Toilet Paper Rolls
Paper Towel Rolls
Moon Sand
Moon Rocks (Hot glue lid to clear container)
Astronaut Dress Up Smock
Make an Oxygen Tank
American Flag
Star Cut Outs
Pictures of Stars, Moon, Planets, Sun, Astronauts
Book Bag
Star Stickers
Big Brown Paper Bags
Felt Board Space Cutouts
Index Cards with Numbers 1-10 (Blast Off Cards)
Camera
Goggles (pretend these are space goggles)
Bicycle Helmet (pretend this is a space helmet)
Gloves (pretend these are space gloves)
Telescope (Make out of paper towel rolls)
Styrofoam Balls
Star Cookie Cutters
Robot
Jet Pack - how to here: http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=oxygen%20tank%20diy%20
1. What is outer space?
Space is big, dark and cold. There is no air or water in space. Astronauts explore space in specially designed spacecraft called spaceships. Robots are also used to explore space. The only place in space that people have been to is the moon. Some people think that there may be life on other planets. Planets are in outer space. There are 8 planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The Sun is in space and is a huge ball of fiery gases.
2. What is an astronaut?
Astronauts are community helpers. Talk about how astronauts get to the moon and survive their visits. Talk about what they wear, how they breathe in space, and what they eat. Discuss why astronauts go to the moon. Ask the children if an astronaut could bring back a crater. Talk about where the space shuttles take off and where they land. Show pictures of the moon. Talk about how there aren’t any plants, people, or animals on the moon. Ask the children what people, plants, and animals need that they can’t find on the moon.
3. What is in space?
There are many faraway objects in space. Some of these are moon, stars, and planets. We live on a ball-shaped planet called earth. There are seven other ball-shaped planets. These planets move around the sun and, along with their moons, make up the solar system.
1. Rocket Flannel Board Numbers 1-10
You will need cut from felt:
Large blue circle
10 rocket ships, numbered 1-10
Large yellow circle
Pretend the felt board is outer space. Place the moon on the top part and place the 10 rocket ships around the board. Ask a child to come to the board and find rocket ship number 1, take it off the board, fly it around the room and land it back on the moon. Next have a child find rocket ship number 2 and so on. When all the rockets are on the moon place the Earth on the board. “Blast” the rockets off the moon and have them fly (or throw them) to different children. When all the rockets are with children call out for rocket number 1 to “fly back to earth”. Continue until all the rockets have landed safely at home!
2. Decorate brown paper bags to the children’s space suit. Let them wear them till nap time. Extension activity: Trip to the Moon - blast off for an imaginary trip to the moon. On the way, have them float around in their space capsule. When they land on the moon, have the children leap and float in slow motion, as they pretend to plant a flag, collect moon rocks and take pictures of their surroundings. Then let them make the return journey back to earth.
3. Moonscapes – Give your children large handfuls of playdough to roll and pat into thick circles for moons. Show them how to poke craters into their moons by using their fingertips. If desired, give each child a toothpick American flag to stick into his or her moonscape.
4. Constellations – Display pictures of constellations and discuss them with your group. Give each of the children several white or silver star stickers to attach to black paper. Then have them use white crayons or chalk to draw lines connecting their stars to create their own constellations.
5. Review the number nine by doing such things as these nine times: clapping, nodding, toe tapping, hopping, and drumming.
1. We’re Going on a Space Trip…
(We’re Going on a Bear Hunt)
After the “mission commander” (teacher) chants a line, the flight crew (students) repeats it and the Motions associated with it.
We’re gong on a space trip (salute)
Pack your flight bag (put items in a bag and zip it up)
Get on your spacesuit (get dressed)
Let’s climb on board (climb steps”
Buckle your safety strap (fasten belt)
Countdown time! 1 0-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 –Lift off!
I see the Moon. (Point ahead of you)
Can’t go over it (point above you)
Count go under it (point below you)
Have to go around it
Continue the chant with some obstacles in your way. Sun, planet, asteroid, meteor, comet… Complete the chant by pantomiming, ” Our Mission is completed (clap) Time to turn back. I see the comet. I see the meteor.”
2. Astronaut Song…
(If You’re Happy and You Know It)
Outer space is where I really like to go,
I ride inside a spaceship, don’t you know?
I like to travel near the stars,
Wave to Jupiter and Mars.
Outer space is where I really like to go.
