Fly Me To The Moon ~ Our Study of Outer Space

In the spring, the children at our little yellow school embarked on a study of outer space.

Ordering the Planets

We learned about the sun ....

Sun Craft

Sun Craft

and the planets.

A Solar System Story

Making a Booklet of the Planets

Torn Paper Planets

We placed an extra special emphasis on the moon.  

A July Full Buck Moon Over the Atlantic Ocean

This year marks 50 years since the first moon landing!  On July 20, 1969, USA astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon!

The Toronto Star - July 1969 @ The Kennedy Space Center

The children were mesmerized by the stories of real astronauts and were eager to learn more.  We read the inspiring biography of Neil Armstrong, I am Neil Armstrong.  Although Neil was the first person to walk on the moon, it required bravery, patience and many small steps working together as a team.

The Biography of Neil Armstrong

We also read the book, The Darkest Dark, about our very own Canadian astronaut, Chris Hadfield.  The children couldn't believe that when Chris was a child he was afraid of the dark!  Chris conquered his fear and worked hard to become an astronaut.  His story is an inspiration for aspiring astronauts. 

The Darkest Dark

As part of our study, the children made astronaut masks. 
  

   

 We pretended that we were astronauts and hydrated some dehydrated fruits.

Comparing apples and bananas with their dehydrated versions.

Adding Water to Dehydrated Fruits

We even tasted some freeze dried ice cream.  Fun Fact:  Although freeze dried ice cream was created on request for the Apollo missions, it has never actually been consumed in outer space.  It's good!

A study of space would not be complete without mention of Galileo Galilei.  Did you know that in 1609 Galileo Galilei was the first person to use a telescope for astronomy?  At the time, people believed the moon was a smooth sphere.  Galileo discovered that the moon has peaks and valleys just like our Earth and made many sketches that were published.  This is just one of Galileo's discoveries.  His biography for children is fascinating!

I, Galileo - The Biography of Galileo Galilei

The children were very excited about the phases of the moon material.

The Phases of The Moon

The Phases of the Moon

NASA is now working towards sending a human mission to Mars in the 2030s!

Story - If I were an astronaut I would blast off and discover a new planet.

A Portion of The Rocket Garden @ The Kennedy Space Centre

Story - If I were an astronaut I would go to the stars.  I would put stars in my pocket.

"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." ~ Neil Armstrong