Early Themes - Me, Space, The Sea and Dinosaurs: Space

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RIC-6286 3.7/490

EARLY THEMES Space (Ages 4–6) Published by R.I.C. Publications® 2006 Revised edition 2008 Copyright© R.I.C. Publications® 2006 ISBN-13 978-1-74126-458-6 RIC–6286

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Date of Purchase:

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Me (Ages 4–6) The sea (Ages 4–6) Dinosaurs (Ages 4–6)

This master may only be reproduced by the original purchaser for use with their class(es). The publisher prohibits the loaning or onselling of this master for the purposes of reproduction.

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School Order# (if applicable):

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Internet websites

In some cases, websites or specific URLs may be recommended. While these are checked and rechecked at the time of publication, the publisher has no control over any subsequent changes which may be made to webpages.

It is strongly recommended that the class teacher checks all URLs before allowing students to access them.

View all pages online http://www.ricpublications.com.au

Foreword Space is one of a series of books based around popular themes and written for students in the early years of schooling.

The wide variety of activities in this book extend across many learning areas, but particularly encompass science and society and environment. The book contains predominantly factual information about space, compiled in such a way as to develop simple understandings and motivate early learners to extend their learning beyond its contents.

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Me – Ages 4–6

The sea – Ages 4–6

Space – Ages 4–6

Dinosaurs – Ages 4–6

Contents

Teachers notes..................................................... ii – iii Curriculum links.........................................................iv

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Titles in this series are:

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What do astronauts do all day?..........................34–35

What’s out there?....................................................2–3

Rockets and space shuttles................................36–37

Planets mobile........................................................4–5

Space shuttle dot-to-dot....................................38–39

Orbits around the sun............................................6–7

The shapes of the lunar module.........................40–41

The sun gives life....................................................8–9

Marvellous moon buggy....................................42–43

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Shadow puppets................................................10–11 Day and night.....................................................12–13 The seasons........................................................14–15

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The sun & our solar system................ 2–21

The stars.......................................... 44–55 Hot stars!............................................................44–45 Constellations.....................................................46–47

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Hotter and colder...............................................16–17 Malina the sun goddess.....................................18–19 How the sun was made......................................20–21

The moon......................................... 22–29 The polite moon.................................................22–23 What is the moon like?.......................................24–25 Moon spinner.....................................................26–27 Eclipse!...............................................................28–29

What is the Milky Way?......................................48–49 Southern Cross patterns.....................................50–51 Meteors — Shooting stars..................................52–53 Comets and asteroids.........................................54–55

The planets...................................... 56–67 Planet Earth........................................................56–57

Which planets are we?........................................58–59 Planets jigsaw.....................................................60–61

Space travel..................................... 30–43

Uranus and Neptune..........................................62–63

Amazing astronauts............................................30–31

Make a telescope...............................................64–65

Survival gear.......................................................32–33

Who’s out there?.................................................66–67

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Early themes — Space

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Teachers notes Space (Ages 4–6) aims to provide a basis for further investigations or creative activities about space.

The book aims to develop the following concepts about space: ★

Outer space is made up of planets, stars, comets, the sun, moons, asteroids, meteors, satellites and spacecraft. ★

The solar system is made up of eight planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. (Pluto is now considered a dwarf planet.)

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The planets in the solar system orbit the sun.

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The sun gives the Earth heat and light.

The movement of the Earth on its axis in relation to the sun creates day and night.

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The sun’s energy sustains life.

The tilt of the Earth on its axis creates the different seasons.

Places closer to the sun are warmer than those further away.

Many legends are told about how the sun was created.

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The moon has different phases.

Astronauts have explored the moon.

Astronauts need special clothes to help them survive in space.

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Astronauts work, eat, sleep, exercise and have fun in space.

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Astronauts need special transport to travel in space.

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Astronauts used special machines to investigate the moon.

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Stars are large bodies in space.

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There are many stars in space including those in constellations.

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The Milky Way is a galaxy of stars.

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The Southern Cross is a star group in the Southern Hemisphere.

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Meteors (falling or shooting stars) come from space.

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Comets and asteroids are found in space.

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The Earth is our planet in the solar system.

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Mercury and Mars are planets in our solar system.

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Jupiter and Saturn are planets in our solar system.

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Uranus and Neptune are planets in our solar system.

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Astronomers use telescopes to learn about space.

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We do not know if there is life on other planets.

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The moon has lots of different landforms.

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The moon is the only natural satellite of the earth.

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Early themes — Space

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Teachers notes The format of the book Each student activity page is accompanied by a corresponding teachers notes page.

Teachers notes pages The title of the corresponding student page is given.

The concept being developed is stated.

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Additional activities to support or extend the concept are supplied.

These extend across other learning areas.

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Relevant background information is given concerning any necessary preparation, how to introduce the activity or how to use the worksheet with students.

Also included is some background information which teachers may require to answer students’ questions.

Resources to support the concept are supplied, including songs, poems, stories, relevant websites or references to pages in other books.

Answers are supplied where necessary.

Student activity pages

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Clear, concise instructions for completing the student activity are supplied.

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The title of the student page is given.

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Note: *

Teachers are encouraged to enlarge worksheets to A3 size where necessary to allow enough space for beginning writers to complete their responses.

** Some students may need assistance to write, copy or spell words. Others may need an adult to scribe words for them. *** As much as possible, students should be encouraged to use the appropriate language (such as ‘atmosphere’, ‘planet’) when completing this theme. **** Teachers are given the freedom to introduce the factual information provided on the teachers pages in any way which suits them (pictures, factual texts etc.), with many student activities forming a concluding activity.

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Early themes — Space

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Curriculum links

Science NSW

Vic.

ESES 1.6

Qld

I F.1

1.1

I F.2

1.2

EB 1

1.3

EC 1

1.5

Science and Society 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 Earth and Beyond 1.1, 1.2, D 1.4

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INVES 1.7

SA

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PPES 1.4

WA

Energy and Change 1.2, 1.3

Life and Living 1.1 1.3

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ICP F.1

1.4

ENES 1

ICP 1.2

1.5

SSES 1

PS 1.1

1.8

SOSE0101

CCES 1

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Place and Space

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TCC 1.1 NSS 1.1 NSS 1.3

1.1 1.2 1.4

Culture and Identity 1.1 Systems, Resources and Power 1.1

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Early themes — Space

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What’s out there?

Concept: Outer space is made up of planets, stars, comets, the sun, moons, asteroids, meteors, satellites and spacecraft.

Indicator: ★★

Identifies objects in outer space by colouring.

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Background information:

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Outer space (space) can be defined as the relatively ‘empty’ regions in the universe beyond the atmosphere of celestial bodies, including Earth. Airspace is that area within the atmosphere which includes birds, kites, clouds, aeroplanes, hot air balloons, hang gliders, parachutes and parachutists. Space, then, includes planets, stars, comets, the sun, moons, asteroids, meteors, natural and built satellites and spacecraft. Other objects found in space include molecules, radiation, cosmic rays, gas, plasma and dust, and space ‘junk’ left over from previously crewed and uncrewed spacecraft.

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There is no air in space.

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No obvious, definite boundary exists between the Earth’s atmosphere and space, because the atmosphere gradually loses its intensity as altitude increases.

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Some layers of the Earth’s atmosphere have been defined as the troposphere (up to 18 km), stratosphere (up 50 km), mesophere (up to 80 km), thermosphere (up to 690 km) and the exosphere (up to 800 km).

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Discuss and draw or list what students can see in the sky when they look at it at night or during the day.

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Explain that some of these things are close enough to see (in our atmosphere)—e.g. birds, clouds, rainbows, aeroplanes—while others are very far away (in space)—e.g. the moon, stars. Encourage students to say and remember the words ‘atmosphere’ and ‘space’.

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Discuss and name the objects on the worksheet.

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Students label those in space with an ‘s’ and those in the atmosphere with an ‘a’. Students may then colour the pictures.

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(s) – planet, moon, sun, rocket, comet

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(a) – rainbow, clouds, bird, kite

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Students cut and sort pictures from magazines into groups—‘in space’ and ‘in the atmosphere’.

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Students fold a sheet of A3 paper into halves lengthways. Unfold the paper and, using thick oil pastels, draw objects which can be found in the Earth’s atmosphere in the bottom section and things which may be found in space in the top section. Students use blue runny paint to cover the pictures in the bottom section and black to cover those in the top section.

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Create acrostic poems on the board with the class. Write the words ‘space’ and ‘atmosphere’ with the letters going down the board and ask students to find an object beginning with each letter of the words to show what can be found there; for example:

s — sun, p — planets, a — asteroids, c — comets, e — Earth

Resources:

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Me and my place in space by Joan Sweeney

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A space story by Karla Kuskin

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The astronaut song (http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/space/songs.htm) Early themes — Space

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What’s out there?

1. Write ‘s’ in the box near the things you find in space.

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2. Write ‘a’ in the box near the things you find in the atmosphere.

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3. Colour the pictures.

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Early themes — Space

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Planets mobile Concept: The solar system is made up of eight ‘classical’ planets; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Indicators: ★★

Learns names of planets.

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Constructs a planets mobile.

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Background information: ★★

construct a mobile, each student will need, To

- two thin strips of balsa wood, secured in the shape of a cross.

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Earth

Venus

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- nine 20 cm lengths of string for attaching the planets to the mobile. (One end to be threaded through the planet and knotted, the other looped and placed on an arm of the balsa wood cross.)

Mars

Mercury

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Care must be taken when cutting and threading the planets as some are very small. This is essential if students are to gain some understanding of relative size.

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Discuss the names of the planets, their relative sizes, proximity to the sun and their colours.

Mercury

Order from the sun

Venus

Earth

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

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Jupiter

Order of size from largest to smallest

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Colour

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Earth

Venus

Mars

Mercury

red/brown and cream stripes with red ‘eye’

yellow and grey stripes

light blue with white at polar cap

blue

blue and green

bright yellow and orange

red

brown and grey

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Additional activities:

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Rearrange the letters in the names of the planets in different ways (as in a cross patch) so that some letters overlap.

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Using thin card, cut out and colour the eight planets (using those on the activity page as templates). Tie a knot in a 70 cm piece of string and, starting with Neptune, thread the planets together through the centre, leaving a 5-cm gap between each. Tie a knot in the string before adding each planet. Cut out and colour a 30-cm diameter circle to represent the sun. Thread the string through its centre, leaving a 20-cm gap between it and Mercury. Make a loop with the remaining string and hang from the ceiling with the sun uppermost.

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Make smaller words from the letters of each planet. From which planet did you make the most words?

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Note:

On 24 August 2006, Pluto was stripped of its status as a planet by the International Astronomical Union.

Resources:

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Space rock by Jon Buller

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Planets around the sun by Seymour Simon

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The planets in our solar system by Franklyn M Branley Early themes — Space

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Planets mobile The solar system is our sun and the eight classical planets that travel around it. Each planet moves around the sun in its own special pathway called an orbit.

