8 Moon Landing Anniversary Projects

July 20th is coming up next week! It's a very special anniversary...it is the 50th anniversary of the first spaceflight that landed on the moon!

Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that landed the first two humans into space. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin, both American. They landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969! How do we use this to springboard a great science and STEM lesson? Here are 10 ways to engage students in this celebration!

Idea 1: Virtual Race to the Moon

Virtual Race To The Moon is for you...the teacher! Keeping yourself healthy and your students healthy is important! Check out this challenge!

Idea 2: Show the Lunar Landing

Have your students watch the moon landing. Littles can start with Astronauts can, have, are... Bigs can discuss why some thought it was a hoax or they can even take a poll to see who would want to fly to space and why.

Idea 3: Read a Great Book
I love using the book One Giant Leap written by Robert Burleigh. 

Find that book here! 

I also like to use the book If You Decide to Go to the Moon by Faith McNulty. This is a great springboard for having kids really helps kids relate to how you would pack, how you would feel, and how you get home.

Find this book here!

Idea 4: Do a STEM activity

I love using toilet paper tubes to have the students create the moon landing! We use the tubes as a ramp system to get from Earth(a picture representation taped on the wall) to the moon (another picture) They must have three bends, and land safely in a bucket or on a tray. I use pompoms or ping pong balls as the spacecraft. 

Idea 5: Oreo Moon Phases

I love having my older students (bigs) create moon phase posters using Oreo cookies. They love this project! Gail Gibbons has a great book, Moon Phases that you can use, but I just love the rap to go with this project!

I use cheap dollar store cookies because they don't get to eat them and it saves some money. I give them plastic knives so that they can scrape off the frosting as well. I want them to take what they know and create a representation and then we analyze if their model is correct and if they can explain how the cycle works.

Idea 6:  Moon Crater Painting

Very simply, I cut out grey paper circles. I set out trays and white paint. We used circular objects to make the craters. You can use bottle tops like we did. This is a quick and fun little follow up on what craters on the moon look like and how they are made. We used our sentence strips to show what we know.

Idea 7: Moon Crater Ball Drop

I love this activity for my littles. Grab black paper and a plate. Add flour to the plate. Make sure you have plenty of floor covering so that you don't make too much of a mess. Grab different sized balls that can create different sized craters and you are good to go! Each ball represents a different sized meteors and asteroids that hit the surface of the moon and left a crater.

Idea 8: Moon Phase Games

I made this free resource for you to help with the phases of the moon! Grab your free copy here ! Use it as a memory game, a review, or even for an anchor chart!

                                       

Want to find these ideas, sheets, activities, and a few bonus activities all in one place ready for you to just print and go? Check out my moon phase packs by following this link: Moon Phase Science Pack and STEM Connections

                               

Because I teach both primary and intermediate, I have packs for both age groups! Check out my pack I use with my K-2nd graders! You can find that pack HERE!

                                     

I love you to the moon and back! Let's make Science and STEM child's play!

                       Some of the links are affiliated links, meaning in no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through to purchase.

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Constellations and Star Activities

I have always loved this activity and I wanted to share this quickly in a post! I love tasty science lessons and when you can get fourth graders excited about writing and science together it is a win/win! Can I just say POPCORN CONSTELLATIONS! Yes, popcorn constellations!

Here's how it goes...

I start with a quick discussion about some super stars we will be learning about today...the constellations! I share with them the video Crash Course Super Stars!

While I do that I set out a piece of black paper for each child, along with a white crayon (or chalk), a note card with lines, and a Dixie Cup of popcorn.

Once the video is done, I let them know that we

will be making Popcorn Constellations. I demonstrate, by tossing the popcorn onto the paper, too many pieces makes it harder for them to find a figure...I then pick up a piece and pop it into my mouth! I replace it with a white star mark to show where the popcorn once was. I continue to do that until I eat all the popcorn and have white stars on my paper. I then turn the paper in all directions until I see something. I then devise a story as to how the constellation got there in the sky.

I then send them back to do the same thing on their own papers. I love how they try to help each other figure out what they see. Some are easier than others, some may need a bit of help.

When they are through with their stories, we share the title or the story with each other. While we are waiting for the class, I let them figure out their zodiac sign and read a kid friendly horoscope. We compare it to a fortune cookie or the paper at a Chinese restaurant. 

I then complete my lesson by sharing an activity with flashlights comparing the closeness of stars and their brightness. We can all be super stars with this one!

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9 Strategies For Teaching Moon Phases

The moon phases are one of my favorite lessons to teach. I think it is a wonderful challenge to teach students a strategy that would allow them tricks to remembering the phases! I also love all of the activities and games that can enhance the learning of another cycle and pattern in the solar system!

