E has been wanting to learn about the solar system for quite a while, but it was a daunting topic for me, not only because of how much there is to talk about regarding the solar system, but because of how little I knew about it!
One of my biggest fears going into this unit was that I would somehow misrepresent our Christian faith. There are so many questions about space - how and when everything in it, including Earth, was formed - and I don't feel like I've ever had a solid grasp on what God has to say.
So the first thing I did in preparation for this unit was to send my friend and author, Dan Kimball, a "please help me!" message on Facebook. I so appreciated what he had to say in answer to my questions about how and when the earth, and all of space, came to be. First, he directed me to these two videos in which scholars John Walton and Tremper Longman talk about Genesis 1-2. It's mindblowing!
Dan also summed things up this way: He basically said that when it comes to the exact scientific way in which the world came to be, along with when it came to be, the Bible doesn't say. What we DO know, he said (and I agree!) is that God made it all. And that, he said, is the important thing to teach our kids.
You, of course, may have a different belief, but what a big relief this was to me! I didn't have to get into the nitty gritty scientific details with my 3 and 6 year old about creation/evolution and the age of the earth (at least not at this point). The biggest and best thing for them to know right now is that however and whenever it happened... God created everything.
As far as curriculum for our solar system unit, we went with Apologia's Exploring Creation with Astronomy. We also bought the Junior Notebooking Journal to go along with it. I can't say enough good things about this curriculum. It's extremely thorough, has great photos and illustrations and it's written specifically for kids.
Because my kids are such hands-on learners, I also incorporated a lot of other projects, manipulatives and learning into the unit. Here's some of what I added:
Needle Felted Solar System
Planet Size Comparisons
Solar System Mini Puzzle
TOOB Space Figurines
Mneumonic Solar System Mat
FREE Phases of the Moon Infographic
Phases of the Moon Wheel
E and R also made the phases of the moon out of Oreo cookies! YUM!
We also did an experiment to study what happens when rocks hit the moon involving flour and, well, rocks.
Young Scientist: Planet Earth/Water
FREE Layers of the Earth 3 Part Cards
Earth Layers Interactive Visual1
And E created the layers of the Earth with play-doh!
We also checked out the sun with these eclipse glasses.
We found this great video on YouTube in which an astronaut on board the International Space Station gives us a tour and watched it while eating freeze dried food like astronauts do.
And E and R liked the video Popular Mechanics for Kids: Radical Rockets.
As usual, we had an assortment of books from the library on hand to go along with our topic. And here's the link to my Pinterest board for this unit, filled with more ideas that we never even got to!
We ended our unit with a trip to the Chabot Space and Science Center but not before dressing up with outer space tattoos (tough guys!).
If you don't live near a space museum, consider googling a planetarium to find one near you.
It's amazing how much there is to explore in God's incredible creation. Have you done a unit on the solar system, or are you preparing to do one? What ideas can you share?
In the meantime, there are more solar system ideas you can check out on my Pinterest Board! https://www.pinterest.com/shelleypimentel/
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