Grade Level:
6-9
Desired Number of Participants (if collaboration with other classes):
This project could also be divided up into 5 projects.
Groups would take one of the formulas and research how what we eat affects
that one process. For example, How Does What We Eat Affect our Oxygen
Consumption? or How Does What We Eat Affect How Much Carbon Dioxide We
Release? would become the project. This should reduce the amount
of time spent on the project as well as having students work ing on projects
that were different enough that they could not copy another students work.
Project Timeline:
5 days
Day 1:
Introduce students to the project problem: What effect do carbohydrates,
fats, and proteins have on metabolic processes such as heat, carbon di
ox ide, urinary nitrogen and water output and oxygen intake?
Students login to NASA Spacelink or use classroom reference materials
to research background information necessary to write an abstract.
Homework: Use information from class research to write a two
paragraph abstract. Include: importance of a balanced diet
during space travel; what makes up a balanced diet; the role calories play
in the diet; the number of calories a adult needs every day while in space.
Day 2:
Classwork: Students will write down what they consider to be
a well-balanced diet for one day - or they can list what they would like
to have for breakfast; lunch; dinner; snacks. Use class or library
reference books to determine the total number of calories from their menu
as well as the total number of grams of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
Homework: Determine what percentage of the total calories of
their menu comes from carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
Classwork: Method of Solution Students will use formulas, included
in the project, and a spreadsheet to determine the amount of heat, carbon
dioxide, water, and urine produced and oxygen consumed, based on the total
number of grams of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in a diet.
Homework: Re-adjust menu so that proteins make up approximately
12 % of the total number of calories.
Day 3:
Classwork: Use new menu to determine grams of carbohydrates,
fats, proteins. Input these new numbers into spreadsheet (same formulas)
and compare results.
Homework: Analyze the two menus and the results from each.
Which diet would be best for the astronauts as far as: the least
heat produced; the least oxygen consumed; the most carbon dioxide released,
the least water excreted (perspiration); and the most urinary nitrogen
excreted. Which of these are important? Remember that this
heat, carbon dioxide, water and nitrogen will be released into the spacecraft
or space station environment every day. Something will have to be
done with it.
Homework: Write up: Project Description and Method of Solution.
Day 4:
Classwork: Graph your information using a spreadsheet.
Day 5:
Classwork: Discuss project results. Discuss what the last
two parts of their report might include - Expected Results and Conclusions.
Have students begin this and finish for homework.
Curriculum Subject Area(s):
Science, Math, Health
Objectives of Project:
Materials/Resources: (List Both on-line and off-line materials/resources needed)
On-line:
HTTP://www.nasa.gov
Off-Line:
Computer(s) with spreadsheet and word processing applications.
Procedure(Step by step instructions for developing the project):
What is the Effect of What We Eat on Metabolic Processes?
Student instructions:
Abstract
Your abstract should include basic background information on your project.
In this example, some things to consider include might be (but not limited
to): the importance of a balanced diet during space travel (and also
during any time); what makes up a balanced diet; the role that calories
play in diet; the number of calories an adult needs every day (is it different
for men and women?)
Example:
Living in space requires a balance between the astronauts and their
life support systems. Each day, an astronaut must satisfy certain
dietary requirements to ensure good nutrition and health. This is
especially true since they are in a weightless environment.
Every person needs to maintain a well-balanced diet, not only astronauts. The average astronaut will require approximately 3000 kcalories of food intake each day. These calories come from a combination of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. All foods contain either some or all of these elements.
Description of the Problem
This section includes information on the problem, which in this case
might be how we will relate what an astronaut eats to how this affects
their oxygen consumption, heat energy produced, carbon dioxide released,
etc. Does it matter if you eat more of one element than another?
Write down what would be your favorite: breakfast, lunch, supper.
Determine the total calories from this; the total number of grams of carbohydrates,
fats, and proteins. What percentage of your total calories comes
from: carbohydrates; proteins; fats?
Example: Such things as an astronaut’s oxygen intake, heat and
carbon dioxide production, and nitrogen and water excretion will vary with
the amount of activity, the length of time in space and the particular
individual. It is important that we be able to establish how these
elements relate to their dietary intake. To gain a better understanding
of the life support sys tem requirements, useful metabolic models have
been developed. They can be used to make an estimate of these factors
based on the total number of grams of protein, carbohydrates and fat consumed
in the diet over a given period of time.
Expected Results
In this section, you answer your "problem question" before you actually
complete the project. In this example, you would answer the question,
"How does what we eat affect our metabolic processes?". If you are
working on only one metabolic process, it might be "How does what we eat
affect our oxygen consumption?".
Method of Solution
Using the following formulas and a spreadsheet plus the information you established from your Òideal menuÓ, determine the amount of heat (H), oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), water (W), and urinary nitrogen (UN) input or output based on the foods you ate. Hypothesize or predict what results you think you will get before you actually work these out. Write this down.
H = 4.182 (C) + 9.461 (F) + 4.316 (P) Recommended calories:
O2 = 0.829 (C) + 2.019 (F) + ).967 (P) teenage male: 3000
teenage female: 2400
CO2 = 0.829 (C) + 1.427 (F) + 0.775 (P) 4 cal/gm carbohydrates
& protein
W = 0.555 (C) + 1.071 (F) + .0431 (P) 9 cal/gm fats
UN = 0.1628 (P) RDA: 50% carbohydrates;
30% fats;
20% protein
In these formulas, heat is produced in kcal/day; oxygen is consumed in liters/day; carbon dioxide is produced in liter/day; water is excreted in grams/day; and nitrogen is also excreted in grams/day.
Look back at your figures where you determined the total percentage of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Re-adjust your menu so that proteins make up approximately 12% of the total number of calories. Re-figure the above using this revised menu. Look for differences. (12% is NASA allowance/day.)
Example: This project will show how what we eat affects certain metabolic processes, including oxygen consumption, heat energy produced, and carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen released by the body. To demonstrate this, various diets will be analyzed to determine what affects they will have on these processes. The following formulas will be used:
H = 4.182 (C) + 9.461 (F) + 4.316 (P)
O2 = 0.829 (C) + 2.019 (F) + 0.967 (P)
CO2 = 0.829 (C) + 1.427 (F) + 0.775 (P)
W = 0.555 (C) + 1.071 (F) + .0431 (P)
UN = 0.1628 (P)
Different diets will be devised and the percentage of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats of each will be determined. The formulas above will be applied to see how different nutrient intake affects these processes.
Conclusions
You should have two daily menus - your first ideal menu and the one that has a protein amount at approximately 12% of the total calories. Try other combinations to determine how this affects the formula elements. Analyze your results. Explain which diet would be the best for astronauts as far as: the least heat produced; the least oxy en consumed; the most carbon dioxide released; the least water excreted and the most urinary nitrogen excreted. Which of these are important and why?
Remember that this heat, carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen will be re leased into the spacecraft/space station environment each day - and some thing will have to be done with it.
Graph your information using a spreadsheet.
Extensions to other subject areas:
Student Evaluation Method:
The student teams will present their graphs, and diets, and explain
why they choose the menu.
Project Evaluation