Plan
- Where will you find mazes to do for this activity?
- What other supplies will you need for this activity?
- Find two simple mazes to do – label one Maze A and the other Maze B. They should be different, but similar in difficulty.
Do
This activity must be done in pairs.
- You can use the maze templates found on p. 15 of the Space Kit Scouter manual, or you can find your own.
- Draw a path through Maze “A” as quickly as you can. How many times did you “bump” into the walls?
- Next, ask your partner to place the mirror next to Maze “B”, ensuring that you can see the maze clearly in the mirror. Your partner will also hold a piece of paper over your writing hand. This ensures that you are only using the mirror and are therefore “disoriented”.
- Draw a path through the maze while looking in the mirror; you should not look directly at the paper or pencil! Count how many times you “bumped” into the walls and write that number down.
- Have your partner do the same.
Review
- Did performance improve with practice?
- What can astronauts do to practice dealing with disorientation?
- Remember to submit your activities on our Scouts for Sustainability Take Action Map
Materials
- Disorientation Maze template
- Mirrors
- Pencils
- Prisms (optional)
Keep it Simple
- Choose mazes that have wide lines. You can even laminate them and use dry erase markers. Using a fine-tipped pencil may be too difficult for some people.
Take it Further
- Repeat Maze B and see if your performance improves.
- Attempt a maze using a prism. The prism rotates the beam of light by 90 degrees and presents quite a challenge!
- Repeat the activity using a star-shaped maze. The more acute angles present a much greater challenge.