Lesson 4: Imagine You're an Astronaut

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In this lesson and worksheet, students learn about astronauts and compare properties of life in space with life on earth.

OBJECTIVE

Students understand that doing science involves many different kinds of work.

Alignment with National Standards 

MATERIALS

Worksheet #4: What If You Were an Astronaut? (PDF)

Time Required: 30 minutes

DIRECTIONS
1. Ask students to describe what they think it might be like to travel to space.

2. Next share facts about astronaut life by playing the “To Infinity and Beyond!” game at www.nasa.gov/kidsclub and/or by reading a related book, such as Meghan McCarthy’s Astronaut Handbook.

3. Distribute copies of Worksheet #4: What If You Were an Astronaut? (PDF). Read through the worksheet together, asking students to think about the similarities and differences between life in space and life on the earth. Record comparisons in a Venn diagram.

4. Invite students to respond to the writing prompt provided on the worksheet. Once students have completed the worksheet, ask them to share their work aloud.

• For younger students: Focus on a single difference between life on the earth and life in space, such as gravity. Have students draw a picture depicting the difference and write a caption for it.
• For older students: Invite small groups to research a famous astronaut in NASA history. They can start by visiting www.jsc.nasa.gov.

OTHER RESOURCES

• Reading Mini-Poster (PDF)
• Family Take-Home Activity: Includes valuable tips for surfing the Web with your child, as well as a limited time offer from http://onlinefamily.norton.com
• NASA Kids Club: Includes fun games for students, including “Addition Blastoff” and “Rocket Builder.” Students can also upload a photo of their face peeking out of an astronaut suit!
• NASA Education: Click on “For Students” at NASA’s education hub to access dozens of resources, facts, and activities. Check out the “Picture Dictionary,” which allows students to get a visual introduction to many of NASA’s programs.
• NASA: Challenging the Space Frontier: On this interactive site, students are on a mission to learn about the history of space exploration. Don’t miss the slide show of animals in space!
• Astronomy Picture of the Day: Click on this site to access amazing photographs of stars, galaxies, black holes, and more.

Lesson 2: Phases of the Moon
In this lesson and worksheet, students learn about basic moon phases, and then color in sections of moon according to its pattern.

Lesson 3: Planet Power
In this lesson and worksheet, learn basic properties about planets and solve worksheet math problems related to the planet Mars.