Space Dive Documentary Mini-Unit

Watching movies in class always seemed like a waste of time to me. I rarely even left movies for substitutes to show.

This Space Dive documentary is the exception to my own self-imposed no-videos-in-my-science-class rule. Reliving Felix Baumgartner’s Space Dive (which was sponsored by Red Bull in 2012) was one of my favorite things to do each year. I love the storylines, the intensity, and the opportunity to discuss how STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics – and marketing) work together on a project like this.

The fact that my students got so into it showed me that watching and discussing Space Dive was a worthy, relevant, meaningful, and engaging way to spend multiple class periods. Even my hardest to reach students became interested in the physics, physiology, and space in general.

Curriculum wise, I recommend Space Dive as a follow up to the study of Free Fall and g's in Physics. It is also an excellent transition into the study of gravity and forces. It could also introduce or serve as the culmination of an Egg Drop or similar STEM project.

This five-day mini-unit includes two ActivInspire flipcharts:
- Space Dive Intro (vocabulary and main concepts)
- Space Dive Wrap Up (follow-up vocabulary and discussion questions)

This zip file also contains a Space Dive Plans and Print Resources editable word document, which includes:
- Why I love Space Dive overview (pg. 2)
- How I Teach Space Dive 5 day mini-unit plan (pg. 3)
- Space Dive Pre-Reading sheet with link to Popular Mechanics article (pg. 4)
- Space Dive 3-2-1 prompt for during the 90 minute documentary (pg. 5)
- Space Dive: Final Questions for discussion afterward (pg. 6)

NOTE: Video documentary is NOT included in this package. Links for purchase (recommended) or streaming are provided.