I have Nine Great Strategies for you that will help your students learn the cycles in a fun and engaging way!

Strategy 1: Moon Phase Trick

Here is a trick for remembering the moon phases:

Hold up both thumb nails. Show them that on left hand we will call it waxing, wax on by doing a circle motion, on your right we call that waning and we will do a circle motion wane off.

Now back to the thumb nails, on the left hand (wax on) the nail is on the right side of the thumb nail. This will always be the first hand (1st quarter) and always be waxing crescent or gibbous. 

On the right nail it reminds you that it is a waxing hand, on the left side of the nail is the white crescent or waning crescent or waning gibbous. It helps remind us is it waxing  (left hand) or waning (right hand).

Then you tell them to ask questions, is it full or new? Waxing or Waning? Big or little? Half? Left or right hand.  

Strategy 2: Moon Phase Calendar

Use a moon phase calendar to question students on which day them might see a specific phase. I use this site because the pictures are more defined: Moon Phase Calendar

I ask questions such as, "One one day of the month would you see a waxing gibbous?", or "On which day is there a first quarter moon?" We also look at it to help us see patterns during the months and the 29 day cycle.



Strategy 3: Moon Phase Interactive Notebook

I want my kiddos to match words with the moon phases to understand their vocabulary.
We use a little interactive notebook sheet that helps us place the words underneath the pictures and add it to our notebooks!





Strategy 4: Moon Phase Memory (Freebie)

I love adding a game for my students to play and learning the moon phases lends itself perfectly to memory! So I created two Moon Phase Memory Games that I placed in my Free Resource Library! Just sign up for my newsletter and you will get the secret code that is filled with  great free resources!

              This resource is also found in my Moon Phase Pack in my Store!

Strategy 5: Moon Phase Anchor Chart

I create an anchor chart that will allow my students to review, use as a guide when they play the memory games, when they create the interactive notebook page, when they play the Calendar review game...you get the picture, creating an anchor chart can be very versatile!

 Strategy 6: Moon and Earth Revolution Model

I always like to review the cycles and patterns that we have already learned, and with that to show the big picture I like to create a model for the students to use that gives them a great visual as to how the moon revolves around the Earth and the Earth Revolves around the Sun as we rotate!

This is a perfect activity to review the vocabulary words revolve and rotate! All you need is a pattern of the Earth, moon, and sun in proportion, scissors, glue, and two paper fasteners per student.

Strategy 7: Styrofoam Moon Phase Demonstration or Simulation

I found this great idea from the National Science Teacher's Association on a search I did that demonstrates how to use a Styrofoam ball and a pencil to show how the phases of the moon work using a light and the ball! This is a great addition to the Moon Phase lesson and a perfect visual!

Strategy 8: Moon Phase Digital Games

I love using Google Drive and Digital Science Activities such as The Moon Phases to assess where my students are in their understanding of a given topic. I can use them individually by giving them each a qr code to create their own copy, or I also use them as a whole group activity where I project the game or review cards on the Smartboard! Either way has worked perfectly for a review, test, game, challenge...

Strategy 9: Moon Landing STEM Activity

I love reading the story, One Giant Leap and then show this video!

We finish it up by create a moon landing of our own! I give each team a tray with 6 toilet paper and paper towel tubes (the path) , a marble (the Apollo Space Craft), Tape, and a pattern of the moon and Earth.

They have to make a path on the wall that has three bends, and gets the marble safely from Earth to the moon! They love this challenge. This is one of five challenges in my STEM Space Stations Pack!

Want to find these ideas, sheets, activities, and a few bonus activities all in one place ready for you to just print and go? Check out my moon phase packs by following this link: Moon Phase Science Pack and STEM Connections

I appreciate you to the moon and back!

Renee

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Science On The Fly

On Spring Break, my family traveled to the EAA Museum in Oshkosh, WI. I wasn't sure how exciting it would be for my middle schooler, but we all loved it! It was so interesting to see all of the different planes throughout history, how we used planes during war times, and the story behind flight. Lots of hands on activities to make it fun for all ages! Sometimes all you need is a little inspiration! Sometimes it's where you go...or what you can find in your school library...or that special time of year!

Inspiration from the library!

Planes everywhere! Inspiration on vacation!

Wilbur and Orville Write at Kitty-hawk!

War planes from every era!

As I looked around it really started my wheels turning....STEM Flight Activities!

 Things that fly...helicopters, parachutes...airplanes...rocket ships! Teaching a flight unit is so much fun for all ages. There are great picture books and simple science activities that can facilitate STEM activities that have flight in mind! STEM is a great way to explore things that fly in a hands-on way!