3. Space Song
(London Bridge)
The planets spin around the sun,
Around the sun, Around the sun.
The planets spin around the sun,
We live on earth!
The sun is found in the middle,
In the middle, In the middle.
The sun is found in the middle,
It keeps us warm!
The stars are twinkling far away,
Far away, far away.
the stars are twinkling far away,
Now make a wish!
4. Astronauts Round the Moon
(The bear went over the mountain)
Astronauts went round the moon,
Astronauts went round the moon,
Astronauts went round the moon,
And what do you think they saw?
They saw____
They saw____
They saw____
And that is what they saw.
5. We’ll Be Orbiting Round The Moon
(She’ll be Coming Round the Mountain)
We’II be orbiting round the moon yes we will.
We’ll be orbiting round the moon, yes we wiIl,
We’ll be orbiting round the moon, yes we will,
We’ll be orbiting round the moon,
We’ll be orbiting round the moon,
We’ll be orbiting round the moon, yes we will.
We’ll be landing on the moon, yes we will. etc.
We’ll be walking on the moon, yes we will,
We’ll be blasting off again, yes we will,
We’ll be landing back on Earth, yes we will.
6. Hot Sun Game - In this game the children circle around the ‘hot sun.” Pick one child to be the sun. The others form a circle with the sun in the center. While the music plays, the children move in a circle around the hot sun When the music stops, the child who is standing in front of the sun moves to the center and is the hot sun for the next round.
7. Spaceship Trip – At music and movement time, let the kids wear their space suits (paper bag), sit in a circle, and explain that everyone is going on a spaceship trip to other planets. Countdown, blast off, and pretend to travel through space until you spot a planet. Announce that this is a “crawling only” planet, and as you begin to play some music, the kids can crawl around the area until the music stops. At that time, everyone hops back into the circle to blast off and travel to the next planet (a hopping only) planet and so on to as many planets as you have time for before returning to earth
1. Four Little Stars
Four little stars
winking at me.
One shot off,
Then there were three!
Three little stars
With nothing to do.
One shot off,
Then there were two!
Two little stars
Afraid of the sun.
One shot off,
Then there was one!
One little star
Alone is no fun.
It shot off,
Then there was none!
1. Ring Around the Spaceship
Ring around the spaceship,(walk with others in circle)
Try to grab a star (reach up high)
Stardust, stardust, (wiggle fingers)
All fail down. (Drop to floor)
2. Moon Walk
3. One Little Astronaut - Hold onto the end of a long piece of hose or rope. Have one child hold onto the other end and pretend to explore space while you recite the poem below. When you finish the first verse, have a second child join the first. Continue with additional verses until all of the children are holding onto the hose. “One little astronaut floating out from base, Hooked to a hose, exploring space. He/She thought it was such an amazing trick, He/She called another astronaut to join her quick.” This is a supervised activity.
Gravity Experiment: Explain to the children that all objects on Earth are pulled toward the planet’s center by the force of gravity. Gravity is the force that makes your glass of juice crash to the floor when it slips out of your hand. Gravity is the force that keeps your feet on the ground when you go for a walk. Before performing this experiment, show the children a shoe and a flat piece of copy paper. Explain that you will be dropping both objects from the same height. Then ask the children to predict what they think will happen. Write down their answers. Consider making a chart and encouraging the children to write their names into the corresponding column for their answer to the following questions:
•Who thinks the shoe will hit the floor first?
•Who thinks the paper will hit the floor first?
•Who thinks both objects will hit the floor at the same time?
Hold the shoe in one hand and the paper in the other. Hold both objects high in front of you at equal heights. Release both objects at the same time.
Observation: The shoe hits the floor first.
Explanation: Because of the paper’s shape, its fall is slowed by air pushing up against its under-surface. This slowing effect is called air resistance.
Next crumple the paper, and ask the same questions before performing the experiment. The crumpled paper and shoe will hit the floor at the same time because now there is no air resistance. Encourage children to perform the same experiment on the playground with toys, nature items, etc. Ask them to predict what will happen and explain the results.
Advanced Language: air resistance, gravity, astronaut, spaceships, crater, constellations
1. Follow the Leader
In a line, the first person leads the rest until you give a signal to "freeze" or stop. The leader then moves to the end of the line and the next person gets to be the leader. Focus on trying to match what the leader is doing, not on who gets to be the leader.
Practice phonics skills with these read-along stories.
Practice math and reading skills while playing fun games.