First Week-Solar System Overview

     The solar system includes the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto and the Asteroid Belt.  The children learn the

Difference between the inner solid planets, as well as the outer gaseous planets. We look

At three-dimensional models of the planets as well as photos taken from NASA

Spacecrafts. We demonstrate how each of these planets continually travel in a unique

Elliptical orbit around the Sun.

 

Second Week- Mercury

      Mercury is the planet closest to the sun so it orbits the sun in only 88 days.

Mercury is one of the smallest planets and has no moons or atmosphere. The children

Will make clay sculptures of Mercury as well as draw learn to draw the planet.

Mercury’s slow revolution around the sun is the focus. Inner Layers of the planet

Mercury, Mercury’s volcanic surface, and atmosphere with clouds are examined.

 

Third Week-Venus

    Venus is the planet between Mercury and Earth. Venus is closer to

The Sun than to the Earth. Venus orbits the Sun in just 225 Days. Venus has

Thick clouds and fierce storms. Venus is nearly the same size as Earth. The

Children will make clay models with yellow cotton clouds to represent the

Carbon dioxide atmosphere. We focus on the cloud storms and examine the

Inner Layers, volcanic surface, and atmosphere of Venus.

 

Fourth Week- Earth

   Earth is the third planet from the sun. Earth has a complex water

Cycle that supports life. Earth is slightly larger than Venus and the Earth

Has one large Moon. Earth takes 365 days to orbit the sun. The children

Will make models of the Earth that include representations of the water

Cycle. Inner layers of the planet Earth, the Earths surface with volcanoes

And atmosphere with clouds are examined.

 

Fifth Week- Mars

   Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. Because it is further away

From the Sun than the Earth, it takes 687 days to orbit the Sun! It is cold

With frozen carbon dioxide at its poles! Mars is only one third the size of

Earth. The children will make models of Mars two Moons, Phobos and

Deimos. In addition to learning about the physical features of Mars, we

Will explore the formation of Mars moons.

 

Sixth Week-Asteroid Belt

   The Asteroid Belt is a large area between Mars and Jupiter in which large

Chunks of rocks orbit around the Sun. The chunks of rock are as big, or bigger that a

Mountain

 

Seventh Week-Jupiter

    Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun. It has 24 Moons! Jupiter takes 12

Earth years to orbit the Sun! Jupiter has two beautiful, faint rings around it. Quite

A planet! The children will make models of Jupiter’s moons. Jupiter is the first

Gaseous planet we meet moving away from the Sun. We examine Jupiter’s Inner

Layers, its volcanoes and atmosphere.

 

Eight Week-Saturn and Uranus

   Saturn and Uranus are the sixth and seventh planets from the Sun. Saturn

Is the second largest planet and has eighteen moons! Uranus is slightly smaller

Than Saturn. Saturn takes 30 Earth years to orbit the Sun! Saturn has three rings

Made of ice and rock fragments. Uranus has 5 Moons. The children will make

Models and drawings of Saturn and Uranus.

 

Ninth Week- Neptune and Pluto

  Neptune is the eighth (usually) and Pluto is the ninth planet

From the Sun. The orbits of these two planets intersect which is

Why Pluto is sometimes closer to the Sun than Neptune. Neptune

Is about the same size as Uranus. Pluto is about the size of

Mercury…Both are the two smallest planets in the solar system.

Neptune takes about 170 Earth years and Pluto takes about 250

Earth years to circle the Sun.

 

Tenth Week- Constellations

  Constellations are groups of stars. People name these stars

As a group because they form a pattern similar to something

Found on Earth.  Some constellations are found overhead and

Rotate through the year in the center of our sky. These constellations

Are called circumpolar constellations. Constellations also

Appear on a seasonal basis along the horizon.

 

Eleventh Week- Space Travel I

   Human beings first entered outer space in 1957 when

Russia launched Sputnik, Meaning “little voyager” in Russian.

Space travel to the moon occurred when the United States

Launched the Apollo. We explore space stations that orbit the

Earth and the human requirements for living in these space stations.

We discuss astronomers from Ptolemy (120-180 Ad) to

Isaac Newton (1642-1727).

 

Twelfth Week- Space Travel II

    We have launched planet probes since the 1960’s so that

We may better understand the Solar System and beyond. Spacecraft probes continue to travel further away from Earth and outside the Solar System. We discuss contemporary Scientists who have deepened out knowledge of the Solar System, Including

Albert Einstein (1879-1955) and Stephen Hawking (1942-Present)