Here is some STEM inspiration for you STEM Flight FUN and Airplane Stations on TPT!

                                              Let's your students soar with this pack!

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Sunny Days in Winter

My little kinder buddies are learning about Space in our next unit. It seems pretty far fetched for them to understand, but I think they kind of get it!

Let's pretend that our nose is your hometown. We use a big ball to represent the sun!

Next, we lean toward the sun and we check out where our nose is...Summer time in your hometown!

Now, we straighten up...Fall! Followed by leaning way back...Winter! Finally, Spring is straight up and down again!

We discuss the seasons and why it is cold now in Wisconsin. I let them figure it out by redoing our leaning in and out!

Now, we have to learn day and night! That sun is still in the middle of our circle. We jump our noses to the outside of the circle. Jumping is so much fun! Then we jump back to face the yellow ball! Day and night. We now add waking up...when we eat...when we go home...when we sleep. Again, they seem to get it!

I love EPIC books! I use their Sun book to project and read. We then add what we learned to our anchor chart!

Finally, our half hour finishes with a quick art project with chalk and a tissue and a sentence to trace...The sun is a star! Next week...we will connect the sun to the weather and seasons. NGSS standards for kindergarten focus on

We always wrap up with this fun video...

Keep warm my friends! It sure is nice when the sun peeks its way out of the clouds in winter in Wisconsin...

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Back to School Blog Hop and Blog Giveaway!

It is so exciting to see how teachers are sharing how the new year is going...getting set up for their rooms...and making new lessons to get their kiddos engaged! Sooooo....Let's have a blog hop and TPT Giveaway to celebrate Back To School!

 I have been in class all week...creating rubric...assessments...using Webb's Depth of Knowledge to create learning targets...I know you guys are jealous!

I also have been working on new packs to help my own kiddos at the start of the new year! Along with assessments we use FOSS for our science source for most lessons and experiments. As a science group...we wanted to create common assessments. All I could think about was how difficult it is for my kiddos to concepts from week to week. So I needed to really engage them in everything I did in that hour I had them. I have worked hard on packs for my students that tie in NGSS. Many states and districts are moving toward that...Take a look at my back to school NGSS ideas...

NGSS First Grade Heredity Pack

NGSS Third Grade Science Safari Pack

More of what can be found in the Second Grade NGSS Pack!

NGSS 2nd Grade Biome Basics Pack

Lots more fun activities for our 2nd grade scientists...

NGSS Space Pack

Full of space activities for our 5th Grade NGSS standards

Space...it continues!!!!

Now...if you are interested in any of these packs and you would like one of them for free or any of my other products...don't forget to sign up for the TPT giveaways below. My sweet blogger friends and I would like to help you celebrate going Back To School with great packs and prizes! Enter below for your chance to win! Thanks to my fellow Wisconsinite...over at Droppin' Knowledge she has organized this fun blog hop!



To enter Giveaway Pack #1...
a Rafflecopter giveaway

To enter Giveaway Pack #2...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To enter Giveaway #3...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To enter Giveaway Pack # 4...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck...Have fun! Enjoy your 2015-2016 School year!

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Mars One

My 4th graders during their space unit are always intrigued with aliens and science fiction. So, this year, we are learning about Mars One. REAL( possibilities) of  Mars colonization starting in 2020 with an unmanned space trip that will take 7 months to travel!  Around 2026, if all goes well 4 Earthlings will travel to Mars to start a colony...never to return. Whether the Mars One plan is true or not, this is a great opportunity to get kids problem solving as well a great way to get kids excited about space travel and the opportunities they may have in the future.

Today, we started our quest by asking what personality traits one would need to be one of 4 people to travel to Mars to never return to Earth. We then followed up with the question, what questions would you have if you were to be one of the four? What would you need to know or learn before you go?

We then went to the  Mars One Site and watched the video and looked at the links to explain some of their questions. Then...after saving a ton of recyclables... we planned as a team of 4 our Mars One trip and what our colony would look like if we designed it. We took into account what we would need such as food, water, shelter, medicine, entertainment... Here is a sheet we used to organize our thoughts before we build next week...

Mars One Freebie

Here are some of their Mars One creations...

Mars One Research and creations!

Mars One Sight For Background Information

Students each take a role in working as a team...just like they would have to do on Mars if it were colonized! We created a list of positive traits you would need to go to Mars and never come back!

Some questions posed..."How would you get air?" "How would you get food?" "How would you communicate with Earth?"
It was a great engineering project and a real science connection!

Live Long and Prosper!

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