Page 209 - International Space Station Benefits for Humanity, 3rd edition.

Inquiry-based Learning

Since the launch of the first modules of the International Space Station (ISS) into orbit, students have
been provided with a unique opportunity to get involved and participate in science and engineering
projects. Many of these projects support inquiry-based learning—an approach to science education
that allows students to ask questions, develop hypothesis-derived experiments, obtain supporting
evidence, analyze data, and identify solutions or explanations. This approach to learning is well-
published as one of the most effective ways in which to engage and influence students to pursue
careers in scientific and technology fields.

JAXA Seeds in Space
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has More than 18,000 students and
encouraged students and teachers to find mutants
from specimens including spaceflight plant seeds by teachers from kindergarten to high
learning how to conduct a real scientific investigation. school participated in the JAXA
One group of Japanese morning glory (Asagao) seeds
was stored on the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo Seeds in Space scientific education
of the space station for nearly 9 months and then program from 2010 to 2017.
returned to Earth. The spaceflight seeds were
distributed to schools for the experiment, and included
a set of negative-control seeds stored on Earth and a
set of positive-control seeds irradiated with carbon ion
beams at the RIKEN Accelerator Research Facility.
Pure-bred strains of plants with diploid and self-
pollination characteristics such as the morning

Students plant morning glory (Asagao) space-
flown seeds as part of the JAXA Seeds in Space
program. Insets include A: a mutant of M2 How to detect and isolate mutants (recessive
Asagao (pigment-deficient); and B: a wild type homozygotes) from a pure-bred strain in the
of M2 Asagao. Japanese morning glory (Asagao).
Image credit: Dr.Eiji Nitasaka and JAXA Image credit: Dr.Eiji Nitasaka

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