We had an amazing two weeks studying space. The children were highly engaged and we all learned something new!
I began our unit by asking the children what they know about space.
I then asked what they hoped to learn about space over the next few weeks.
Dramatic Play
At the Dramatic Play center students pretended to be astronauts launching into outer space. They traced the path of their shuttle route and searched for different things in space such as planets, meteors, aliens, constellations and the Sun.
Small World Play
Students used their imagination while playing with rockets, moon buggies, rovers, astronauts and aliens.
Science
Students were scientists as they explored "moon" rocks. They measured, weighed and drew the rocks as part of their research.
Planet Activities
Students engaged in several independent play activities such as puzzles, visual discrimination tasks
Students made moon craters out of playdoh and stamped them with letters.
Planet Patterns!
We talked about each of the eight planets and how they orbit the sun. As part of our discussion we ordered the planets. Students followed up this activity by making planet hats.
Students practiced math skills by counting out planets (pom poms) onto a paint pallet based on a card they chose.
Art
Students made name rockets.
Students also created their own constellations. First they drew a shape. Next they placed stars at different points. Finally, they named their constellation.
Students painted moons with "moon rocks" (aluminum foil balls)
Students created the earth by painting a coffee filter with blue and green watercolors using eye droppers.
Students used recycled materials to build space shuttles, moon buggies and rovers.
Students colored and/or designed their own rocket ships.
The Moon
While learning about the moon, we talked about the moon's surface and how there are many craters formed when asteroids or comets collided with the moon.
Mars
When we learned about the Red Planet, we discussed Mars surface, its presence of water, its massive volcano and the rovers sent up by NASA that provide pictures and videos to help us learn more about the planet. At the time we studied Mars, the rover Perseverance had just landed on Mars. We were able to watch some of the footage and talk about its purpose. While no people have visited Mars, we did spend some time discussing the International Space Station and what it might be like to live in space. We watched a few short videos created by astronauts on the space station. They showed us the bathroom how water turns to bubbles when it floats around the station, how astronauts wash their hair, where they sleep, and what they eat. We also listened to a story read by an astronaut through NASA's "Storytime from Space" program. Finally, NASA provided some pretty need backdrops for photos, so each of the students could feel like they actually visited the planet!
Telescopes
As part of our study of constellations and planets we talked about telescopes as tools used to view objects in space. We pretended to use telescopes (toilet paper rolls) to go on a space hunt around the classroom. I hid several pictures of space objects and students had to locate them by looking through their telescope.
Writing
Students practiced writing numbers in moon sand.
Students also wrote letters with finger paint.
Graphing and Sorting
Students graphed their favorite food after listening to the song Peanut Butter and Jelly.
When studying Mars, students sorted pictures into two groups, red like Mars, not red.
Students sorted pictures by those that are yellow like the sun and those that are not yellow.
Library!
Indoor Recess Fun!
Mystery Reader
