SPACE TREASURE HUNT ANAHIT YEPRIKYAN
Wh-questions Who? Where? What? Why? Hi! I am Anahit from Armenia. I did an EVS project in a tiny village in Poland, Dabrowa, where I developed and held a project called "Treasure Hunt". In this piece you can find an outline of the project program. The project was held in two stages: preparation and quest-trip. The first part is for learning, while second is for sharing what is learnt. The aim of the project was to grow curiosity in children in learning more about the space. This outline is about discovering the universe; however, it may help you to design programs on other topics as well. The project may be adapted to the needs of any age groups of children.
CONTENTS What you need Tips Stage 1: Preparation Stage 2: Quest - trip Start your Space Treasure Hunt
What you need The kids need notebooks to be able to trace the information they get. You can give them stickers after each meeting. This is a motivation for them and a means for you to check presence. You can make the stickers yourself. Just print them on a self-adhesive paper. I always chose the printed image according to the topic of the meeting. You can draw a map with the starting point (the first meeting) and the end point (the quest-trip) on it. You can craft a spaceship with the images of your students and move it closer to the end point on the map after each meeting.
Tips Tip 1: Use all the resources at hand, explore even the strangest hypotheses, you will definitely need all the power of your imagination and logic. Tip 2: Give the kids some space for questions. In general they like asking questions and mainly really weird, funny and amazingly interesting ones. I guarantee tonnes of food for thought for you, if you give them the space to ask about space. Let them just dive into questions. I always devoted the last 5 minutes of the meeting to the questions. It was never enough, but this is a right way to get them moved. Tip 3: Use videos /there are plenty of them on each topic we’ll com across. Tip 4: Always find some interesting, shocking facts about each topic. Tip 5: Have the names of the objects written on the pictures. Tip 6: Follow the news and keep the kids updated. THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP: Act like it’s a show and you are the showperson.
Stage 1Â Preparation
Meeting 1
Let's Start. The Big Bang Introduction to the course. Ask them to bring a notebook. - 5 min. Warm-up questions for the kids to feel the topic, to find out the kids’ knowledge on the topic. Give them some space to imagine how the universe started. - 10 min. Introduce the Big Bang theory, just general information: the big bang, the first atoms, stars and galaxies. Let them know what’s awaiting them. Tell the approximate numbers of what happened when. They won’t remember all of them, but the brain will form certain shapes for this kind of information and then use them later in life. - 20 min Act the big bang together. Everybody comes together as a mass and then perform a ‘bang’, an explosion on a signal. You can even develop the performance to the point that they are the atoms and photons created in the consequence of the Big Bang. Imagination acceleration: question-answer section.- 5 min. Stickers.
Meeting 2
The Birth of Stars. Types of Stars Revise the latest topic. Let them ask each other questions. - 5 min Present the news of the day connected to the space exploration. (I mainly used NASA and ISS channels, but don’t forget their ‘opponents’) - 10 min The birth of stars. The types of stars. - 15 min. Show them the size differences of different types of stars on sports balls (e.g: a football maybe a giant, a tennis ball may represent a dwarf). - 2 min Hand them previously prepared prints with the types of stars on them. They need to make cards and stick them in their notebook. Make the star size differences visible on the pictures. Imagination acceleration: question-answer section.- 5 min. Stickers.
Meeting 3
Galaxies This is not about smartphones!
Revise the latest topic. Let them ask each other questions. - 5 min Present the news of the day connected to the space exploration. - 10 min Galaxies: formation and existence. The galaxies we know. - 15 min. Hand out some pictures of galaxies. You can make puzzles out of pictures. Just cut the pictures to several pieces and they need to put them together. - 10 min. Imagination acceleration: question-answer section.- 5 min. Stickers.
Meeting 4
The Milky Way Is So Tasty Revise the latest topic. Let them ask each other questions. - 5 min Present the news of the day connected to the space exploration. - 10 min Our galaxy. Our Solar system. The sun. Formation and some basic info. - 20 min Hand them the previously prepared picture of the sun, showing its layers (whatever you consider the most relevant for your students). - 5 min. Imagination acceleration: question-answer section.- 5 min. Stickers.
Meeting 5
The Sun. Our Solar System Revise the latest topic. Let them ask each other questions. - 5 min Present the news of the day connected to the space exploration. - 10 min Our Solar System. The objects orbiting the sun. The planets, the types of the planets. The object positioning in the Solar System. - 20 min. Start a layout of the Solar System. Hand them the picture of the sun. The card with the picture of the sun must be small enough to fit on one page with the other objects you will give on every meeting (as soon as you learn about the object, you stick it in your notebook, according to its position in the Solar System). After the last object (well, just hypothetically) in the Solar system is learnt, everyone will have their own layout and so an understanding of what the Solar System looks like. - 5 min. Imagination acceleration: question-answer section.- 5 min. Stickers.
