"Star Wars" Science Projects
"Star Wars," the science fiction movie series, has inspired and fascinated several generations of children and adults. Because of the breadth of its background and its setting in space, there are many different opportunities for students of all ages to learn about the science behind the films. Subjects such as robotics, solar system and galaxies, ecosystems and special effects and computer science can all be explored using the "Star Wars" theme.
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Solar System Projects
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The breadth of the fictional galaxies established by the "Star Wars" series is large and detailed. Each planet explored in the series has its own characteristics and many are located in distant solar systems. Students can research and write about the solar systems and galaxies in the movies, focusing on the stars, the atmosphere and how many light years they are from other planets. Once they've accomplished this they can compare their findings to research obtained about our solar system.
Ecosystem Projects
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The worlds on each of the "Star Wars" planets come to vivid life in the films. Whether its the harsh desert environment of Luke Skywalker's native Tatooine or to the remote, snow-bound Hoth, students can pick one of these fictional planets and research its climate and types of life forms. For instance, Tatooine has a dual sun system, which makes it extremely hot and dry. Because of this, the creatures on the planet require less water and thrive in hot temperatures. Researching these fictional ecosystems allows students to compare them to their own ecosystem.
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Special Effects Projects
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"Star Wars" is well-known for its technologically advanced use of special effects. Students can learn the science of creating special effects by recreating their own scene from the movie. Students shoot a scene in front of a green screen, and then import the footage onto a computer with video editing software. They use a chroma key method to remove the green background and place backgrounds from the movie or custom-made backgrounds in the frame. This helps students learn about technology and it can also be paired with a study of space to enhance learning.
Robotics Projects
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Many of the main characters in "Star Wars" are droids, or robots. C-3PO and R2-D2 play a large role in many of the original films. Students can learn about basic robotics by designing and building their own droid, making a model of one of the droids from the film or constructing a robot model from a building kit. For instance, students can build a voice-controlled robot using a robot kit, a Bluetooth and speech recognition software. Additionally, LEGO's Mindstorms series of programmable robots comes in vehicles, fighting robots and with a variety of sensory technology options.
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References
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