Space Adventures

The lesson will begin with a visit to outerspace. Search online for space adventure songs for young children, there are 2 or 3 great ones that are interactive.
Next, determine what the classroom children know about space...........simply ask them what they know. The moon, stars and sun may be it for some children, but that is a start. Using discovery education/united streaming, let children watch SPACE CASE or search for other digital stories.
This can be downloaded if you have an account or you can check out the book from your school or public library.
Use activinspire to share a teacher made flipchart on your activboard aobut space.
If you don't have access you can simply do this with posterboards, flannel boards, etc.
Question of the day??????????
Have you ever been in outer space?
Graph Yes or No and tally their answers. other activites can include planet counting, sorting stars by color, Let's make an alien(kind of like Mr. Potato Head)
Provide pictures of people who would visit outerspace. Get creative.............even throw in some photos of mickey mouse, hello kitty, your school principal, etc. Let the children drag the correct photos "into" the rocket on your flipchart or posterboard.
Include fact and fiction books for kids to read during interest centers.
Last year after Halloween, I bought some space suits for 90% off and put them in our dramatic play center.......Awesome and cheap!
Write stories about space adventures.............ask parents to get involved too!
Pick up rocks in your backyard or park and let kids paint them to resemble "moon rocks" Use glow in the dark paint (available at most craft store and some supercenters. Get a box from an old utility item and let your students paint it solid black w/ temper paint after it dries they can make stars with chalk.
Let children check out a disposable school camera and take photos at home of the moon and stars.
Ask your school PTA to help with developing cost or ask each student to bring in 50 cents. If kids have a digital camera at home, ask parents to let them take some random "space shots" and them e-mail them to school.
Rescycle used juice boxes......well the "bag" type and cut them vertically to use the inside for making a shinny space rocket. This topic can go on forever and spread into all developmental domains. Have fun space explorers!!!!!!!!!!!!