We are putting the finishing touches to an online course about life in space

The partner consortium of the “STEM in the Clouds” project is completing an online course made up of five lessons on the topic of life in space. The course will give learners new knowledge about human activity in space, and about space in general. Through engaging lessons, learners will cover the following topics:

1. Introduction to astrobiology: astrobiology studies the origin, evolution and distribution of life in the universe, and this lesson offers an opportunity to get to know the concept of astrobiology and everything it covers. In this lesson, learners will find out how life on Earth came about, how to study evolutionary relationships between species, and how the living world on Earth is classified.
2. The International Space Station: in this lesson learners get to know the largest structure humans have ever sent into space – the huge orbiting laboratory circling the Earth. Through the lesson, pupils will learn what the International Space Station is, what its purpose is, what it looks like and what life on board is like.
3. Adaptations of organisms: in this lesson learners work through a range of adaptations that organisms have for living in different conditions on Earth, and then use that knowledge of adaptations to create their own organism that could potentially survive in conditions on Mars.
4. The ethics of human activity in space: learners will study ethical approaches to human activity in nature, the consequences of human activity in space so far, and the future of human action. They will learn about concepts such as ecocentrism and anthropocentrism and will reflect on Mars as a “backup Earth”. Learners will also be introduced to the concept of space debris, a consequence of human activity in space.
5. Introduction to space technologies: a lesson in which learners have the chance to get to know some space technologies in detail. It covers satellites, navigation in space, communication technologies and the power supply of spacecraft.

The project “STEM in the Clouds” was submitted to the public call “Strengthening the capacity of CSOs to respond to the needs of the local community” (UP.04.2.1.11) under the European Social Fund, Operational Programme “Efficient Human Resources” 2014–2020. By a decision of the Office for Cooperation with NGOs of the Government of the Republic of Croatia dated 17 June 2022, the project was awarded HRK 464,562.46, of which the grant amounts to 100% (85% from the European Social Fund and 15% from the State Budget of the Republic of Croatia).

The lead partner of STEM in the Clouds is the Rijeka Technical Culture Centre, and the project consortium is made up of the Višnjan Astronomical Society, Bioteka – Association for the Promotion of Biology and Related Sciences, CARPE DIEM, an association for encouraging and developing the creative and social potential of children, young people and adults, and FabLab – Association for the Promotion of Digital Fabrication.

For more information about EU funds: www.strukturnifondovi.hr and www.esf.hr.

The content of this web post is the sole responsibility of the Rijeka Technical Culture Centre.