Scales of the Universe Activities and Fireworks
September 9-13

Workshop Activities
1. Craft – Solar System
2. Key Points – Scales of the Universe
3. Collaborative - Constellations
4. Language Arts - Mnemonics
5. Math/Logic – Count the Stars
6. Character Connection – Fact Vs. Opinion
7. Big Activity – Phases of the Moon
8. Movement - Asteroids Game
Minecraft Activities
Constellations
Moon Phases
Scale Model of Solar System
Build Challenge: Make a Constellation
Upcoming Events
Disneyland meetup: September 11 – Our Universe https://www.facebook.com/events/438347327015581/
Thursday Park Days at Santa Ana Zoo: https://www.facebook.com/events/479026312918466/
Field Trip at Aquarium of the Pacific, Celebration, and overnighter at the aquarium – watch for details!
Fireworks
Read through the fireworks and choose about five that you think might interest your child. Allow him or her to select 1-3 of them.
There are a variety of theories of how the universe came to be. Draw pictures to depict your favorite theory.
Explore the solar system: http://www.solarsystemscope.com/
Choose an object in the night sky and observe it each night for a week. Can you figure out what it is? How is it different from night to night? Write about your observations on a Curate! Paper.
You be a "star." Write a poem, rap or song about an object in the universe. Perform it for your classmates.
Visit NASA Kid's Club: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html
Play some NASA games: http://spaceplace.nasa.gov//menu/play/redirected/
Memorize this song: https://youtu.be/sLkGSV9WDMA
Make a constellation in a can. Choose a constellation and mark it on the end of the can and hammer a nail through each star. Then turn out the lights and shine a flashlight through the holes of the can to make a constellation on the ceiling.
Make an ABC book about space.
Make a comet: http://www.proteacher.org/a/35553_Make_a_Comet.html
Learn about Free-Falling in space: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/station/freefalling.html
Do some of the activities on the astronomy Web page by the American Museum of Natural History: http://www.amnh.org/ology/astronomy
Make a model of the solar system.
Do a constellations webquest: http://www.zunal.com/webquest.php?w=11104
Watch “The Elegant Universe” by NOVA: https://www.pbs.org/video/nova-the-elegant-universe-part-1/
Read fiction and non-fiction about the space.
Play some math games.
Find objects around the house that demonstrate the proportional difference in size between the earth and the sun. Can you do this with all the planets?
What's going on in the sky this month? https://cosmicpursuits.com/night-sky-this-month/
Write a mystery story that takes place in space.
Write a song that will help you memorize the planets in our solar system.
Make a diagram of the planets. Show features such as mass, gravity, number of moons, etc. for each planet.
Do some stargazing. Can you locate any planets? Complete a Curate! paper about it.
Planets are spherical. Discover the math you would use to measure the surface and the volume of a sphere.
Let's say that you'd like to communicate with intelligent life from another planet. They don't speak English, so how can you send a message?
Make a quiz about space. Let your friends and family take it. See how many they get right.
Put Glow-in-the-dark planets up in your bedroom.
Build Your Own Space Mission: http://jpl.nasa.gov/education/BuildMissionGame.cfm
Play The Magic School Bus Space Chase: http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/games/space/index.htm
Field Trip Ideas
Go on a “space walk.” This is where the students walk a scale model of the universe in one mile.
Visit a planetarium and/or observatory.