Teaching Space Design: The Living in Space Guide

Educators and parents carry the responsibility of preparing students for a future driven by technological advancement and scientific innovation. You can inspire students to create, invent and shape their futures by introducing practical design concepts early in their education. The “Living in Space” project offers a structured, engaging way to introduce K-12 students to aerospace engineering, civil engineering and 3D modeling.

Using SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids, students explore the science of space habitation while developing critical thinking skills. They design extraterrestrial habitats, test their ideas and connect digital modeling to physical reality. This guide explains how to facilitate this project and turn a simple lesson into a robust exploration of human survival outside our atmosphere.

Sparking Curiosity: The Preparatory Discussion

Before students open any software, you must establish a strong scientific foundation. The “Consider This” phase of the lesson prompts students to think about space exploration and its unique challenges. Because most places outside Earth cannot easily support human life, explorers must bring or build everything they need to survive.

Start a discussion about the challenges engineers face when building structures on other planets or moons. Ask students to consider how space travel differs from traveling here on Earth. You want them to understand that a habitat provides the exact environmental conditions a creature needs to stay alive.

Educator Insight: Driving the Conversation

To make the discussion actionable, ask students to consider specific scenarios:

• What types of things would you need if you took a long trip far away from home?

• What kinds of equipment do astronauts need to study objects in space?

• How can astronauts get the important things they need once they leave Earth?

If students have trouble thinking of the things astronauts need, prompt them to consider what they packed on a recent vacation. Ask them to think about how they sleep, work, play, exercise and relax. You should also ask them how they would acquire absolute necessities like air, food, water and power. This preparation ensures students approach the software with a clear mission. They act as engineers tasked with designing a functional space habitat.

Step-By-Step Workflow: Creating the Habitat

The project uses three distinct applications on www.swappsforkids.com to guide students from concept to physical model. You will guide them through modeling, decorating and preparing their designs for the real world.

Phase One: Modeling With the Shape It App

Students begin their engineering process in the Shape It app. This digital tool functions like modeling clay, allowing users to push, pull and stretch shapes into complex forms. The tactile nature of the software helps students grasp spatial relationships quickly.

Students have two ways to start their habitat designs:

1. Start from scratch: Students launch a blank workspace and build their space station using basic shapes like boxes, cones and cylinders. This method requires more imagination but offers complete creative control.
2. Riff on an existing model: Students select pre-made habitat structures from the public gallery and modify them. This option helps beginners understand the software quickly and gives them a solid foundation to build upon.

Designing new structures requires trial and error. Students must understand that engineering relies on continuous testing and refinement. Encourage patience if their initial designs do not match their vision right away.

Pro-Tip: The included habitat models might seem advanced, but they merely combine basic shapes pushed and stretched into buildings. Encourage students to start by placing a few basic shapes side-by-side on the work area, then click on the shapes to mold them into the structures they want.

Phase Two: Visualizing Function With the Style It App

Once students complete the physical structure of their base, they move to the Style It app. This phase focuses on the visual attributes of the machine. The look and design of a space structure often communicate its purpose and protect it from harsh environments.

Students apply colors, textures and details to their models to make them realistic. The app provides several tools for this process:

• Bucket: Fills entire shapes or individual patches with a solid color quickly.

• Paint: Allows students to apply specific colors directly onto shapes using different brush sizes.

• Stickers: Adds detailed elements like windows, airlocks, solar panels and warning labels.

• Scene: Places the habitat into a background environment to show where it operates.

When styling the structures, students should consider how the crew will use each building. Ask them how the appearance compliments the structure’s use. For example, a greenhouse module might need transparent sections or specific lighting, while a sleeping quarter might need thick, dark shielding to block out cosmic radiation.

Educator Insight: Students should use the Scene tool to place their design on an alien landscape, a barren desert or deep space. This helps them visualize how their new habitat looks in its final destination.

Phase Three: Bringing Designs to Life With the Print It App

The final technical step involves the Print It app. This tool bridges the digital design and the physical world. Converting a digital concept into a tangible object gives students a profound sense of achievement.

For classrooms with access to 3D printers, students can export their designs as STL files. Students download these files and import them into standard 3D printing software. They must ensure their models scale correctly to fit within the printable area of the machine. Depending on the complexity of the habitat, the system might take a moment to calculate and translate the model into a 3D file.

If you do not have a 3D printer, students can still create physical representations. The app allows users to export 2D images or specialized cube prints. Students print these color renderings on standard paper, cut them out and fold them into 3D shapes.

Beyond the App: Real-World Science and Careers

This project connects classroom activities to real-world science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers. By completing the workflow, students simulate the daily tasks of professionals planning the future of space exploration.

You can introduce several career paths during this phase:

• Civil Engineers: These professionals design large-scale projects. In space, they develop ways to use lunar resources to construct habitats, manage water extraction from craters and build structures that house astronauts safely.

• Aerospace Engineers: These scientists research and design the craft that travel to asteroids or other planets. They plan how to transport mining equipment, handle low-gravity landings and return payloads to Earth safely.

• Industrial Designers: These specialists focus on user experience and space efficiency. They design expanding habitat modules, inflatable living spaces and compact research areas that save weight during rocket launches.

Reflection and Evaluation

Conclude the activity by asking students to evaluate their designs critically. Have them answer the following reflection questions:

• What parts of your habitat turned out the best?

• Which sections of your base serve specific purposes like working, exercising and eating?

• How does your design make it easier for humans to survive in a hostile environment?

• How would you use your model to explain a mission to another planet to a friend?

Conclusion

The “Living in Space” project delivers a comprehensive introduction to design thinking and structural engineering principles. The activity aligns directly with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). It requires students to define the criteria of a design problem, develop models for iterative testing and refine their solutions based on scientific constraints.

By guiding students through the process of conceptualizing, modeling and reviewing a space habitat, you give them the tools to think like true innovators. They learn that solving massive problems takes patience, creativity and analytical thinking.

Access the Full Lesson and More

This article offers just a glimpse of what the Living in Space lesson provides. The complete lesson plan – along with many other classroom-ready activities – is available through the SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids Classroom platform.

👉 Create a free Classroom account to access the full lesson, educator resources, and a growing library of activities designed to inspire young learners to create, invent, and shape their futures.

Because when students design something of their own, learning becomes personal and unforgettable.

To get started with your class, visit https://www.swappsforkids.com/educators/ and register for a free account.

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