1. Colour and cut out each planet.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u 3. Make a loop at the other end of the string and place each S planet on the arms of the cross.

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2. Thread string through the top of each planet and tie a knot at one end.

Mars

Uranus

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Saturn Neptune

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Early themes — Space

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Orbits around the sun Concept: The planets in the Solar System orbit the sun.

Indicator: ★★

Chooses correct vowels to complete the names of planets.

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Use a yellow fitball to represent the sun, balls of different sizes to represent the planets and long skipping ropes to represent the orbits along which they travel. Lay out the ropes in ‘elliptical orbits’.

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Student A stands in the centre of the orbits holding the fitball and says, ‘I am the sun.’ Student B stands on the first orbit holding a small ball and says, ‘I am Mercury, the first planet from the sun.’

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Students C to H follow the pattern, giving the name and position of their planet.

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When all planets are in place, students orbit the sun in an anticlockwise direction.

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Students will see that Mercury makes more revolutions than Neptune in any given time. Explain that this is because it has less distance to travel. Compare the lengths of skipping ropes so they can see that Neptune’s orbit is much longer than Mercury’s.

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Explain that it takes one year for a planet to travel once around the sun. Ask questions such as, ‘Which has the longer year, Neptune or Mars?’ Because Neptune is further from the sun than Mars, it has a greater distance to travel, so it takes longer.

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At the same time as they are travelling around the sun, the planets are also spinning on their axes.

This can be added to the demonstration, but make sure the students spin slowly!

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Explain that it takes one day for a planet to make one revolution on its axis.

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Demonstrate the planets orbiting around the sun before students complete the activity sheet.

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1. (a) Mercury

(b) Venus

(c) Earth

(d) Mars

(f) Saturn

(g) Uranus

(h) Neptune

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(e) Jupiter

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Paint a large Solar System wall display on a black background. Make the sun as large as practically possible. Explain that the size of the sun in relation to the size of the planets is not to scale. It would have to be much bigger.

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Construct a 3-D solar system model using wire for the orbits and different coloured modelling clay for the planets and the sun.

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Make a ten page mini-book of the sun and the planets. Page one is the sun, page two is Mercury, page three is Earth etc. On each page write one or two simple facts such as, ‘I am the sun. I am at the centre of the solar system.’

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Resources:

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A space story by Karla Kuskin

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Our solar system by Seymour Simon

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Earth: our planet in space by Seymour Simon

Early themes — Space

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Orbits around the sun s

Use the letters a e i u to fill in the gaps in the planets’ names.

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(g)

(f) S

(c)

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Early themes — Space

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The sun gives life Concept: The sun’s energy sustains life.

Indicators: ★★

Reads facts about photosynthesis.

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Cuts and pastes facts into correct position on diagram.

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Background information:

The sun we see in the sky each day is a very special star. It is the centre of our solar system. Without it, there would be no life on Earth. In photosynthesis, plants use the sun’s energy to produce the food required for growth. Each level of the food chain is dependent in some way on plants for its existence.

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Discuss how plants are propagated. Plant some seeds. Discuss how to look after them. Set up a roster giving students responsibility for watering. When the shoots begin to show, measure the rate of growth regularly.

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Use an established leafy plant as the focus for discussing photosynthesis. Name each part of the plant and talk about its function. On a large sketch of a plant, label each part as it is discussed.

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To demonstrate how stems suck up water through capillary action, place a number of celery stems, with leaves intact, in a jug of water coloured with food colouring. Observe how the coloured water rises through the sticks and eventually colours the leaves.

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It is not possible to demonstrate leaves taking in carbon dioxide and producing oxygen, but showing that they produce water vapour is possible. Using a small, dry plastic bag, cover a number of leaves of the demonstration plant. Tie securely but not so tightly that the stem is damaged. At regular intervals, observe the inside of the bag. Water droplets form as the water vapour produced condenses on the inside of the bag.

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Discuss the importance of plants in maintaining the balance of our atmosphere. Leafy plants are often referred to as the lungs of the world as they convert the carbon dioxide we produce into oxygen which we require. Draw a diagram to show this cycle.

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Additional activities:

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Conduct a controlled experiment to determine that plants require light in order to grow.

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Hold a discussion and create a pictorial response about the damage the loss of the world’s forests is having on the planet’s atmosphere.

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Students make a picture booklet illustrating the importance of the sun in their daily lives.

Resources:

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Plants: a visual dictionary Dorling Kindersley Publishing

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Science with plants by Unwin Publishing

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The surprise garden by Zoe Hall

Early themes — Space

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The sun gives life

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Plants need the sun’s energy to make their food.

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Leaves soak up sunlight.

Leaves absorb carbon dioxide gas.

Plant is watered.

The roots absorb water.

The leaves give off oxygen gas and water vapour.

Water travels to the leaves through the stem.

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Early themes — Space

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Shadow puppets Concept: The sun gives the Earth heat and light.

Indicator: ★★

Cuts out shadow puppets.

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Background information:

The students need some knowledge about the sun, but as many of the facts will be beyond their comprehension, limit the amount of detail given in discussion. Factual picture books about the sun should be available for the students to browse, giving them access to more detailed information if required.

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Have a general discussion about the sun, highlighting keywords. On a large, unlabelled picture of the sun, add keywords and fact labels as they are discussed.

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At the centre of our solar system is the sun. It is a star around which the eight planets orbit. The sun is a vast sphere of hot gas and nuclear reactions that give heat and light to our planet, Earth.

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Even though the sun is so big compared to Earth (over one million planet Earths could fit inside the sun if it was a hollow ball), it is only a medium-sized star. It looks bigger than other stars because it is closer to us. When we can see other stars in the night sky, we cannot see our star because we are facing away from it.

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The sun’s energy is generated at its core during thermonuclear reactions between the two major components of the sun, hydrogen and helium gases. This energy is transferred to the sun’s outer layer, the photosphere, from where it is emitted as electromagnetic radiation. Earth requires only a tiny portion of the energy the sun produces.

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The activity of gases within the middle layer of the sun creates a lot of movement and temperature changes on the sun’s surface. Dark areas known as ‘sunspots’ are storms on the sun’s surface, while ‘solar flares’ are huge streams of burning gas ejected into the sun’s atmosphere.

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The sun gives us heat and light. Plants use sunlight energy for growth. We require the sun’s energy for our own healthy growth and development.

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The sun’s rays travel in straight lines, causing shadows. Look at the light coming through the open door of a lit room into a darkened hall way. The light comes out of the room in a straight line and does not shine directly on anything that is not in its path. People in the past used this principle to make shadow clocks.

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Allow students to cut out their shadow puppets. A craft stick handle will be needed for each.

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Students can take turns to present a shadow puppet story on a blank wall with a light shining directly on to it.

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Make a simple shadow clock (refer to http://www.teachercreated.com/lessons/020208ps.shtml).

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Make a collection of things that give light, heat and heat and light. Present in a Venn diagram.

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Paint a large sun with sunspots and solar flares.

Resources: ★★

Science with light and mirrors by Usborne Publications

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Experiment with light by Jump Science Books

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Light by Eyewitness Books

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Early themes — Space

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Shadow puppets

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Cut out the shadow puppets.

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Early themes — Space

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Day and night Concept: The movement of the Earth on its axis in relation to the sun creates day and night.

Indicator: ★★

Identifies day and night on pictures of the Earth.

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Background information:

The axis of the Earth is an imaginary straight line which passes through the centre of the planet, from the top to the bottom (North Pole to South Pole) and around which the Earth rotates. Day and night is created when the Earth spins on its axis. The Earth turns once every 24 hours. The part of the Earth which is facing towards the sun has day, while the part of the of the Earth which is facing away from the sun has night.

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The Earth spins anticlockwise (viewed from above the North Pole) so daylight moves across the Earth from east to west. (The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.)

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Each day begins at midnight.

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Collect a large flashlight, a large styrofoam ball (or an orange, or other soft round fruit or vegetable) and a wooden cooking skewer. Push the skewer through the middle of the styrofoam ball from top to bottom. Shine the flashlight on one side of the ball and slowly rotate it on its axis (the skewer) to show the light and dark sides (day and night).

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Students colour the night and day sides of Earth in each picture, using yellow or orange for the day and blue, brown or black for the night.

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Students use a large white paper disc as the Earth and fold it in half to create ‘night’ and ‘day’.

Using bright oil pastels, students draw an activity of something which they do at night-time on one half and a daytime activity on the other. Paint the night-time side with black runny paint and the day side with yellow runny paint. Write ‘night’ on one side and ‘day’ on the other. Display with the correct side facing a large sun.

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Tell or read the legend ‘Why there is day and night’ – a North American Indian legend. (http://solar-center.stanford.edu/folklore/day-night.html)

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Secure a tall stick on the ground and at regular intervals during the day, set lengths of wool or string tied to the stick into the ground to show how the Earth moves in relation to the sun.

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Resources:

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Time for bed by Mem Fox

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Rock-a-bye baby and other lullabies

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‘I jump out of bed in the morning’ Composer: Traditional publisher: ABC (from ‘The new useful book’)

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Early themes — Space

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Day and night Colour the day and night sides of Earth in each picture.

Earth

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Sun

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Early themes — Space

Sun

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The seasons Concept: The tilt of the Earth on its axis creates the different seasons.

Indicators: ★★

Traces lines which indicate the movement of the Earth around the sun.

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Copies words to indicate the seasons in different hemispheres at different times of the year.

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Background information:

The Earth rotates on its axis in relation to the sun, causing day and night. The Earth spins continually as it revolves around the sun. This revolution takes one full year and creates the seasons.

The tilt of the axis results in the different hemispheres being at different angles to the Sun at different times of the year. When the Northern Hemisphere has summer, the Southern Hemisphere has winter, and so on.

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Because of the tilt of the axis (23.5º), one part of Earth is always facing the sun more directly and so will receive more intense rays. This means that these parts will be the hottest at that particular time of the year.

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Have the students demonstrate the movement of the Earth around the sun by turning in small circles while moving slowly in a large orbit around the teacher, who is centred in the middle. Stop the students at four distinct places to signify the four different seasons. Ask questions such as ‘Are you facing towards the sun?’ (You should feel warm/hot.) ‘Are you facing away from the sun?’ (You should feel cool/cold.)

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Use the styrofoam ball and skewer (page 12) to also demonstrate this occurrence.

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Explain the diagram on the worksheet to the students.

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Students trace the dotted lines which indicate the movement of the Earth around the sun. (Ensure that they start in the correct position!)

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Students then copy the words which show the seasons in different hemispheres at different times of the year.

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Additional activities: Students draw clothes and activities for each season.

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Give each student a styrofoam ball and ask them to carefully draw a line around the middle to represent the hemispheres. Ask them to create (by drawing, colouring or cutting and gluing) one thing to represent each season of the year—an autumn leaf, a snowflake or raindrop, a summer sun and a spring flower. Discuss where to attach each to the ball to represent the seasons. If possible, suspend each from string and hang.

