Designing Buildings at a Moon Base

Here are some questions to think about as you decide what buildings to include in your Moon Base model:

• What kinds of buildings are there in your neighborhood on Earth? For example, is there a school, a library, a hospital, a power plant? Are there stores? What other buildings are there? Would you need all these buildings on the Moon? How might they be the same or different there?

• Can you think of other buildings or equipment that you might need on the Moon that you don't need on Earth? For example, will your base need life-support equipment?

• What will the buildings look like at your base? Will they be on the surface of the Moon, or might some be underground? Is the surface you've chosen flat or hilly? What will the buildings be made of? Will they have lots of windows? How will people get from one building to another?

• Where will people at your base eat? Where will they sleep? Will they have individual homes or apartments? Will there be common areas that everyone can use?

• Where will people at your base do their jobs? Will there be offices, factories, farms, or laboratories? Will there be schools and other places for children?

• If your base gets shipments from Earth, you'll need a spaceport. What will the launch and landing pads look like? What other buildings and equipment will the spaceport need?

• What will people at your base do for fun? What recreation areas will be needed?