Astronomy Week 2: Stars

Classical Conversations Correlation: Cycle 2, Week 7

Reading

Book of Astronomy & Space, pg. 50-55

Classical Acts & Facts Science Cards #41

   

Vocabulary:

Telescope
Star

Videos:

Life & Death of a Star

Types of Stars

Activity 1: Build a Telescope

A telescope is a piece of equipment  that makes faraway things look closer.Astronomers use them to observe things in space. Build your own to become a space explorer!



Supplies Needed:
- paper towel roll or other cylindrical container
- paint
- marker
- Xacto knife
- sheet of acetate

Follow the instructions to build a fun telescope with a removable slide!

Activity 2: Why Do Stars Twinkle?

Supplies Needed:
- aluminum foil
- one piece black construction paper
- glass bowl
- flashlight
- scissors

1. Fill up 2/3rds of the glass bowl with water & set it aside.
2. Cut small pieces of aluminum foil and shape them into little stars.
3. Place the stars on top of the black card stock.
4. Place the glass bowl on top of the card stock and turn off the light.
5. Shine the flashlight on the bowl.
6. Tap the bowl to see what happens to the stars when the water moves.

When you shine light on aluminum while water is moving, the light travels through the water and makes the aluminum stars twinkle. Similarly, when the star light moves through the Earth's atmosphere at night, the air it passes through makes it appear to twinkle.

Photo:  www.theeducatedpreschooler.blogspot.com

Activity 3: Make Colorful Star Cookies

Follow the recipe on the website to make some yummy cookies you can actually see through!

Astronomy Lesson 25: Space Explorers

Reading:

Book of Astronomy & Space, pg. 42-44


    

Vocabulary:

Gravity

Astronomer
Astronaut
Rocket

Videos:

Human Space Exploration & NASA Astronauts:

Life of an Astronaut:

Learn about Voyager 1 Space Probe:

Take a tour of the International Space Station!

Activity 1: Gravity’s Effects

A long time ago, scientists accepted whatever Aristotle and other philosophers said as true. Then, a scientist named Galileo challenged that way of thinking. Aristotle said that items that weigh more will drop faster. We are going to be like Galileo and find out if that is true.

Supplies:

- tennis ball, baseball, or orange

- penny

- piece of paper

Have child stand in a chair or someplace higher. Give him the tennis ball or orange and a penny and ask which he thinks will land first. Have him hold out both hands and drop the items at the same time. They should land at the same time. (The higher up from which they drop, the better this will be demonstrated.) Switch out the penny for a piece of paper. Now ask which they think will land first. Have them drop them at the same time. The ball should land first. Now have them crumple up the paper tightly and ask which they think will land first. When dropped at the same time, they should land at the same time. What do you think happened? Explain that they changed the surface area of the paper. The paper floated lightly through the air at first but after you change the surface area, it can’t get caught up in the wind anymore. If our planet was like Mercury or the moon and didn’t have gravity or an atmosphere, even the uncrumpled paper would fall at the same speed. Read a book about Galileo’s experiment.

Activity 2: Astronaut Gloves

See what it would be like to be an astronaut and wear gloves in outer space. Let child wear large, leather work gloves and try to pick up a penny and place it in a cup. Then have them put together a nut and a bolt. To make it more realistic, you can plug up a sink and have them do this underwater, which is more like what it would be in space.

Activity 3: Centrifugal Force

Demonstrate Newton's 1st Law:
Give child an empty bottle without a lid, and a marble. Have them turn the bottle over without allowing the marble to drop out and not placing anything at the open end of the bottle. Let them experiment, but if they can't figure it out, show them how to do it. Turn the bottle upside down and quickly twirl it around. Centrifugal force will push the marble outward and circling around. This is important because when a space shuttle or satellite is shot into space, according to Newton's first law, it should just keep going. It doesn't because the earth is spinning like the bottle and gravity pulls the satellite or shuttle to spin around the Earth like the marble.

Activity 4: Build Your Own Spacecraft

Click the link for lots of ideas on how to build both an edible and a non-edible spacecraft and go on your very own NASA mission!

Activity 5: Build a Bubble-Powered Rocket

Supplies Needed:
- 8 1/2 x 11" copy paper
- plastic 35mm film canister
- cellophane tape
- scissors
- effervescing antacid tablet
- paper towels
- eye protection

Follow the instructions on the website to build a rocket that can really take off!

Astronomy Lesson 24: Asteroids, Comets & Meteors

Reading:

Book of Astronomy & Space, pg. 38-41

     

Vocabulary:

Comet
Asteroid Belt
Meteor

Videos:

All About the Asteroid Belt:

A robot rover exploring comets & asteroids:

Space Rocks: Asteroids, Meteors & Meteorites:

Activity 1: Comet, Meteor, or Asteroid?

Read this simple explanation to find out the differences between a comet, meteor & asteroid. Then, do the fun project at the end to make your own comet out of dry ice.

Activity 2: Craters & Meteorites

Follow the link to investigate how the size of a meteorite is related to the size of crater it makes upon impact.

Supplies Needed:
- At least 3 spherical objects: rubber ball, baseball, roundish fruit (solid objects are better than hollow)
- metric ruler
- cardboard box (deep & larger than a shoebox)
- 10 lb. bag flour

Activity 3: Make Asteroids You Can Eat

Make your own asteroids out of mashed potatoes!

