Outer Space Explorers!

Earlier this year, we learned about landforms and the Earth. Then, we moved up to the sky and weather. Now, we went even further up and just finished exploring outer space!

We began by looking the most important part of our solar system: the sun! We learned that stars come in different colors, temperatures, and sizes. The sun isn't the hottest star out there, rather, just the closest. 

Students created a background for our hallway mural.

Then, we explored the planets that orbit our sun.

To help us remember the order of the planets, we used this phrase:

Students created works of art using oil pastels to show the orbit path for each planet.

Each student also wrote a research paper about one of the planets.

What outer space unit would be complete without paper mache planets? :)

First step: get messy!

Step Two: Paint 

Step Three: Add surface details using tissue paper

Step Four: Add finishing touches and labels

We learned that gravity on each of the planets differs. Therefore, your weight on each planet will differ as well. Thanks to Rabbi Simon, the students can see what they would weigh on each planet using this interactive outer space mat!

 The students stood on the scale and then hopped from one planet to the next while the scale showed their new weight as well as giving us facts about each planet! What a fun activity!

After learning about the planets that orbit the sun, we learned about the satellite that orbits Earth: the moon!

There is no atmosphere on the moon so there is nothing protecting its surface from asteroids, which is how the craters get there. Also, since there is no wind on the moon, footprints that were made by astronauts are still there!

We made our own craters using rocks in plaster to mimic what happens on the moon's surface. 

We learned that there is always one side of the moon that is lit up by the sun. But each night, the amount of the lit portion that we can see changes slightly. These are called phases of the moon.

We observed the moon for a month and recorded what we saw.

To really experience the moon phases, we used Oreos to create each phase! What a delicious activity!

Next, we discussed other things that can be seen in the night sky: constellations. 

We tried our hands at stitching constellations.

 The students created their own telescopes using paper towel rolls. 

Then, they used pushpins to create holes where each star is on small constellation cards.

Students put the constellation cards at the end of their telescopes and pointed them towards the light. When light shone through the little holes, it revealed the constellation! 

Another activity we did with constellations involved students using toothpicks and marshmallows to each create a different constellation.  (And munch on a few marshmallows, of course!)

Students used their marshmallow models to create their constellation using glow-in-the-dark stars on black paper--just like it would look in the real night sky!

Mrs. Hoy found an app that, when positioned toward the sky, shows you which constellations, planets, and satellites can be seen in any direction of the sky.

To round out our space exploration, we learned about real space explorers: astronauts! We watched videos of astronauts showing us what it is like to live in the space station.

We created space station airplanes that we flew around the classroom.

Finally, we ended with rockets that used straws that they blew into as rocket boosters! 

One of the highlights of our unit (other than the Oreo moon phase activity, of course!) was visiting the Boonshoft Planetarium in which the students got to see and learn about how the night sky changes over the the course of a night. Check the post before this one to see photos from that field trip!