Social Studies

1. Locate the North Star in the night sky.
2. Use the North Star's location to determine other directions (south, east, and west).
3. Discuss how the North Star was used by travelers (e.g., sailors, caravans, and even slaves) to find their way.

1. Use elliptical, counter-clockwise movements to simulate the planets orbits around the sun.
2. Have students take turns orbiting around the sun.

1. Make a space alien out of construction paper.
2. Use assorted colors of construction paper to give the alien features such as eyes, nose, mouth.
3. Cut the alien features to fit on construction paper.

1. Design a robot or other alien with at leastt one moveable part.
2. Record information into folios (record-keeping logs).
3. Use simple materials (e.g., boxes, pipe cleaners, glitter) to make robot models.
4. Display robots on a table.

1. Use standard and nonstandard forms of measurement to determine the planets' relative distances from the sun (e.g., standard/ cuisenaire rods and nonstandard/blocks). 2. Measure the distances by lining up objects (e.g., Mercury is one cuisenaire rod or block from the sun).

1. Discuss where the Earth is located in relationship to the other planets and the sun.
2. Determine the location of planets in relationship to the sun (i.e., Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto )
3. Construct a model (e.g., blocks end-to-end) of the planets locations in relationship to the sun.

1. Sing "I'm a Little Space Alien" (Tune; I'm a Little Tea Pot).
2. Sing: "I'm a little alien. I come from Mars. When I find a friend, we'll share candy bars. Then I'll say, 'Blast off! Zim! Zoom! Zah!' I jump in my rocket, and we're off to the stars."
3. Play a space video such as "Interplanet Janet" from School House Rock.

1. Read Marshall's Space Case and Space Case at Christmas.
2. Discuss the alien's problem in the story (i.e., who will be its friend).
3. Elaborate on how the alien tried to solve his problem.
4. Tell how the resolution to the problem solved two problems (i.e., the alien finding a friend and the boy's science project).
5. Write a group or individual story commemorating another special occasion (e.g., "Happy Birthday, or Valentine's Day, Space Case").
6. Share "Space Case" stories with others.

1. Discuss physical conditioning needed for space travel.
2. Demonstrate exercises from Colby's book Astronaut in Training.
3. Practice exercises needed to maintain a healthy body in space.

• To Space and Back/Ride and Okie
• The Three Astronauts/Eco and Carmi
• Space Songs/Livingston

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