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Play ‘Duck, duck, goose’, substituting spring, summer, autumn and winter. (Students sit in a circle while one child walks around the outside of the circle tapping each on the head and saying ‘Spring’, ‘Summer’, ‘Autumn’, ‘Spring’, ‘Summer’, ‘Autumn’, ‘Spring’, ‘Summer’, ‘Autumn’ ... When he/she taps a child and says ‘Winter!’, the children race to see who can get back to the empty space in the circle first. The slower child then has to walk around the circle and tap others on the head—and so the game goes on ...

Resources: ★★

Four stories for four seasons by Tomie Paola

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Reasons for seasons by Gail gibbons

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Song — Changing seasons (to the tune of ‘I’m a little teapot’) http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/supersongs.cfm?songsid=50

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The seasons and someone by Virginia Kroll

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The seasons

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Winter

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Early themes — Space

Summer

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Spring

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Autumn

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1. Trace the lines to show the movement of the Earth around the sun.

2. Complete the names of the seasons by copying the words.

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Hotter and colder Concept: Places closer to the sun are warmer than those further away.

Indicators: ★★

Copies missing words to complete a sentence.

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Uses a key to complete a diagram.

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Background information:

The Tropics of Earth receive most of the sun’s heat because Earth’s rotational axis is almost perpendicular to the plane of the Earth’s orbit around the sun.

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Discuss sitting close to a fire to stay warm. What happens if you move further away? Explain that this happens to planets and different parts of planets as well. Planets close to the sun are hotter than those further away.

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Display a globe of the world. Show students where the Equator is located. Use a torch as the sun and shine it directly onto an area close to the Equator. Students should be able to see that places not directly in line with the flashlight will get less light and therefore less heat. These places will be cooler than those which get direct rays, such as those close to the Equator.

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Read each sentence in Question 1 with the students and discuss which word fits best. Assist with answers if necessary. Give students time to copy the correct word in the sentence then ask them to cross out the word they used. Repeat until all sentences are completed and all words used.

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Read the words ‘ Equator’, ‘sun’ and ‘Earth’ with the students while they identify those parts of the diagram in Question 2. Explain the key and ask students to colour the sections in the correct colours. Students may wish to choose ‘cooler’ colours to complete the remainder of the Earth and red for the sun.

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Answers: 1. (a) heat

(b) line

(c) hot

(d) cooler

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2. Teacher check

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Read the Aboriginal Australian legends ‘How the sun was made’ and ‘Earth dying, Earth reborn’.

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Fill two containers with water. Place one in the sun and one inside (out of direct light) or in the shade outside. Investigate which one is warmer after a few hours. This should illustrate that the sun gives heat.

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Students use coloured modelling clay to create their own model of the sun’s rays keeping Earth warm.

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Resources:

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Hello, sun! by Hans Wilhelm

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‘I am the sun’ – fingerplay (http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/fingerplays-for-kids.cfm)

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‘Big, round sun’ – fingerplay (http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/fingerplays-for-kids.cfm)

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Hotter and colder 1. Write the missing words in the sentences.

heat

line

(a) The sun gives out lots of

(b) An imaginary circles the Earth.

and light.

so are

.

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cooler

called the Equator r o e t s Bo r e p ok u (c) Places Sclose to the Equator get direct rays from the sun

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hot

(d) Places further away from the Equator get less direct

heat from the sun’s rays so they are

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.

2. Use the key to colour the picture from hottest to least hot.

1 = red

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Sun

2 = orange

3 = yellow

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Equator

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Early themes — Space

17

Malina the sun goddess Concept: Many legends are told about how the sun was created – 1 Indicators: ★★

Listens to an Inuit legend.

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Identifies a favourite part of a heard story.

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Background information:

Before scientists discovered facts about the properties and characteristics of the sun, ancient civilisations were aware of its importance. Light was believed to be sacred and the sun was considered a god. Much is known about the customs and cultures of these peoples and many historic sites are still standing today.

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The ancient Egyptians believed that Amon Ra created the first couple, Shu and Tefnut, parents of the earth and sky. Ra is depicted with a falcon head on a human body. The head is crowned with the sun disc, encircled by a cobra. Amon Ra is shown traversing the sky in a great boat. The ancient Egyptians believed that when he was travelling in the heavens, it was day and when he was in the underworld, it was night.

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The ancient Greeks believed their sun god, Helios, drove the sun across the sky each day in his chariot. He always drove from east to west then, at sunset, sailed east, ready to rise in the sky the next day.

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The Incas worshipped Apu Inti, the sun god. The most important celebration each year was Inti Raymi, the sun festival, held at harvest time when the Incas praised and worshipped Apu Inti, thanking him for their abundant harvest.

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Read the legend below to the students and discuss the plot. The students can then complete the worksheet. A word bank could be provided to help them answer Question 2; e.g. ‘Malina’, ‘Annigan’, ‘fight,’ ‘angry’, ‘grease’, ‘chase’.

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Malina the sun goddess – a story from the Inuit people

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Once there lived a girl called Malina. She had a brother called Annigan. One day, Malina and Annigan had a fight. Malina got so angry with Annigan that she smeared black grease over his face. Then she fled into the sky, with her brother chasing her. Malina became the sun and Annigan became the moon.

Annigan still chases Malina. You can sometimes see him in the sky at night. When he forgets to eat, he becomes thinner. When he eventually remembers to eat, he stops chasing Malina for a while and disappears.

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But Malina never stops running from Annigan. This is why you can see her moving across the sky every day.

Additional activities: ★★

Discuss or read other stories about sun gods/goddesses; e.g. Ra or Re (Ancient Egypt), Helios (Ancient Greece).

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Have the students draw or write their own stories about how the sun was created.

Resources: Stories: ★★

Arrow to the sun – Gerald McDermott

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Maui and the sun: A Maori tale – retold by Gavin Bishop

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What is the sun? – Reeve Lindbergh

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Malina the sun goddess Listen to the Inuit story.

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1. Imagine a movie is going to be made of this story. Draw a movie poster that shows your favourite part of the story.

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. tethe sentences.

2. Complete o c . c e hshows r My movie poster er o t s super

This is my favourite part of the story because

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Early themes — Space

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How the sun was made Concept: Many legends are told about how the sun was created – 2 Indicators: ★★

Listens to an Aboriginal Australian Dreaming story.

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Orders events from a heard story.

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Background information: ★★

Read the legend below to the students and discuss the plot. The students can then complete the worksheet.

How the sun was made – an Aboriginal Dreaming story

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Long ago, there was no sun. The Earth was always dark.

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One day, emu and brolga began fighting. Brolga got so angry that she threw one of emu’s eggs into the sky, where some of the spirits lived. The egg smashed on a pile of firewood and the yolk caused the wood to burst into flames. The fire lit up the Earth, showing all its beauty.

Some of the sky spirits saw this and liked it. Since that day, they collect firewood every night. To warn everyone on Earth they are about to light the fire, they send out the morning star. When the kookaburra sees this, it laughs. Then the fire is lit. It burns softly at first but by the middle of the day the spirits have added so much wood that the fire burns brightly.

By the end of the day, it dies down and we can only see glowing red embers.

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Answers:

1. 2, 4, 1, 3

2. Teacher check

Additional activities: ★★

Make masks for the characters in the story of ‘How the sun was made’.

Resources: Stories:

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How the sun was made: An Aboriginal legend – retold by Kathryn Morris

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The sun girl and the moon boy –Yangsook Choi

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Why the sun and moon live in the sky – Elphinstone Dayrell

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Read other legends or folktales about the sun; e.g. tales from China, Korea and Norse mythology.

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Early themes — Space

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How the sun was made Listen to the Aboriginal story and answer the questions.

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1. Number the pictures from 1–4 to show the correct order of the first part of the story.

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C.Publ i cat i ons 2. Draw a picture to match the sentences.

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The kookaburra laughs.

The sky spirits collect firewood.

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The morning star appears.

Early themes — Space

21

The polite moon Concept: The moon is the only natural satellite of the Earth.

Indicators: ★★

Understands that the moon orbits the Earth.

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Understands that we only see one side of the moon.

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Follows instructions to make a recipe.

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Background information: ★★

The moon revolves around the Earth in an oval-shaped orbit. It is the only place in our solar system, other than Earth, where humans have visited. The moon reflects light from the sun but doesn’t make any light of its own. Some scientists believe that the moon was formed when Earth collided with another object in space. The moon is lopsided and smaller than the Earth. Its gravitational pull affects the Earth’s tides. When we look at the moon we always see the same side.

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satellite noun 1. a small body which revolves round a planet; a moon.

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Read the information at the top of the page to the students. A demonstration of the moon orbiting the Earth could then be set up, with two students playing the Earth and the moon, or by using two different-sized balls to represent the Earth and the moon.

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The biscuit recipe is given below. If teachers do not wish to cook, students could make modelling clay balls with faces instead. The students could use choc bits™ or sultanas to create one moon face each. The teacher could make the Earth biscuit.

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Ingredients:

Method:

2 /2 cups coconut 3

/4 cup caster sugar

2 tablespoons self-raising flour 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/4 cup milk

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1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence choc bits™ or sultanas

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Makes about 20

1. Mix the coconut, sugar and flour in a bowl. Add the egg, milk and vanilla essence.

2. Roll tablespoons of mixture to make the moons.

A slightly larger quantity can be used to make the Earth. Press choc bits™ or sultanas into the moon balls to make faces.

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3. Place the balls on greased oven trays, allowing room for spreading.

4. Cook in a moderate oven for about 25 minutes.

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Once the biscuits have been made and displayed on a plate, the students can eat them and complete Questions 3, 4 and 5.

Additional activities: ★★

Trace oval shapes that represent the moon orbiting the Earth.

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Look at photographs of the moon and other types of satellites.

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Learn and discuss the word ‘orbit’.

Resources: Songs:

Rhymes: ★★

I see the moon (traditional)

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Hey diddle diddle (traditional)

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Early themes — Space

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Moon shadow – Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam)

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The polite moon The moon moves in two ways. It spins like a top. It also circles the Earth. The moon is very polite. It never puts its back to us.

We only ever see its ‘face’.

1. Make some moon face biscuits.

egg, milk and vanilla.

•

Make one larger ball to be the Earth.

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S sugar, flour, • Make small moon balls.

• Mix coconut,

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• f o r r e v i e w p u r posesonl y• moon ball.

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2. Put the Earth ball on a plate. Put the polite moons around it.

3. Colour a face to show what the biscuits taste like.

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5. Draw one of the moon biscuits being polite to the Earth biscuit.

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Early themes — Space

23

What is the moon like?

Concept: The moon has lots of different landforms.

Indicator: ★★

Understands some of the features of the moon’s surface.

