Lesson Plan Idea for National Space Day: Blast Off!

April 25th, 2018 | 1 min. read

What’s cooler than outer space? If you ask most preschoolers, the answer is: nothing. That’s why outer space is such a great theme for lesson plans, and since May 4th is National Space Day, now is the perfect time to blast off with your little learners!

Your children can learn about space and planets through dramatic play scenarios, like the ones in Ann Barbour’s book Play Today. Play Today provides teachers and parents with ways that dramatic play can enrich their children’s learning experiences while also giving children the opportunity to be imaginative and creative. There are plenty of ways educators can guide the play of their young learners and teach them to engage with their peers. Here are some ideas for setting up a space-themed play session in your classroom!

Materials

Cardboard & cardboard boxes
Chairs
A chart with stats for the rocket
Maps
Masking or painter’s tape
Photos of rocket ships, asteroids, planets, and stars
Scissors
A table

Setting up the Spaceship

Tape an outline of a rocket ship on the floor
Line up some chairs within this outline
Create a simple control board by cutting a rectangle out of the cardboard panel and attaching it to the cardboard box. Add stickers or paint to make buttons and levers
Display the maps, stats, and planet pictures to set up a “mission control” space

Props to Add

Clocks and dials
Astronaut helmets
Lab coats
Oxygen packs
Headphones
An American flag

Facilitating Engagement

Point out the instrument panel. Add dials and knobs to the box, and point out where they show speed, altitude, temperature, etc.
Give students passes to board the rocket, like how real astronauts have ID badges
Ask questions like “What do you know about rocket ships? What would you like to see in space? What do you think an astronaut needs when they go on a space voyage?
Play with the children, saying things like “I see a star outside the rocket!” or “We’re moving at more than 100 miles per hour! How fast do we need to go?”

Author(s)Ann Barbour

Ashleigh Craven

Ashleigh Craven has a decade and a half of diverse category experience from agency communications to athletic apparel to automotive to education, developing and executing communication strategies in both traditional and social media. She has supported national product launches and corporate events for the likes of Soffe, Buick, Chevrolet, Wake Forest University , Kaplan, and others. She has an BA from the University of Michigan in English and Communication Studies and an MA from Wake Forest University, where she focused her studies on argumentation and presidential rhetoric and speechwriting. She served as director of marketing for Gryphon House from 2017- 2020.

Topics:

Lesson Planning

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Lesson Plan Idea for National Space Day: Blast Off!

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