SPACE
EXPLORERS
what we learned
what we learned
Experiments We Loved
During our “Playdoh Planets” class our space explorers made models of the planets and learned that the solar system we live in is known as the Milky Way Galaxy and was formed 4.6 billion years ago. In our solar system, we have the Sun, a star, and the planets. The order of the planets from the Sun is: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Until 2006, Pluto was also considered a planet, but scientists now classify it as a dwarf planet.
During, "Solar System Spinners" class we learned about gravity, orbit, velocity and created a model of the planets spinning around the sun. Each student was able to simulate different speeds and sizes of playdoh balls to understand the differences in planet orbits! We also had fun crafting solar system model to see the order of the planets and draw out the orbits they take around our Sun.
During the “Oreo Moon Phases” class, students observed a model of the moon and sun to visually see how the moon phases appear. Then using Oreos, the students recreate the moon phases to reinforce what they observed! The moon phases are created as the Moon orbits around the Earth. As it orbits, it changes position between the Sun and Earth, and different parts of the Moon are lit up by the Sun. This orbit takes 29.5 days. Each moon phase is a visual of how much of the moon is lit up by the Sun.
Experiments We Loved
During our “Planet Distances” experiment our scientists learned all about the relative distance between each planet and the Sun. We used our measuring skills to create a scaled down version of the distances and each planet by size. Utilizing their crafting skills and creative minds the model created was based on astronomical units that were then converted to meters to make a scaled model. An astronomical unit is a unit of measure that is equal to 149.6 million kilometers. The model made gives a great visual of the different sizes and distances of planets.
During our “Moon Craters” experiment our scientists created their very own moon surface replica then dropped rocks onto it to simulate asteroids. The Moon's surface has observable "holes" from a distance. Students learned that these are called craters which are formed from objects in space hurling into the moon. Students were able to be the guiding force in the creation of the craters. The size of the rock, height of the drop, and force applied, were all factors in the crater's overall size!
During our “Straw Rocket” experiment our scientists investigated the effect that fins have on rocket flight by comparing two rocket designs and built a more efficient version of the rocket. Modern rocket design began near the beginning of the 20th century. While much has been learned and rockets have grown larger and more powerful, rocket designs are still improving. Engineers developing new rockets must control variables and consider failure points when improving rocket designs.