Activity 4: Make a Comet on a Stick

Supplies Needed:
- chopsticks or Popsicle stick
- metallic ribbon
- scissors
- aluminum foil

Astronomy Lesson 23: The Moon

Reading:

Book of Astronomy & Space, pg. 24-25


    

Vocabulary:

Moon Phases
Moon

Videos:

All about the moon and its orbit:

Activity 1: How Does the Moon Get Light?

Technically the moon does not have its own light—it reflects the light from the sun. To demonstrate this, use a CD and a flashlight. Go to a dark area and shine the flashlight onto the CD. You should be able to see the light that reflects off the CD on your hands.

Activity 2: Oreo Cookie Moon Phases

 

Moon Phases Printable Worksheet- This printable shows where to put your Oreos to demonstrate the phases of the moon.

Activity 3: Observing the Moon

Beginning about 3 or 4 days after the New Moon, have your child go outside around sunset to draw the moon. Note exactly where it is in the sky, its shape (phase), and the horizon line (in relationship to trees, houses, etc.). The  next night, have them stand in the same spot at sunset and draw it again. Have them repeat this every evening until it is a full Moon. The next day, have your child start going out at sunrise in the same position. Have them draw the moon each morning until the next New Moon. This will give them a good idea of all the phases of the moon and the way the moon shifts positions in the sky each night.

Activity 4: Erupting Moon Rocks

Supplies:

- baking soda

- water

- black & silver glitter

- black liquid watercolor paint

- squeezy bottles

- vinegar

First, make a moon dough. Use roughly 2 cups of baking soda and mix with approx. ¼ cup of water. Measurements do not need to be exact—just add the water slowly and only use as much is needed to make the baking soda stick together. Add glitter and mix with your hands until it forms a mold-able dough that holds its shape.

Then, make a moon rock by forming a ball with the dough. Add water slowly until the entire ball is moist. Use a squeeze bottle to control the amount of water added. If you add too much water too fast, the moon dough will dissolve, but you also want to add enough to make it completely moist. Leave this out until it is completely dry—preferably overnight! Once dry, have fun crushing some of your rocks. Or, fill the squeeze bottle with vinegar to make them erupt.

Astronomy Lesson 22: The Planets, Part 3

Reading:

Book of Astronomy & Space, pg. 32-37

    

Vocabulary:

Uranus
Neptune
Pluto

Activity 1: Learn about Uranus

1. Read facts about Uranus from KidsAstronomy.com.

2. Watch a video about weather on other planets, and "diamond rain" on Uranus.

3. Read an additional book about Uranus.

4. Complete a Planet Mini Report about Uranus, or color a picture.

5. Add Uranus to your wall diagram of the Solar System.

Activity 2: Learn about Neptune

1. Read facts about Neptune from KidsAstronomy.com.

2. Watch Voyager 2's journey past Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune:

3. Read a book about Neptune. See some more facts online about Neptune and its moons.

4. Complete the planet Mini Report about Neptune, or color its picture.

5. Add Neptune to your wall diagram of the Solar System.

Activity 3: Learn about Pluto

1. Read facts about Pluto from KidsAstronomy.com.

2. Watch some interesting facts about Pluto:

Meet the five dwarf planets, which include Pluto:

3. Complete your planet Mini Report about Pluto. The coloring page of Pluto is from a different site than the others you have colored.

4. Add Pluto to your wall diagram of the Solar System.

Activity 4: Make Your Own Planet

Supplies Needed:
- 4" styrofoam ball
- paint
- toothpick
- old DVD or CD
- hot glue

Follow the directions at the website to make your own planet with rings.

Activity 5: Chalk Pastel Drawing of the Solar System

Incorporate art & science with this chalk pastel tutorial.

Astronomy Lesson 21: The Planets, Part 2

Reading:

Book of Astronomy & Space, pg. 26-37

               

Vocabulary:

Mars
Jupiter
Saturn

Activity 1: Make your own edible Mars Rover.

1. Read facts about Mars from KidsAstronomy.com.

2. See NASA's Curiosity Rover as it successfully lands on Mars:

3. Make your own edible Mars Rover.

Activity 2: Core Sampling of Mars

1. Watch another video about Mars:

2. Follow the directions on page 14-18 to understand how astronauts study the land on Mars.

Supplies Needed:
- "Fun Size" candy bar for each student (Snickers, Reeses, or Milky Way)
- 2 3" long sections of clear plastic straw
- paper plate
- plastic knife
- small ruler

Activity 3: Complete your study of Mars.

1. Complete your Planet Mini Report about Mars, or color the picture.

2. Add Mars to your wall diagram of the solar system.

Activity 4: Learn About Jupiter

1. Read about Jupiter on KidsAstronomy.com.

2. Read even more from NASA's Solar System website.

3. Read one of the additional reading books about Jupiter.

4. Take a video tour of Jupiter and Saturn.

5. Complete your Planet Mini Report about Jupiter, or color the picture.

6. Add Jupiter to your wall diagram of the Solar System.

Activity 5: Learn About Saturn

1. Read about Saturn on KidsAstronomy.com.

2. Watch a video about Saturn's rings.

Activity 6: Make a Model of Saturn

1. Read a book about Saturn.

2. Craft a model of Saturn using a styrofoam ball, following the directions at the link.

Supplies Needed:
- 4" styrofoam ball
- paint
- toothpick
- old CD or DVD
- hot glue

3. Complete your Planet Mini Report about Saturn or color the picture.

4. Add Saturn to your wall diagram of the Solar System.