inside mount sinai  A Newsletter for Employees and Friends of Mount Sinai                 March 10-16, 2003

Students Learn the Science of Space Travel Students and teachers from Life Sciences Secondary School in Manhattan came to Mount Sinai on February 27 to participate in "Defying Gravity: Embracing Life in Space," an educational outreach program funded by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI).  Mount Sinai School of Medicine is a consortium member of NSBRI. The program, a partnership between Mount Sinai scientists, NSBRI, NASA, and New York City teachers and students, features a science and mathematics curriculum based on space biomedical research.  While the recent Columbia space shuttle disaster might be expected to make some students and teachers shy away from such studies and lessons, the interest level among many is still very strong.  "In developing the curriculum, we found that the well-begin of astronauts is a major hook for students," says Patrick Gannon, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology, and Director of the Defying Gravity Program.  "It's a compelling incentive for students to learn about biology and mathematics.  It pulls them right in.  Despite the recent tragedy, it's still an enchanting subject." During "Defying Gravity Week," held from February 24 to 28, three modules of the curriculum were field-tested for the first time.  Five teachers at the school used lessons developed by the program to teach students about aspects of space travel that have an impact on biology and mathematics.  In one lesson, students learned that the sense of smell is diminished in astronauts during space flight, which leads to a compromised sense of taste as well.  "With this lesson, students get a real fell for how important smell is and what it's like to lose that sense," notes Dr. Gannon.  In another lesson, they learned about bone loss as it relates to space travel.  In a third lesson that deals with counting very large numbers, students began to grasp the vast number of stars in the Milky Way galaxy. "Defying Gravity Week" culminated in the students' visit to Mount Sinai, where they had a chance to report on what they had learned.  "The students' responses to the curriculum were amazing," says Dr. Gannon.  "They loved the hands-on, inquiry-based experience of learning how astronauts cope with microgravity."  As part of their visit, students had the opportunity to hear from, and ask questions of, Gay Holstein, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, whose study on balance was lost in the shuttle tragedy.   Dr. Gannon plans to bring the Defying Gravity Program to other schools in New York City.  Another future goal of the program is to have the entire curriculum of eight modules available on the Web for national use.  The Web site is www.defyinggravity.net.