Meeting 6
It's Really Hot! Mercury and Venus Revise the latest topic. Let them ask each other questions. - 5 min Present the news of the day connected to the space exploration. - 10 min Tell them the most general facts about the planets. Compare/contrast really helps them to fix the features more clearly. Organize a role play. Divide them into groups of three people. One of them will be the sun, the other two will be Mercury and Venus orbiting the sun. Their task is to perform and show as many features as they can. Hand the pictures of Mercury and Venus. They need to make cards and put them in the on-its-way layout of the Solar System. Imagination acceleration: question-answer section.- 5 min. Stickers.
Meeting 7
How Do We Know? Natural and Artificial Satellites Revise the latest topic. Let them ask each other questions. - 5 min Present the news of the day connected to the space exploration. - 10 min Tell the kids about the space exploration history and centres. How do we explore the space now, how do you get the news you tell them, natural and artificial satellites. - 25 min. Imagination acceleration: question-answer section.- 5 min. Stickers.
Meeting 8
The Earth and The Moon Revise the latest topic. Let them ask each other questions. - 5 min Present the news of the day connected to the space exploration. - 10 min The Earth and the moon. Connect the previous topic about the natural and artificial satellites. Don’t forget about the atmosphere of the Earth and the extraordinary, amazing, fantastic life we have got here. - 20 min Continue the layout of the Solar System. - 5 min. Imagination acceleration: question-answer section.- 5 min. Stickers.
Meeting 9
We Love Mars! I mean the planet. Revise the latest topic. Let them ask each other questions. - 5 min Present the news of the day connected to the space exploration. - 10 min The last terrestrial planet is the topic. Tell about the general features, interesting facts about the planet, make comparisons (as always). Include some information on the new ideas and possibilities of the exploration of Mars, mention about the beliefs of its colonization. - 20 min Continue the layout of the Solar System. - 5 min. Imagination acceleration: question-answer section.- 5 min. Stickers.
Meeting 10
Giants Haven't Got Eyes. Jupiter and Saturn Revise the latest topic. Let them ask each other questions. - 5 min Present the news of the day connected to the space exploration. 10 min Tell about gas giants. Jupiter and Saturn (you know what to do with planets). Don’t forget about the natural satellites, great red spot of Jupiter and the ring system of Saturn - 20 min Continue the layout of the Solar System. - 5 min. Imagination acceleration: question-answer section.- 5 min. Stickers.
Meeting 11
Ice Giants. Uranus and Neptune Revise the latest topic. Let them ask each other questions. - 5 min Present the news of the day connected to the space exploration. - 10 min The difference between the gas giants and ice giants. Uranus and Neptune. Remember the axis of rotation of Uranus, its ring system and the interesting discovery of Neptune - 20 min Continue the layout of the Solar System. - 5 min. Imagination acceleration: question-answer section.- 5 min. Stickers.
Meeting 12
Pluto. Comets. Planetoids Revise the latest topic. Let them ask each other questions. - 5 min Present the news of the day connected to the space exploration. - 10 min Dwarf planets. Pluto. Comets and planetoids and their positioning in the Solar System. Remember about the problem of Pluto as to being called a planet. - 20 min Finish the layout of the Solar System. - 5 min. Imagination acceleration: question-answer section.- 5 min. Stickers.
Meeting 13
In The Universe We Trust Revise the latest topic. Let them ask each other questions. - 5 min Present the news of the day connected to the space exploration. - 10 min Start from the very beginning (of the universe and of your meetings). Jump from topic to topic to fix the information. - 15 min. Role play. Perform the Solar System. Prepare cards with the names of the objects of the Solar System (you can always use the planetoids if you have more students than all the biggest and most famous objects). Imagination acceleration: question-answer section.- 5 min. Stickers.
Stage 2 The Quest
The Quest The aim of the quest is to reach some place. In my case it was planetarium. Motivate the kids: if they solve the problems and answer all the questions, they will get to the place you intend to. Prepare quizquestions or games for the kids (you will find examples below). You can divide them to smaller groups if needed. I had thirty-three kids and three teams. Game 1: Match the object with its name. You just need to have the printed images and the names of the objects. Game 2: Make up a Solar System layout with your team members. The kids may use the same printed objects used for the previous game. Depending on the age group you work with, you can change the level of difficulty of the games. I worked with the first graders, so these two games were just to the point for them.
Start Your Space Treasure Hunt At the end of my project one of the guys showed me his model of a satellite. Remember, inspire them with your enthusiasm and maybe some of them will continue exploring and discovering. The universe is so huge and so fascinating. I am sure you will have a lot of fun during the process. The treasures of the universe are waiting for you! Enjoy them and share! P.S. If you work with kids right, you’re doing an amazing job!
GOOD HUNT !
Note: I own none of the images used in the brochure.