Astronaut Menu – Robert Thirsk’s Menu

This Resource is part of the Tomatosphere™ Program

Designed for: Grades K-8
For use by: Students, Teachers.
Learning Styles: Classroom based
Resource Type: Document

A 16-day rotating astronaut menu used by Dr. Robert Thirsk while he was on board the International Space Station for 187 days in 2009.

Water Vapor in Closed Environment Systems – Student Investigation

Designed for:
Learning Styles: Independent (student resource), Classroom based
Resource Type: Document

This Tomatosphere resource contains instructions for teachers on getting students to investigate questions they have about water vapor.

Living in Space

This Resource is part of the Tomatosphere™ Program

Designed for: Grades K-8
For use by: Students, Teachers.
Learning Styles: Classroom based
Resource Type: Document

For living in space, a human needs a balanced diet containing enough energy for each day’s activities, and a suitable environment.

What Astronauts Eat

This Resource is part of the Tomatosphere™ Program

Designed for: Grades K-8
For use by: Students, Teachers.
Learning Styles: Independent (student resource), Classroom based
Resource Type: Document

Attached is the 16-day rotating menu used by Dr. Robert Thirsk to show what astronauts eat while he was on board the ISS for 187 days in 2009.

Reporting Your Results

This Resource is part of the Tomatosphere™ Program

Designed for: Grades K-8
For use by: Students, Teachers.
Learning Styles: Classroom based
Resource Type: Document, Guide

Reporting Your Results fulfills the primary objective of the Tomatosphere experiment. Attached is a PDF guiding you through reporting your results.

Collecting and Recording Your Data

This Resource is part of the Tomatosphere™ Program

Designed for: Grades K-8
For use by: Students, Teachers.
Learning Styles: Interactive (hands-on), Classroom based
Resource Type: Document, Guide

The primary objective of the experiment is to determine how many of the planted tomato seeds are successfully germinated.

Why Choose Tomatoes? – Selecting Plants for Space Travel

This Resource is part of the Tomatosphere™ Program

Designed for: Grades K-8
For use by: Students, Teachers.
Learning Styles: Classroom based
Resource Type: Document

The best crop to grow is one which has small hardy seeds, a short germination period, and a few other criteria. Tomatoes seem to fulfill these requirements.

Sunlight on Mars – Is There Enough Light on Mars to Grow Tomatoes?

This Resource is part of the Tomatosphere™ Program

Designed for: Grades K-8
For use by: Students, Teachers.
Learning Styles: Classroom based
Resource Type: Document

Will there be enough natural sunlight on Mars to grow crops such as tomatoes, if they are housed in a suitable greenhouse, or will artificially heated greenhouses be required?

Energy From the Sun – Green Plants as Primary Food Producers

This Resource is part of the Tomatosphere™ Program

Designed for: Grades K-8
For use by: Students, Teachers.
Learning Styles: Classroom based
Resource Type: Document, Guide

This Tomatosphere resource shows how plants convert solar energy into chemical energy through a process known as photosynthesis.

Energy from the Sun – Student Investigation

Designed for:
Learning Styles: Independent (student resource), Classroom based
Resource Type: Document, Lesson Plan

This resource provides an outline for a student investigation about sun energy relating to food products and fruit.