Young Lunar Explorers group and its first project results
- Paper number
IAC-06-E1.5.07
- Author
Mr. Yuki Takahashi, University of California, United States
- Year
2006
- Abstract
In light of the Moon being the next major step for space exploration, a team of youths gathered in 2003 to reform the Young Lunar Explorers group within the International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG). We envision to inspire people to explore space further by taking advantage of the unique visibility and universal familiarlity of the Moon among everyone on Earth. Our first step was to examine how space exploration inspires people. Then we considered how we can share this fascination with more people, targetting especially the children to build the public enthusiasm from bottom up. Finally we implement some of our ideas to assess their effectiveness in the real world. This paper presents the first two projects that we have initiated. The first project is an inspirational guide to the Moon for teachers and parents to use, designed to give children the chance to look at the Moon and wonder, question, and dream. We value the importance of maintaining in every child the inherent curiosity to explore, and we believe in the significant potentials of the Moon for providing a sense of unity among everyone on Earth. We present some results from classrooms in local elementary schools where we have tried this guide. The second project is a compilation of space-themed images, with inspiring remarks, that can be used in a variety of ways in various forms of media. Each page consists of an image (photograph or drawing), accompanied by a short thought-provoking quote or comment, along with a space for the viewers to share their own thoughts about the image. The compilation of these pages can be distributed in various forms including a book, a slide show on a website or a CD, and a narrated video clip to be displayed on screen or television. We will present a sample slide show and the feedbacks that we have received. This paper concludes with a discussion of how our projects can grow to make a significant contribution to the public appreciation of the wonders of outer space and enthusiasm for further exploration.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-E1.5.07.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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