METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS OF A SPACE STATION EDUCATION PILOT PROGRAM INTHE PRIMARY-SCHOOL

Potential users of the Space Station Freedom are now still in the Prim ary School. Subject studies1 have shown that a robust familiarization programme has to be developed in order to increase public awareness on the microgravity environment and its capabilities to perform unique s cience. At the same time, several surveys2 have demonstrated that elem entary school students are showing the greatest interest and enthusias m in space related activities among all school students. With these bo undary conditions, a pilot programme, aimed at verifying the capabilit ies of young primary school pupils (aged between 10 and 12) in underst anding why one performs research in space, has been conceived. In orde r to overcome the lack of space training of school teachers, an expert in space operations joined a group of elementary teachers to activate this program; merging the necessary didactic and technical capabiliti es. Consequently, the aim of the program becomes two folded: generate critical thinking and problem solving capacities as well as inventiven ess in children making them aware on the use of space to improve life on Earth. identify the key issues for the definition of a robust space utilization educational programme. The programme has been managed by MARS Center, the Italian User Support Center for the Space Station uti lization, and the institute ''Speranzas'' in the nearby of Naples, Ita ly. MARS Center, in particular, is responsible towards the national ag ency ASI, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, of the execution of the promotion al activity towards all the possible target groups: young students are among these groups. This programme started in late 1992 and is curren tly ongoing. The objective of this paper is to provide a description o f the methodology and the reasons of such a programme with a snapshot on the preliminary results and future trends. Means used as supporting tools, such as films, posters and role plays are herein depicted as w ell as statistics on the pupils apprehension level.