy? Will you grow all of them on a farm or will you have whole ecosystems that you need to plan for? Give as much information as you can about what you need.
The resources below can get you started. You may also research on your own. Remember to record ALL your conclusions!
These links take you out of the Mission 5 website. Although every effort has been made to ensure that the sites are appropriate for fifth graders, Booker T. Washington STEM Academy and Mission 5 can take no responsibility for links and/or advertisements that appear on these pages.
Step 3: Connect to other systems
Where can you get what you need? In other words, where do your inputs come from?
Think about the other Mission 5 systems:
Think about the other Mission 5 systems:
- Crew Quarters
- Barnyard
- Water Facility
- Recycling Facility
- Atmosphere
Step 4: Make a design schematic
Now it's time to assemble all that you've learned into a design schematic, also called a blueprint. Start with a rough draft or even two or three.
Eventually you will make a final copy design schematic of your assigned section on poster paper.
When you do your final design schematic, you will need to:
Eventually you will make a final copy design schematic of your assigned section on poster paper.
When you do your final design schematic, you will need to:
- Clearly label all important parts, especially all the inputs and outputs.
- Include design notes and explanations so that anyone looking at your design schematic can understand your thinking.
- Use color and drawings of sections to make it pop!