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Background information:

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The moon (Luna) is like a desert. The surface of the moon is strewn with various types of rock and is covered in a five-centimetre layer of dust. The moon has plains, mountains, volcanoes, valleys and craters (possibly caused when space objects such as asteroids or comets hit the surface at high speed)—but no seas! Moon ‘seas’ (such as the Sea of Tranquility) are actually ‘maria’—regions that appear dark when we look at the moon. However, ice has recently been discovered at both poles of the moon. Scientists believe that the ice may have been left over from a comet which may have collided with the moon. (See page 54 for more information about comets.)

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Landforms on the moon can be easily seen with a telescope.

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Refer to http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/education/activities/active13a.htm for more information about lunar landforms such as highlands, rays, multi-ringed basins, lava flows, wrinkle ridges, cinder cones and domes. The URL www.delta-education.com/downloads/samples_dsm/FindtheMoonLink2.pdf also provides additional information.

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There is no air to breathe on the moon.

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The moon is about 340 400 kilometres away from Earth.

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Read the information and discuss. Explain that one side is very dark and cold because it always faces away from the sun and the other is very hot and bright because it always faces towards the sun. Display illustrations from books or the Internet which show the moon’s surface.

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Explain the instructions, discuss each part and direct the students to complete one illustration at a time using appropriate colours.

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Additional activities:

View photographs showing astronauts walking on the surface of the moon. Compare the moon’s surface to pictures of desert landscapes on Earth.

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Make simple dioramas of a lunar landscape or use modelling clay or plaster to create craters and plains etc. on a moon’s surface.

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Resources:

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Song: Man in the moon came down too soon (traditional)

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Story: Zoom, zoom, zoom, I’m off to the moon – Dan Yaccorino

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Rhyme: Man in the moon (traditional rhyme)

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Early themes — Space

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What is the moon like?

The moon is a strange place. One side is very hot and bright. The other is very cold and dark. It is rocky and dusty. It has mountains, craters and valleys. There is no air to breathe.

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the cold, dark side.

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1. Imagine you take a holiday on the moon. Draw:

the hot, bright side.

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what you wear.

what you live in.

what you like the most.

what you like the least.

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2. Talk about your pictures with a partner.

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Early themes — Space

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Moon spinner Concept: The moon has different phases.

Indicator: ★★

Constructs a spinner to show the different phases of the moon.

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Background information: ★★

One half of the moon is always lit by the sun. Because of the movement of the moon around the Earth, different amounts of the illuminated halves can be seen. As we only see the sunlit parts, the moon seems to change. We call these changes of the moon ‘phases’.

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‘wax’ - to increase in the extent of its illuminated portion before the full moon/more of the moon’s sunlit side becomes visible to Earth.

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‘wane’ - to decrease periodically in the extent of its illuminated portion after the full moon/less of the moon’s sunlit side becomes visible to Earth.

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The different phases include:

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The moon is the Earth’s only natural satellite. It travels around the Earth in an oval-shaped orbit.

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- New moon (when the moon is between the sun and the Earth and not visible from Earth) - Waxing crescent (halfway between a half moon and a new moon) - First quarter (half moon) - Waxing gibbous (between a half moon and a full moon)

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- Full moon (the full moon appears as a complete circle)

- Waning gibbous (between a full moon and a half moon) - Last quarter (half moon)

- Waning crescent (halfway between a new moon and a half moon)

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Enlarge the worksheet to A3 if desired. Students may draw pictures of the moon and stars to decorate the top of their moon spinner before they cut both sections out along the dotted lines.

Adults may need to assist students to cut out the ‘viewing window’ in the top section of the moon spinner. Join both pieces together at the cross with a ‘split pin’. Students move the spinner using the outside of the bottom section to view the different phases of the moon.

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Discuss the different phases of the moon simply and ask the students to repeat the names.

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This activity may also be completed as a fold-a-book with eight different sections for students to copy and write the name of each phase.

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Act out the phases of the moon by asking students to bend their bodies to make the shape of each phase. Once the phases are worked out, students may try to move in a smooth progression from one phase to the next.

Resources: ★★

Bringing down the moon by Jonathan Emment

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And if the moon could talk by Kate Banks

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Zoom, zoom, zoom (fingerplay—http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/fingerplays-for-kids.cfm)

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Bend and stretch (fingerplay — http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/fingerplays-for-kids.cfm)

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Moon spinner Decorate the top of the moon spinner, then cut out and join the pieces with a split pin.

1

bottom

2

new moon

g in ent n a c w res c

w cr ax es ing ce nt

3

g in us ax o w ibb g

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first quarter full moon

g in us an o w ibb g last quarter

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4

7

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top

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Early themes — Space

27

Eclipse!

Concept: A solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks Earth’s view of the

sun.A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon lies within Earth’s shadow.

Indicator: ★★

Labels diagrams of solar and lunar eclipses.

Background information:

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Use three balls of different sizes to represent the sun, Earth and the moon. In a darkened room, with a torch attached to the centre of the sun ball, demonstrate each type of eclipse. Work with small numbers of students at a time to give each the opportunity to observe the effect and ask/ answer questions.

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To help students understand the concept of eclipses, deal with each one separately, followed by both together, comparing the differences between them. Explain that ‘umbra’ is the dark, inner shadow and ‘penumbra’ is the faint, outer shadow.

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There are three types of solar eclipse: Partial solar eclipse – when the moon covers part of the solar disc.

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Total solar eclipse – when the moon appears to cover the whole solar disc. Such eclipses are only visible from a small area on Earth. Totality, when the solar disc is entirely covered, last for less than ten minutes. During this time, the stars can be seen in the darkened sky.

The partial phase of a total eclipse lasts for about one hour.

Annular eclipse – when the moon does not cover the entire solar disc but leaves an ‘annular’ or ring of brightness. This type of eclipse occurs when the sun is closest to Earth, making the solar disc look larger, and the moon is furthest from Earth, making the moon look smaller.

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There are three stages to a solar eclipse:

Bailey’s beads – small bursts of light that appear 15 seconds before and after totality.

Diamond ring – large burst of light appearing a few seconds before and after totality.

There are two types of lunar eclipse: Partial lunar eclipse – when only part of the moon lies in Earth’s umbra.

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Total eclipse – when the moon lies completely within Earth’s umbra.

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Totality – the moon’s disc hides the sun but we can see the sun’s corona which is not normally visible.

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During a total lunar eclipse, the moon lies within Earth’s umbra for about one hour.

Answers: 1. (a)

(b)

moon

sun

sun

Earth

Earth

moon

Additional activities: ★★

Using different-sized balls, explain how solar and lunar eclipses occur.

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Using a range of scrap materials, make a wall display to illustrate solar and lunar eclipses.

★★

With percussion instruments, compose a musical score and dramatise a solar and lunar eclipse.

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Early themes — Space

Resources: ★★

Planets and satellites by Robert Estalella

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Fascinating facts about the solar system

by Jane Walker

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I wonder why stars twinkle by Carole Stott

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Eclipse!

There are two types of eclipse: • A solar eclipse happens when the moon blocks our view of the sun.

• A lunar eclipse happens when the moon lies in Earth’s shadow.

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(a)

Solar eclipse

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r o e t s Bo r e pdiagram with the wordso Label each eclipse in the box. u k S

sun Earth moon

(b)

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Lunar eclipse

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Amazing astronauts Concept: Astronauts go into space to explore.

Indicator: ★★

Creates a moving astronaut using colouring, cutting and joining skills.

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Background information: ★★

Astronauts must meet the highest physical and mental standards, and therefore undergo rigorous training. Astronauts train so that they can deal with conditions which they may encounter in space. They learn to function in cramped quarters while wearing restrictive spacesuits; they are accelerated in giant centrifuges to test their reactions to the inertial forces experienced during lift-off; they are prepared for the physiological disorientation they will experience in space arising from weightlessness; and they spend long periods in isolation chambers to test their psychological reactions to solitude. They rehearse every manoeuvre from lift-off to recovery, and every conceivable malfunction and difficulty is anticipated and prepared for. In addition to flight training, astronauts are required to have a thorough knowledge of all aspects of space science, such as celestial mechanics and rocketry.

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‘astronaut’ [ASTRO– + Greek nauts, sailor (from naus, ship); hence, sailor of or among the stars.]

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Yuri Gagarin, a Russian from the old Soviet Union, was the first person to go into space on 12 April 1961.

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The first Man to walk on the moon was an American, Neil Armstrong, who accomplished this feat on 20 July 1969.

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Before manned spaceflight, many other creatures were sent into space, including fruit flies, monkeys, mice, dogs, chimpanzees and cats.

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Show pictures of astronauts in space either from books or coloured Internet pictures. Find out what students already know about astronauts.

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Read the book Astronaut, living in space by Kate Hayden (or similar) which gives information about astronauts. Relate any relevant information from the background information above which may interest the students as well. Allow them to relate any personal experiences of having seen astronauts on television or in videos etc.

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Enlarge the worksheet to A3 size. Encourage students to colour each section of the astronaut carefully before going on to do the next one. When all sections are completed, students cut out the parts and, with adult assistance, join all pieces together using split pins, which will allow the parts to move. Hang to display against a dark background. Students should reposition the astronaut’s legs and arms occasionally.

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Play ‘Astronaut, astronaut, alien’ (Duck, duck, goose). See page 14.

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Move like ‘weightless’ astronauts in space or walking on the moon.

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Have each student use his/her face photograph to replace that on a picture of an astronaut.

Resources: ★★

I want to be an astronaut by Byron Barton

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The astronaut song (http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/space/songs.htm)

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Astronaut poem (http://www.preschooleducation.com/sspace.shtml)

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Astronaut (http://www.preschooleducation.com/sspace.shtml)

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Early themes — Space

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Amazing astronauts An astronaut is a person who is trained to pilot, navigate or be a crew member of a spacecraft. Astronauts in some countries are called cosmonauts.

1. Colour and cut out the pieces of the astronaut.

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2. Join the pieces of the astronaut with split pins so that your astronaut can move through space.

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Early themes — Space

31

Survival gear Concept: Astronauts need special clothes to help them survive in space.

Indicator: ★★

Matches labels to relevant parts of a diagram.

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Background information:

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Astronauts need a variety of clothing to survive in space. They have a special, partially-pressurised suit to wear during launch and re-entry, as well as a parachute pack. The helmet of the suit has a visor with a gold plate to reflect light, two liftable visors and vent pads. The suit has pockets for sunglasses, a water inlet, straps, a pressure valve, an inlet to let in oxygen to help the astronaut breathe and a urine connection to help the astronaut go to the toilet. The boots have a lunar overshoe and snap fasteners. The gloves have moulded fingers and consist of an inner and outer glove. While working inside the spaceship, the astronauts are able to wear knit shirts, pants or flight suits. (They are also supplied with lined jackets, sleep shorts, slippers and underwear!) NASA astronauts also wear an adjustable extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) when working outside the space shuttle. They also employ a manned manoeuvring unit (a nitrogen-propelled backpack with a camera) attached to the EMU when performing a spacewalk, as this helps them to move around more freely.

