More O'Ryan

Jamie stood by the chalk board, facing the five students from grades 2-4.

“Ok, so you’ve been chosen to go on a mission in space. You’ll be gone for seven years. What are you going to bring with you on the mission.”
Jamie had chosen seven years because all of the students were at least seven years old. Seven was a number they could imagine. Even if they couldn’t picture being seven years older.

“Is this a mission to colonize someplace, or just a round trip?” asked Andrew, one of the fourth graders.

“What do you think?” Jamie opened the question to the students.
There was rapid fire suggestions back an forth, amongst themselves, sometimes addressed to Jamie.

“We think the mission should be an initial exploration to drop off supplies for the next mission.” Andrew piped up again.

“Ok, so remember, you cannot buy what you need, you have to take it with you. What are you going to need for yourself for the journey. What are you going to want to leave for the next mission who will come along?”

“Dessert!” suggested Cindy, the second grader in the group.

Jamie wrote it on the left side of the board. (Two esses, the place has one ess, the food has two) he said to himself silently. He wondered if some words would ever come naturally, if dyslexia got easier/better with age. Somehow, he doubted it.

Daniel from grade three added: “Well, food at least, I mean, people have to eat right. So rations. When my mom was deployed, she said their meals were called rations. MREs – meals ready to eat. Something like that. We could take along enough for the crew on the trip, and extra to leave for the next mission. MREs last for a really long time.”

Jamie wrote MREs (Rations) under Dessert

“Clothing” offered Maria, third grade. “I’m not wearing a stinky space suit for seven years.”

Jamie added to the list. Then he created three column headers: Unnecessary; Necessary; Survival; Comfort. After they got their list, he wanted to talk through how the items should be categorized.

“Sciencey stuff” shouted Joyce. “Wouldn’t astronauts perform experiments in space? So we’d need stuff like that. Maybe we could even grow some of our food so we weren’t eating MREs all the time.” She rolled her eyes at Daniel.

“What else might you need.” Jamie paused. “Space is a vacuum, there’s no breathable air; there’s no light; there’s nothing to drink.”

“OK, we need to add those things: Air, water, light sources.” Andrew agreed.

“Oh, Oh,” Said Maria. “What about one of those printers that can print tools”

“Nice, Maria” Responded Joyce. “Tools too – both for the mission and to leave for the next group.”

“What about building materials? Should we bring those too?” Daniel piped in.

“Technically, don’t we have to buy these things I mean, you said you can’t buy what you need. And maybe we won’t be able to once we’re in space, but we have to buy everything we need before we leave for space.” Andrew commented.

“Who pays for that?” Joyce questioned.

“Ponies.” Said Cindy. “I want ponies to come too.”

Jamie loved how the kids were using the inclusive “We” and talking about the “Mission” as though it was their own. His own imagination had been fueled by his recent journey into the past. He wanted the Ted Taylor’s dream to live on in the next generation. It was mindboggling that in an era when a computer could take up an entire room and required humans to check the calculations. A group of the top scientists were going to use bombs to deliver a manned rocked to other planets. Before men had walked on the moon. Before Elon Musk was even born. When a lot of their parents weren’t even born yet. Bombs to deliver a missile. Project Orion.

— Lkai