Hello Red Room Families,

This week, the Red Room children began their mission through outer space as they learned about what can be found in space. Each day, the class explored a different space-related topic.

We began the week by learning about stars. The children learned that stars are giant, hot, glowing balls of gas in space, and they shared that stars look like twinkling lights in the night sky. We also discussed how stars can be connected to form shapes called constellations.

Next, we reviewed the planets by reading The Planets by Smithsonian, which helped the children learn basic facts about each planet in our solar system. We then focused on Earth, the third planet from the sun. The Red Room children helped identify things we see on Earth, such as animals, people, plants, and large bodies of water.

To conclude our space mission for the week, we read I Want to Be an Astronaut by Byron Barton. This story sparked interest in what astronauts do in space, such as walking in space, fixing satellites, and building structures in orbit. The children were especially fascinated by the space suits. We also read Roaring Rockets by Tony Mitton, which helped us learn more about astronaut gear, including gravity boots that help prevent floating and oxygen helmets that allow astronauts to breathe during their missions.

ART

For art this week, the Red Room children were busy creating artwork inspired by what they might see if they were in space. The first project was a constellation activity. The children practiced fine motor skills by peeling and sticking star stickers onto black paper. They then used small paintbrushes and white paint to connect the stars and create their own constellations.

The second project focused on painting the Earth. The children used blue and green paint to represent the planet they live on. It was fun to see everyone’s unique perspective on what the Earth looks like.

The final project was painting a star using various fluorescent paints. These pieces will be displayed for Night School.