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Outer space does not have an atmosphere. There is no air, so astronauts need special apparatus to help them breathe. They need to stay warm and to be protected from solar radiation. There is little gravity in space, so people and loose objects float around inside spaceships and in space itself.

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Before commencing the worksheet, discuss what astronauts need to go into space. What sort of clothes do they wear? What do they need these for? Encourage students to relate as much knowledge as possible. Use the information from above or other information from books to contribute additional information.

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Read the worksheet with the students. Discuss the words needed for each box and allow the students to cut and glue them in place. When the words are dry, the students may colour the picture.

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Create a ‘spacesuit’ to use during free play time. Use a clean ice-cream container (with a face section cut out) for a helmet, oven mitts for gloves, a large white shirt for the suit etc. Students may create their own from recycled material as a design project.

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Students mime getting ready for launch by putting on the spacesuit, boots, glove and helmet.

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Students use basic shapes and coloured paper to trace and cut out shapes to create a picture of an astronaut. Glue onto black paper.

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Resources: ★★

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Song: When I grow up I want to be an astronaut by Karen Mitzo Hilderbrand and Kim Mitzo Thompson (Twin sister Productions - Space Series) Story: Astronaut Piggywiggy by Diane Fox Fingerplay: Astronaut (To the tune of: ‘If you’re happy and you know it’) Refer to http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/supersongs.cfm?songsid=897

Early themes — Space

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Survival gear Astronauts need special clothes to help them survive in space.

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Cut and glue the words to match the parts.

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helmet Early themes — Space

gloves 33

What do astronauts do all day?

Concept: Astronauts work, eat, exercise, sleep and have fun in space.

Indicators: ★★

Writes or copies a word to complete a sentence.

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Matches sentences to pictures.

Background information:

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Astronauts perform a lot of scientific experiments in space. They grow plants in the hope that scientists on Earth will be able to grow stronger plants. They grow protein crystals which may help researchers provide stronger and safer medications on Earth. They also take part in medical experiments to understand how well their bodies adjust to living without gravity for long periods of time. They observe and take photographs of natural and human-caused changes to the Earth. They study how well humans live in confined spaces or isolation. They study spacecraft equipment to see how well it lasts in space. They maintain the spacecraft and all its equipment and support systems.

They fit new parts to the Hubble telescope or satellites.

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Astronauts eat food which can be easily stored and which does not spoil, because there are no refrigerators in space. Most food comes in special packaging so that it cannot float away! Some food can be eaten with a knife, fork or spoon. Many foods, such as macaroni cheese or eggs, are dehydrated so that astronauts just have to add water. Astronauts need calcium-rich foods and vitamins because their bones become weaker when there is no gravity. Some foods such as bread, are not eaten because they crumble and may get into delicate equipment or an eye when they float around. Astronauts eat tortillas instead. Nuts and muesli bars, some fruit and chocolate slice can be eaten, exactly as on Earth. Other foods such as steak and similar meats, are treated with radiation to kill microbes.

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Astronauts sleep by attaching themselves to a wall in a sleeping bag, in a seat or bunk inside the cabin. Otherwise they would float around. Astronauts sleep for eight hours a day. Sometimes they get special wake-up music from their families via the control centre on Earth.

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Astronauts must exercise for about two or three hours a day to stay fit. They use mostly resistance equipment such as an exercise bike and treadmill to maintain normal muscle tone and ordinary fitness levels, because without gravity they do not have to use their muscles as they do on Earth.

They can’t exercise just before or just after a meal. A space walk is very good exercise because it can take up to seven hours, but astronauts must recompress for an hour afterward.

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Astronauts on a space station can do a lot of fun things in their free time. During their free time (weekends off) astronauts like to call their families, check their email, (which is updated three times a day) tease crew mates, engage in Earth and space watching, watch movies, read books, play cards, do somersaults, play video games, play basketball or run through the space station.

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Relate information about astronauts working, eating, sleeping, exercising and having fun.

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Discuss what is happening in each picture and write the words on the board for the students to copy.

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Answers: 1. (a) work

(b) eat

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(d) exercise

(e) fun

Additional activities: ★★

Make space food by putting a serving of instant pudding into a Snaplock™ bag. Add the required amount of milk and shake until thick. Snip off the corner to eat.

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Role-play strapping into a sleeping bag attached to a wall to sleep, eating from a ‘tube’, fixing equipment, exercising on a treadmill etc.

Resources: ★★

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Fingerplay I go to work http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/funfingerplay.cfm?fingerplayid=363 Early themes — Space

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What do astronauts do all day?

We all know that astronauts go into space, but have you ever wondered what they do while they are in space?

1. Write or copy a word to make the sentence match the picture.

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(a) Astronauts

(b) Astronauts

.

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f or r e vi ew pur posesonl y• (c) Astronauts

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(d) Astronauts

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(e) Astronauts have

!

2. Colour the pictures.

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Early themes — Space

35

Rockets and space shuttles Concept: Astronauts need special transport to travel in space.

Indicator: ★★

Completes cloze procedure.

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Answers comprehension questions.

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Background information:

Discuss what students already know about spacecraft. Most will be familiar with the idea of the 3-2-1-blast-off! scenario. The most important concept for students to appreciate is that spacecraft move forward due to the backward thrust caused by the fuel igniting in the presence of oxygen.

This is based on the principle of Newton’s third law of motion; for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

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Demonstrate this principle by releasing an untied, inflated balloon. The balloon will travel in the opposite direction to the escaping air.

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Solid-fuel rocket boosters are used at take-off to launch the spacecraft into orbit. The resultant blast from the fuel igniting sends the craft shooting skywards as the blast of flames and gas roars spectacularly from the tail of the rocket. When they burn out, after just a few minutes, the boosters fall away from the main craft which continues, now using liquid fuel.

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Rockets require oxygen to burn fuel. As there is no oxygen in space, this must be carried in the spacecraft along with the fuel. The fuel and oxygen are fed into the combustion chamber, where they mix and ignite.

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Read Question 1 and discuss possible answers. Assist students if necessary to fill in the correct words. Reread the text after completion.

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On the board, write any words such as ‘astronaut’ which students may need to spell.

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Answers: (2) shuttles

(3) ground

(4) rockets

(6) energy

(7) down

(8) zooms

(c) down

(d) gets the spacecraft off the ground

(5) fuel

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2. (a) astronauts (b) up

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Make and paint a 3-D model of a spacecraft using recyclable materials.

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Write a class poem about the final moments of the launch of a spacecraft.

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Dramatise a scene of astronauts inside a spacecraft during take-off, with students lying in their chairs on the floor.

Resources:

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I want to be an astronaut by Byron Barton

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Roaring rockets by Tony Mitton

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The rocket book by Peter Newell

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Early themes — Space

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Rockets and space shuttles 1. Use the words in the box to fill the gaps.

down

shuttles

fuel

rockets

energy

space

zooms

ground

(1)

(2)

called space

. Rockets are used to get the (3)

space shuttle off the (4)

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u AstronautsS travel to in special vehicles

and into space. The (5)

burn a lot of (6)

off. This releases a lot of

at take-

. The flames and

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into space.

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2. Answer the questions.

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(a) Who travels to space in space shuttles?

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(8)

and the space shuttle

(b) During take-off, the space shuttle goes

.

(c) During take-off, the gases and flames go

.

(d) What job does the rocket do?

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Early themes — Space

37

Space shuttle dot-to-dot Concept: Astronauts need special transport to travel in space.

Indicator: ★★

Joins dots to complete picture.

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Background information:

Before the students complete the dot-to-dot picture, discuss the different parts of the space shuttle. This will help them to understand the picture as it emerges.

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The term ‘space shuttle’ refers to the whole craft, including the solid rocket boosters, the external fuel tank and the orbiter in which the astronauts live.

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The solid rocket boosters support the full weight of the orbiter and external fuel tank while they are on the launch pad, but their main purpose is to provide the initial thrust needed to lift the craft off the pad and into the air. Once solid rocket engines are ignited, they cannot be controlled or shut down. Two minutes after launch, when the solid rockets have completed their job, they separate from the craft and parachute down into the sea.

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The external fuel tank holds the fuel required to get the craft through launch and into space. About ten minutes after the launch of the shuttle, the craft is in space. The tank is empty and it detaches from the orbiter. On re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, the external fuel tank burns up.

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The orbiter has two orbital manoeuvring engines situated at the back of the craft. They put the craft into final orbit, alter its position between orbits and prepare the craft for re-entry.

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Inside the orbiter, there are a number of compartments, including the one where the crew live and work. The crew compartment has three decks: the flight deck which has all the controls and warning systems; the mid-deck comprising the living quarters; and the lower deck, which holds all the equipment.

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A shuttle mission comprises four main parts: launching into orbit: life in space; reentering Earth’s atmosphere; and landing.

The length of a mission can vary between seven and fourteen days, depending on the specific purpose of the mission.

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Using the information above, prepare a flow diagram to simulate a space shuttle launch.

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Prepare movement to music of a rocket launch with students being different components of the space shuttle.

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Prepare and perform a dialogue between the astronauts and mission control during a launch.

orbiter

orbital and main propulsion engines

Resources: ★★

Space case by Edward Marshall

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Me and my place in space by Joan Sweeney

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What’s out there? A book about space by Lynn Wilson

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Early themes — Space

solid rocket boosters

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Space shuttle dot-to-dot

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C.Publ i cat i ons f o rr evi ew pur posesonl y• Join• the dots to complete the picture of a space shuttle orbiter.

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The part of a space shuttle where the astronauts live is called the orbiter.

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Early themes — Space

39

The shapes of the lunar module Concept: Astronauts use special machines to investigate the moon.

Indicator: ★★

Identifies shapes in a picture.

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Colours shapes using a key.

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Background information:

The first men to visit the moon were American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin who landed on the moon on 20 July 1969. The command module Columbia of their spacecraft, Apollo 11, was kept in space by astronaut Michael Collins while Armstrong and Aldrin took the Lunar Module, Eagle, down to the surface of the moon. The two astronauts spent about 20 hours on the lunar surface and returned with about 21 kilograms of lunar rocks.

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When Armstrong stepped onto the surface of the moon, he stated ‘That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind’.

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Introduce the worksheet, if possible, by reading one of the books listed in the resources below or one available from the school library. Discuss what happened and what an historical event this was.

Emphasise the difference between the command module, Columbia, and the lunar module, Eagle.

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Enlarge the worksheet to A3 size.

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Read the information and instructions on the worksheet. Select one shape to colour first and when all of that shape are completed, colour the next shape until all are completed.

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Additional activities:

Find out about the Chinese Moon Festival and make ‘moon’ cakes.

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Read the legend of the man in the moon (paraphrased by Matt Swansberg).

