Aspiring Astronauts: Lifting off to Space!

This 4-week class begins with a welcome and introductions! Learners are encouraged to share something they know about space or want to learn more about during class. Class is based around a colorful slide presentation with photographs, illustrations, true and false questions, and short video clips that everyone can see. 

During class learners pretend they are going to space to explore. For younger students, they might want to pretend to blast off or even wear a spacesuit dress up. For older learners, they might just want to imagine what it would be like to be an astronaut going to space. At the end of each class, I give learners a creative prompt to work on in between classes if they wish. 

Class will progress as follows:

Week 1: Students get ready to go to space. What do astronauts need to bring with them when they go to space? Students learn all about things needed to survive in space including food, water, clothing, exercise, a spacesuit and spaceship. Learners should be prepared to draw, build or sculpt a picture of their own spacesuit and spaceship AFTER class! If learners send a photograph to me, I post creations on the first slide of the following weeks slide presentation and encourage learners to share their creative work.   

Week 2: Lift off! Learners head to space. During class, learners see how a spaceship gets into space and then virtually visit Venus, Mercury and the Sun. Our post class drawing challenge is to dream up and draw/build or sculpt their own Venus Airship. 

Week 3: Students continue the journey through space by visiting Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. This week's post class draw/build or sculpt challenge is to design their own planet. 

Week 4: During the last class, learners see Uranus, Neptune and Pluto (and other dwarf planets). They also learn how to land a spaceship back on Earth!