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Make a model, using modelling clay, of the moon with craters, after viewing pictures of the moon’s surface.

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The moon by Seymour Simon

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First on the moon: What it was like when man landed on the moon, by Barbara Hehner

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Race to the moon: The story of Apollo 11, by Jen Green,

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One giant leap, written and illustrated by Mary Ann Fraser (Henry Holt)

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Early themes — Space

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The shapes of the lunar module The first men to land on the moon went down from their spacecraft, Apollo 11, in a Lunar Module.

1. Colour the shapes on the Lunar Module using the key.

r o e t s Bo orange r yellow e p ok u S or

blue

or

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red

green

2. Colour the remaining parts any colour you like.

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Early themes — Space

41

Marvellous moon buggy Concept: Astronauts use special machines to investigate the moon.

Indicators: ★★

Reads a rebus containing information about moon buggies.

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Matches labels to a diagram.

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Background information:

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The first astronauts to travel to the moon were not allowed to venture very far from their spacecraft because they became tired very quickly in an atmosphere of low gravity. They also became lost easily in the unknown territory of the moon. Scientists wanted the astronauts to gather lots of moon rock specimens to study so a way to collect and carry them back to the spacecraft had to be found. The craft had to carry astronauts, rock samples and equipment and still fit in the spacecraft easily. The vehicle had to travel where there were no roads, lots of rocks and a lot of sand. The dune buggy fulfilled this purpose and became fondly known as the Moon Buggy. The Lunar Rover Vehicle was used during Apollo 15, 16 and 17 missions to explore more of the moon’s surface than ever before.

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The Lunar Rover Vehicle was constructed of aluminium so that it was very light. Each wheel was powered by an electric motor. It was 3 metres long, 1.8 metres wide and had a ground clearance of 35.6 centimetres. The wheels had to be really strong so they were made from piano wires. It weighed 210 kilograms on Earth and 35 kilograms on the moon. Unfortunately, it only travelled at 11 kilometres per hour! It also cleverly folded up to fit inside the lunar lander.

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The Rovers were left on the surface of the moon because there was no room in the spacecraft once all the rocks were collected—so they are still there today!

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Show some coloured pictures of the moon buggy from books or the Internet and relate some details of its use.

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Read the rebus (a representation of a word or phrase by pictures, symbols etc.) with the students and have them substitute the words for the pictures.

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Read the labels while students identify the parts. Students cut out each label and glue it in the correct place. The students may colour the picture when the words are completely dry.

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Students use construction materials to design and create their own moon buggies. The students then race them over uneven ground to test how well they work.

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Students mime climbing into and out of the moon buggy and riding over rocky and sandy ground in the buggy.

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Students investigate different types of tyres on transport vehicles as they pass close to the school.

Choose categories such as big, wide, bright, fancy, thin etc., tally and record as a pictograph or simple bar graph.

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Resources:

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Riding in my space buggy from Space songs for children: Fun songs and activities about outer space by Tonja E Weimer

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Space vehicles by Jon Richards, Simon Tegg

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Marvellous moon buggy 1. Read the sentence.

helped the

to move

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r o e t s B r e oo across the surface of the and to collect lots of p u k S

2. Cut and paste the words to label the parts of the moon buggy.

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wheel

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antenna

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camera Early themes — Space

dust guard 43

Hot stars!

Concept: Stars are large bodies in space.

Indicators: ★★

Follows instructions to make a paper star.

★★

Demonstrates a basic understanding of what a star is.

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Understands terms ‘hot’, ‘hotter’ and ‘hottest’.

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Background information:

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Stars are giant spheres of gas which give off both heat and light. They appear to twinkle because their light is bent by turbulence in the Earth’s atmosphere. The life cycle of a star can take billions of years to complete. Stars can be many different colours, depending on their temperature. The hottest stars are blue and can be more than 30 000 ºC. Our sun is an example of a cooler, yellow star, with a temperature of around 6000 ºC.

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The students will require scissors and colouring pencils.

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Teachers may like to show the students magnified photographs of different-coloured stars before they commence the worksheet.

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After the students have coloured both sides of the stars, they cut them out. Only one colour is to be used—red, yellow or blue. The students can then trace or write the appropriate word that corresponds to their chosen colour. Glitter could be added to each star to make it shiny.

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The students may require assistance to cut slits in their stars and put them together. Sticky tape should be used to hold the completed stars together. Make sure both words are facing out and the right way up.

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The students’ stars could be displayed by hanging them from the ceiling in front of a large sheet of black card to simulate a night sky. Teachers could then discuss the terms ‘hot’, ‘hotter’ and ‘hottest’ by referring to the stars.

Additional activities:

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Make patterns from different star shapes.

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Create star-shaped biscuits. Have the students write a note to a special person they would like to give a biscuit to that explains how the person ‘shines brightly’ in their life.

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Ask the students to explain where we might see star shapes in everyday life. Make a collection of some of them; e.g. starfish, stickers, flags, biscuit cutters.

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Resources: ★★

Songs:

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Twinkle, twinkle little star (Refer to <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twinkle_twinkle_little_star> for the complete five verses.)

When you wish upon a star – Harline/Washington Catch a falling star – Pockriss/Vance

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Hot stars!

A star is a big ball of gas. It shines because it is hot. Hot stars are red. Hotter stars are yellow. The hottest stars are blue.

Make a hot, hotter or hottest star of your own!

1. Colour the front and back of each star the same colour.

Choose red, yellow or blue. Trace or write ‘hot’, ‘hotter’ or ‘hottest’.

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Teac he r

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u 2. Cut out the Sstars below.

3. Cut a slit into each star and slide them together. Join with sticky tape.

4. Punch a hole in the top of your star and tie on some thread.

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5. Hang your star next to others to make a starry night sky.

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Constellations Concept: There are many stars in space, including those in constellations.

Indicator: ★★

Creates patterns by joining dots.

★★

Understands that a constellation is a group of stars.

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Background information: ★★

The naked eye can only see about two thousand stars. There are thousands of millions of stars which cannot be seen easily.

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Many cultures have different interpretations for the same constellations; here are two for Leo and Pisces from Ancient Greek mythology:

Teac he r

Stars emit light produced in their centre by nuclear burning; planets give off reflected light.

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Leo – The Greek hero Hercules wrestled a lion to death as one of his 12 labours. The lion was then sent to the heavens by Zeus and become the constellation Leo. Pisces – The goddess Aphrodite and her son Eros were saved from a monster near the Euphrates River when river nymphs turned them into twin fish. The image of the two fish was placed in the sky in gratitude for their help.

‘Star light star bright,

This American nursery rhyme is believed to have been written in the late 19th century. The lyrics support the belief that you can wish upon a star. It is unclear if the superstition or the rhyme came first, but it’s said that if you see the first star visible as nightfall comes, you recite this rhyme and make a wish upon the star.

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The first star I see tonight,

I wish I may, I wish I might,

Have the wish I wish tonight.’

To introduce the activity and to develop student understanding of the enormous numbers of stars in space, empty a container of ‘hundreds and thousands’ cake sprinkles into a flat baking dish.

Discuss.

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Additional activities:

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Students view pictures of other constellations and discuss what they are meant to represent.

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Create a class story or legend that explains a particular constellation.

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Make pinhole constellations by piercing holes in black card and holding them up to a light.

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Make a ‘constellation’ on a piece of wholemeal bread using the ‘hundreds and thousands’ cake sprinkles.

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Resources:

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Rhyme: ‘Star light, star bright’ (See above)

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Story: I like stars – Brown/Paley

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Song: ‘Would you like to swing on a star?’ (Van heusen/Burke)

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Read a story about wishing on a star on this website http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/fimbles/comfycorner/story13.shtml

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Constellations Did you know there are more stars in the sky than grains of sand on a beach? Some stars form patterns called ‘constellations’.

Long ago, people believed they could see pictures in constellations.

1. Join the dots on each constellation below to find a hidden picture. Colour each picture.

Teac he r

r o e t s Bo r e ok Leo, the lion p u S

7

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6

5

9

8

2

4

3

1

10

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Pisces, the fish (two fish joined by a ribbon)

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3

4

5

1

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13

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6

10

8 7

9

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12

15

13 14

16

17 19

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Early themes — Space

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47

What is the Milky Way? Concept: The Milky Way is a galaxy of stars.

Indicators: ★★

Understands what the Milky Way is.

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Learns some long ago explanations for the Milky Way.

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Draws and writes a story about how the Milky Way was created.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Background information:

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The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy that contains more than 100 billion stars—including all the stars we can see in the night sky. The Milky Way is considered a spiral galaxy because it has long arms which spin around like a pinwheel. Our sun is a star in one of the arms. Most of the stars which we can see each night in the sky are those in one arm of the Milky Way. Our solar system is part of the Milky Way. It is called the ‘Milky’ Way because of the hazy bands of white light which are visible from Earth.

Teac he r

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The name Milky Way comes from the Greek myth which tells how the goddess Hera sprayed milk across the sky. In China it is called the ‘Silver river’ and in Southern Africa, it is called the ‘Backbone of the night’.

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The main parts of a galaxy include a disk (where our solar system can be found), a bulge at the centre or core and a halo.

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Show the students illustrations or photographs of the Milky Way before beginning the worksheet.

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For Question 2, ensure the students understand that they have to think up a simple story that explains how the Milky Way was formed. Some examples could be given first; e.g. if the flock of geese was chosen, the story might be that of a girl who was given magic geese which she set free and they flew into space. Students who are able may like to write longer stories on a separate sheet of paper.

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Additional activities: ★★

Look at the spiral shape of the Milky Way and use it to stimulate discussion about other spiral shapes we can see in everyday life. The students could also draw simple spiral patterns.

Resources: ★★

Stories:

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Read stories from different cultures that explain how the Milky Way was created.

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The magic school bus: Lost in the solar system – Cole/Degen The story of the Milky Way: A Cherokee tale – Bruchac/Ross ★★

Rhyme:

‘Bend and stretch, reach for the stars’ (traditional)

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What is the Milky Way? If you look into the night sky, you might see a white streak of light. This is part of a galaxy called the Milky Way. A galaxy is a big group of stars.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

a silver stream

a shark that eats clouds

spilled milk

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

1. Long ago, people had different ideas of what the Milky Way was. Here are some of them:

smoke from a big fire

2. Circle the idea you like the best. Think up a story about it.

Draw a picture to show your story. Write a sentence about it.

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr ev i ethe w Milky pur pos es onl y• How Way was made

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Southern Cross patterns Concept: The Southern Cross is a star group in the Southern Hemisphere.

Indicators: ★★

Recognises the five-star pattern of the Southern Cross.

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Creates patterns using five dots.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Background information: ★★

The Southern Cross, or Crux, is the most well-known and easily identifiable of all the constellations visible in the Southern Hemisphere. It can be seen all year from almost any location in Australia.

It cannot be seen in the Northern Hemisphere. It has four main stars forming a cross (found on the New Zealand flag) and a fifth smaller star (included on the Australian flag). Two other stars, Alpha and Beta Centauri, ‘point’ to the top of the cross. The four main stars were used as a point of reference for navigators and explorers and as a religious reference in Eastern countries. Many Aboriginal Australian tales contain references to the Southern Cross.

Teac he r

A constellation is a group of stars which, when viewed from Earth, form a pattern.

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Read the information on the worksheet to the students, discuss and relate any other information which students may be interested in.

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For Question 4, students may turn the Southern Cross patterns upside down to form their larger patterns. These should be discussed when the worksheet has been completed.

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Additional activities: ★★

Students form groups of five to construct the Southern Cross with body placements.

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Look at flags which show the Southern Cross; e.g. Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand.

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Read Aboriginal legends or beliefs about the Southern Cross.

Resources: Songs:

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Advance Australia Fair (second verse) Under southern skies – Halloran/Millward

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Story:

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The emu in the sky –D’arcy/Towney

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Early themes — Space

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Southern Cross patterns The Southern Cross is a constellation (a pattern of stars) in the southern sky. It is made up of five stars.

It looks like this: 1. Circle the patterns that match the Southern Cross.

Teac he r

3. Repeat this five-dot pattern.

ew i ev Pr

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S 2. Draw four different patterns that are made up of five dots.

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4. Cut out the four Southern Cross patterns below. Glue them into the big square to make an interesting pattern. Colour each small square of your pattern a different colour.

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Early themes — Space

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Meteors - shooting stars Concept: Meteors (or shooting stars) come from space.

Indicator: ★★

Creates a meteor using colouring, cutting and paper skills.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Background information:

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A meteoroid is a piece of rocky or metallic material, usually about the size of a pebble, which travels in space. Once a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere it becomes a meteor. Friction between the debris and gases in the atmosphere heats up the debris until it glows and becomes visible. The streak of light seen is known as a meteor. Most meteors glow for a short time and then burn up before hitting the surface of the Earth. A meteor hitting the Earth’s surface may cause a crater. Meteors can be seen on dark nights in the sky. Most people refer to them as ‘falling’ or ‘shooting stars’. Very bright meteors are often called fireballs. A meteorite is a meteor which does not burn up before it hits the Earth’s surface, or any remaining portion of a meteor which does not burn up. Very few, if any, people have been killed by meteorites.

Teac he r

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Enlarge and photocopy two worksheets for every student. Students will need to do the same thing to both worksheets.

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Read the information on the worksheet with the students and explain what ‘atmosphere’ means (the gaseous fluid surrounding the earth; the air). Answer any queries which students may have.

Ask where the rocky material or metal material may have come from (moon rock, pieces of planets, pieces of space ships or satellites etc.).

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Students trace all lines and colour the shapes in bright oil pastels. Students then paint the worksheet with runny paint. When the worksheet is dry, students cut out the meteor and add glitter.

Staple the edges of the meteor together, leaving an opening to ‘stuff’ the meteor with newspaper or paper towel. Staple opening. Attach silver or gold paper strips of varying lengths to the body of the meteor to create ‘tails’. If possible, hang suspended at an angle with the ‘tail’ higher than the body.

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Additional activities: ★★

Meteor throw. Attach long strips of paper to large plastic balls (or crumpled balls of newspaper).

Divide the class into two teams with each team member standing about a metre or two apart.

Students must toss their ‘meteor’ down from one player to the next until it reaches the end. The team whose ‘meteor’ reaches the end first wins.

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Give students musical instruments and ask them to demonstrate with sound what a shooting star (meteor) would make.

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Ask students to create their impression of a meteor using recycled crumpled newspaper, paint and ribbon or string.

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Resources:

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Thomas and the shooting star by RW Awdry

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Magic school bus out of this world: A book about space rocks by J Cole

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Comets, meteors, and asteroids by Seymour Simon

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Meteors - shooting stars Meteors are pieces of rocky or metal material which come into the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up.

They look like bright streaks of light.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Sometimes we call them falling stars or shooting stars.

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Early themes — Space

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Comets and asteroids Concept: Comets and asteroids are found in space.

Indicator: ★★

Completes a picture of a comet and an asteroid using a key.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Background information:

ew i ev Pr

Comets are chunks of dirty ice, dust and gas. They have very large orbits so they often come close to the sun. The sun’s heat boils off the frozen ice and this pushes out from the comet with other materials to form a tail. A part of a comet melts each time it comes close to the sun, so eventually it will completely disappear. The tail of a comet may be millions of kilometres long but the actual matter in a comet would fit into a large shopping bag. Comets are believed to be made up from material left over when the sun and planets were formed. There are possibly 100 000 million comets orbiting the sun. Comets can be basically describes as ‘dirty snowballs’.

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Comets do not have any light of their own. Instead, the light from the sun is reflected off the ice particles like a mirror. Some comets come very close to Earth so we can see them. The most well known is Halley’s Comet, which can be seen every 76 years (next due in 2061).

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Comets have a frozen nucleus made from ice, gas and dust, a coma or head which is a sphereshaped blob surrounding the nucleus made from water vapour, carbon dioxide, ammonia, dust and other gases, an ion or plasma tail made up of charged gases (ions), a dust tail and an envelope of hydrogen gases surrounding the coma and between the ion tail and dust tail. The tail of a comet always points away from the sun.

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Asteroids are small solid objects in the solar system, orbiting the sun. An asteroid may be a small planet, a large rock or as small as a grain of sand. It is thought that asteroids may be leftover materials from the formation of the solar system. Twenty-six large asteroids have been discovered but there are thought to be millions of smaller ones. Most asteroids are found in the Asteroid Belt.

Asteroids and comets are only thought to hit the Earth every million years or so. ‘Asteroid’ means ‘star-like’.

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Read the information about the comet and talk about the different parts, asking the students to identify them in the picture. Explain the key to the students and allow them to colour one section at a time. Repeat with the procedure for the section about asteroids.

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Additional activities:

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Use painting techniques and paper skills to create a comet to display on windows which have been painted with black paint mixed with detergent. (Detergent helps to remove the paint when the theme is finished!)

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As a class, create alliterative phrases or sentences about comets and asteroids; for example, ‘Colourful comets crash into cars.’ or ‘Amazing asteroids attack ants’.

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View pictures or news footage of Halley’s comet.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Resources: ★★

Comets, meteors, and asteroids by Seymour Simon

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Commander Toad and the dis-asteroid by Jane Yolen

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Magic school bus out of this world: A book about space rocks by J Cole

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Comets and asteroids Comets are chunks of dirty ice, dust and gas. When a comet gets too close to the sun, the ice starts to melt. The sun’s ‘winds’ push the dust and the gas away from the comet so that it looks like it has a tail.

1. Use the key to colour the comet.

Teac he r

r o e t s Bo r e 4 p ok u S 2 = orange 3 1 = red (nucleus)

ew i ev Pr

(coma/head)

2

3 = yellow (tail)

1

4

4 = black (space)

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Asteroids are chunks of rock which orbit the sun. They can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a small planet.

2. Use the key to colour the asteroid.

. te

1 = brown

2 = orange

3 = yellow

4 = black

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2

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Early themes — Space

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Planet Earth Concept: Earth is our planet in the solar system.

Indicator: ★★

Uses a key to colour maps.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Background information:

Discuss a number of facts about Earth before completing the activity sheet.

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Make a large sphere from modelling clay to represent Earth. Erect it on a stand so that it can be wrapped completely in a layer of cotton wool to represent the atmosphere. Explain that the atmosphere acts like a protective jacket, keeping the planet’s warmth in and the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays out.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

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Discuss the problems associated with the hole in the ozone layer. Liken it to a hole in a raincoat.

How does the hole affect the efficiency of the coat?

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Explain that although the atmosphere is thick, only a thin layer close to the surface of the planet has clouds and weather. There is no defined end to the atmosphere. It simply thins out until there is nothing left.

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Cut out a section from the clay sphere and mark layers to represent the inner layers of Earth. Press small animal/people figures into the surface. Explain that we live only on the thin surface of the planet.

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The oceans absorb incoming solar radiation and distribute it on ocean currents as heat energy around the globe. This energy heats air and land during the winter and cools it during the summer.

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Using a world globe, show that the surface of planet is more than two-thirds water. When the students colour the maps on the activity sheet, they will see that blue is the dominant colour.

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Additional activities: ★★

Divide students into groups, each one representing an ocean or a continent. Show students where their continent or ocean is on the map and how big it is.

Resources:

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Planet Earth (Kingfisher young knowledge) by Deborah Chancellor

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Our Earth by Anne Rockwell

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Look inside the Earth by Gina Ingoglia

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Magic schoolbus - inside the Earth by Joanna Cole

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Make and paint 3-D models of Earth.

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Early themes — Space

R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricpublications.com.au

g

b g

b

b

b

Teac bh = blue er

g

g

g

g

g

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g

g

g

g

b

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g

g

g = green

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Colour the two views of planet Earth to show that Earth has a lot more water than land.

Planet Earth

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Which planets are we?

Concept: Mercury, Venus and Mars are planets in our solar system.

Indicator: ★★

Reads clues to determine name of planet.

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Background information:

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Mercury is the closest planet to the sun but it is not the hottest. Because it has almost no atmosphere, the intense heat it gains during its very long day (almost 59 Earth days) is lost during its equally long night. Hence it is ‘as hot as an oven by day and as cold as a freezer by night’.

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Venus has no natural satellites.

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Venus was named after the Roman goddess of love.

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Mars is the fourth planet from the sun.

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Mars is known as the red planet because it is covered in iron-rich dust.

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The north and south poles of Mars are covered by icecaps.

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Olympus Mons is the largest known volcano in the solar system. It is 27 km tall and 520 km wide. It is believed to be extinct.

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Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are known as the ‘Inner planets’. They are composed mostly of rock and have few or no moons. Between Mars, the last inner planet and Jupiter, the first outer planet, there is the asteroid belt, a ring of asteroids which also orbit the sun.

Teac he r

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Mercury has no natural satellites.

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Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos.

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Mercury has no seasons because its axis is directly perpendicular to its motion; i.e. not tilted.

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Mars was named after the Roman god of war.

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The activity page may be cut into three sections, discussing one planet at a time.

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Venus is the second planet from the sun and because of its very thick atmosphere which traps heat, it is the hottest planet in the solar system.

Discuss each planet, giving students enough information to answer the three questions on the activity sheet.

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Write the information for each planet on separate sheets of large paper. At the top of each sheet, draw a sketch of the sun and the eight planets. Label the sun and the planet only.

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Venus is known as the ‘morning’ and ‘evening’ stars because when it is visible, at dawn and at dusk, it is very bright in the sky.

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Like Earth’s moon, the appearance of Venus from Earth alters as it orbits the sun.

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Additional activities:

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Mercury was named after the mythological Roman winged messenger.

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Make up questions for planets class quiz.

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View pictures of Mercury, the mythical Roman winged messenger, Venus, the Roman goddess of love and Mars, the Roman god of war. Write or tell some sentences to give information about each.

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Draw pictures of an alien Mercurian, Venusian and Martian. Describe what they eat, how they move or where they live.

Resources: ★★

Destination Mars (also Mercury and Venus) by Seymour Simon

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Space (Crabapples) by Bobbie Kalman

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Discovering Mars: The amazing story of the red planet by Melvin Berger

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Which planets are we?

Read the clues to find the names of the three planets.

I was named after the Roman goddess of love.

I am known as the ‘morning star’ and the ‘evening star’.

r o e t s Bo r e I have no moons. p ok u SI am the second planet from the sun.

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Teac he r

I am the hottest planet in the solar system.

Which planet am I?

I was named after the Roman god of war.

I am known as the ‘red planet’.

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons My volcano, Olympus Mons, is the largest in the solar system.

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• I have two moons, Phobos and Deimos.

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I am the fourth planet from the sun.

Which planet am I?

. te after the mythical Roman wingedomessenger.

I was named c . c e he r I am hotter than an oven by o r st day. super I am colder than a freezer by night.

I have no moons.

I am the closest planet to the sun.

Which planet am I?

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Early themes — Space

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Planets jigsaw Concept: Jupiter and Saturn are planets in our solar system.

Indicators: ★★

Cuts out jigsaw pieces.

★★

Correctly rearranges jigsaw pieces.

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Background information:

Use a number of picture books and posters to introduce the two planets. Discuss the obvious visual features and some simple facts. Ask a number of simple questions to reinforce the facts.

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Jupiter and Saturn are by far the two largest planets in the solar system, though Jupiter is much larger than Saturn. They are composed mostly of hydrogen and helium gases.

Teac he r

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Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun, has a very thick atmosphere and dark, faint rings, composed of very small particles of rock.

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The size of Jupiter is so great that if it were hollow, it could hold the other eight planets of the solar system.

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The most distinguishing features of Jupiter, apart from its size, are the colourful bands across its latitudes and the ‘Great Red Spot’, a storm which has been raging for hundreds of years.

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Jupiter is known to have at least 39 moons. Most of them are small but it does have four large moons, Io (which has active volcanoes), Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, which were first discovered in 1610 by the astronomer Galileo. They are known as the Galilean moons. Io has active volcanoes.

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There are no seasons on Jupiter because the tilt of its axis is so small.

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After the moon and Venus, Jupiter is the brightest object in the night sky for nine months of the year when it is closest to Earth.

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Jupiter was named after the Roman primary god.

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The most beautiful of the solar system’s planets is the sixth from the sun. The famous rings of Saturn are composed of ice and rock pieces, varying in size from that of a 5c piece to that of a house. There are gaps in the rings created by some of Saturn’s moons orbiting the planet. Saturn’s other moons orbit the planet outside the rings. Saturn has dozens of known moons, 18 of which have been named.

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If Saturn were hollow, 764 Earths could fit inside.

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Saturn is the only planet in the solar system which is less dense than water. If it was possible to test this, Saturn would float in a body of water.

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Saturn was named after the Roman god of agriculture.

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Students may colour the jigsaw pieces once joined together.

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Additional activities:

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Make a large card cut-out of each planet. Paint appropriately. Hang a number of pieces of card below each one (like a ladder), each with a simple fact and illustration.

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Two students ‘act out’ the planets spinning on their axes and orbiting the sun (third student).

Repeat using other students.

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Write a descriptive class poem about the two planets.

Resources: ★★

Destination Jupiter (also Saturn) by Seymour Simon

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Magic school bus lost in the solar system by Joanna Cole

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Planets jigsaw 1. (a) Cut out the jigsaw pieces. (b) Arrange them to show the planets Jupiter and Saturn.

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Teac he r

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Uranus and Neptune Concept: Uranus and Neptune are planets in our solar system.

Indicator: ★★

Highlights facts about individual planets.

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Background information:

To help students understand the information, present it as practically as possible. For example, use balls to represent the planets and moons, hoops to represent planet rings.

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Use a number of picture books and posters to introduce the two planets. Discuss the obvious visual features and some simple facts.

Teac he r

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Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun.

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Uranus was named after the Roman god of the sky.

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Neptune is the eighth planet from the sun.

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Neptune was named after the Roman god of the sea.

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Discuss the similarities between Uranus and Neptune to illustrate why they are often referred to as ‘twins’.

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Both planets appear blue, Neptune brighter than Uranus, because a gas in their atmospheres (methane) absorbs red light. Uranus is covered in clouds, while Neptune experiences strong winds.

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Both planets are much larger than Earth. If they were hollow, they could fit about 60 Earths inside.

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Both planets have rings around them. Uranus’s has a belt of 13 rings composed of rock and dust particles. Neptune has two thick and two thin rings.

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Both planets have natural satellites. Uranus has 27 known moons, Neptune has 13.

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Uranus’s rotational axis is tilted at 98º which means it rotates on its side. It is this fact that has given Uranus the name, ‘lazy planet’.

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Neptune has large dark circles on its surface which are believed to be storms. The largest of these is called the ‘great dark spot’.

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It takes Neptune 165 Earth years to orbit the sun, almost twice as long as Uranus.

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Read each fact with the students, select the correct colour and complete.

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Note: Pluto is now regarded as a dwarf planet.

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Additional activities:

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Design a graphic organiser to present the similarities between Uranus and Neptune. Use pictures and words in each section.

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Students count and identify Uranus and Neptune on a solar system diagram.

Resources: ★★

Uranus (also Neptune) by Seymour Simon

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Children’s space atlas: A voyage of discovery for young astronauts by Robert Kerrod

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Uranus and Neptune Colour the facts about each planet.

Uranus – green

Neptune – blue

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Neptune

Uranus was named after the Roman god of the sky.

Neptune has 13 moons.

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Teac he r

Neptune is the eighth planet from the sun.

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y • is Uranus

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covered with clouds.

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Uranus has 27 moons.

Neptune has storms.

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Uranus is c e r er the seventh h o t s super planet from the sun.

Neptune was named after the Roman god of the sea.

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Early themes — Space

Uranus 63

Make a telescope Concept: Astronomers use telescopes to learn about space.

Indicator: ★★

Follows instructions to create a telescope.

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Background information:

An astronomer is an expert in astronomy; a scientific observer of the celestial bodies.

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A telescope is an optical instrument or device for making distant objects appear nearer and larger.

Astronomical telescopes are used for viewing objects outside the Earth. Most telescopes are located on Earth, but others are found in space.

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The first telescope was invented by Hans Lippershey in 1608 but the first person to use a telescope for observing the sky was Galileo in 1609.

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The most well-known space telescope was named after the astronomer, Edwin Hubble. This space telescope was launched on the Space Shuttle in 1990. It orbits the Earth and aims to give astronomers detailed information about the universe. The Hubble Telescope carries cameras to take pictures of objects billions of light years away. It runs on solar power. It is controlled from Earth using radio signals. Astronauts from the Space Shuttle regularly visit the Hubble Space Telescope to make repairs or check to see if it is working properly.

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Students will need the following materials to make their own ‘telescope’: one photocopy of the worksheet each, glue, scissors, coloured pencils or crayons, black tissue paper, sticky tape or a rubber band, a pin or sharp pencil for making holes

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NOTE: For the best results, the worksheet should be photocopied onto card. Adult assistance may also be required for some parts of this activity.

Additional activities:

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Students design their own telescopes using paper rolls or cylinders, star stickers and paint.

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Play ‘I spy with my little telescope ...’

Resources:

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Play astronomers using the telescopes with students relating which objects in space they can see.

They should be encouraged to give verbal descriptions.

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o c . che e r o t r s super

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Looking through a telescope (Rookie read-about science) by Children’s Press

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Laura’s star by Klaus Baumgart

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Make a telescope Follow the instructions to make a play telescope.

1. Colour the end red.

2. Colour the stars yellow.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S 4. Cut it out

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3. Colour the main part black or blue. and glue the edges on the long side together.

5. Place a piece of black tissue paper over the end.

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7. Very carefully poke small holes in the tissue paper with a pin or pencil.

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6. Secure the tissue with tape or a rubber band.

glue

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Early themes — Space

65

Who’s out there?

Concept: We do not know if there is life on other planets.

Indicator: ★★

Follows while the teacher reads sentences.

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Colours yes or no in a sentence to indicate whether a planet is capable of sustaining life.

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Background information:

We do not really know if there is life on other planets. Extraterrestrial life has for many years formed the basis of many popular movies and books. At the moment, we believe that Earth is the only planet capable of sustaining life. In 1976, probes were sent to Mars to look for evidence of life, but none could be found. The other planets seem less likely to have life because they are too cold, too hot or don’t have water or air.

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Many ancient civilisations such as the Egyptians and Babylonians believed in extraterrestrial life.

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The search for extraterrestrial life is done in two ways—directly (by looking for evidence of unicellular life within the solar system) and indirectly (by searching for radioactivity which may indicate civilisations transmitting information OR searching for planets outside the solar system which may support life).

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The planets and moons listed below are thought to be capable of sustaining some type of life:

Venus (gases in the atmosphere suggest possible life)

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(water is thought to still exist beneath the surface)

Titan

(Saturn’s largest moon)

Europa

Enceladus

(Jupiter’s fourth largest moon) (Saturn’s sixth largest moon)

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Read each sentence with the students and discuss what this means for the possibility of people living there. After each sentence and discussion students colour yes or no. Continue until all sentences are completed.

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For the purposes of this activity, life is synonymous with humans.

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Additional activities:

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As a class, write descriptions of life capable of surviving on particular planets. For example, an alien may breathe gases other than air, be able to withstand extreme heat or cold and so on.

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Students sketch or use recycled materials to create an alien.

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Students write sentences (or a short story) to tell about the life of an alien.

Resources:

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Space Dog, the hero by Natalie Standiford

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Commander Toad and the planet of the grapes by Jane Yolen

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Here come the aliens Colin McNaughton

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Spaceship in the sky - fingerplay http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/fingerplays-for-kids.cfm

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Two little men in a flying saucer - fingerplay http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/fingerplays-for-kids.cfm

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Who’s out there?

Earth is a very special planet. It is just right for humans to live on! But what about the other planets?

Could there be life on other planets?

1. Colour yes or no to show if something could live there.

(b) Venus is very, very hot. yes

no

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(a) Mercury is very hot during the day and very cold at night. yes no

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(c) Mars has no protection from the sun’s rays.

(d) Jupiter has a thick atmosphere and no seasons.

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yes

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no

(e) Saturn has very, very strong winds and no air.

(f)

o c . che e r o t r s uper Uranus has no air.s yes

no

yes

no

(g) Neptune is very far away from the sun. yes

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no

Early themes — Space

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