Week 4: Space Launch Vocabulary Activities
3...2...1...blast off! This week we are going to be discovering words that are out of this world. Whether you prefer real life wonders like the Milky Way and dwarf-planets or the world of science fiction and hyperspace, we’ve got you covered.
Remember that all of this week's vocabulary lists are available for immediate play in our Puku app (download information below!)
This Week’s Vocabulary Lists
Science Fiction Vocabulary List
This Week’s Book Recommendations
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
Alex's dream of sending his golden iPod into space launches him on a journey steeped in love of family, rockets, and a dog named Carl Sagan.
*Vocabulary lists and discussion questions for _See You in the Cosmos_ will be posted on Wednesday.
I Love You, Michael Collins by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
I Love You, Michael Collins is a heartwarming tale about learning, dreaming, and forging connections during tumultuous times.
Vocabulary Activities
Write a Letter to an Astronaut - Ever wonder what it’s like to sleep without gravity? Or what astronauts eat in space? Write a letter to an astronaut to find out! Here is a list of active astronauts. Don’t forget to include an extra envelope with your address and a stamp so they can write you back. Mail your letter to:
NASA/Johnson Space Center | CB/Astronaut Office | Houston, TX 77058
Write a Science Fiction Story - Write your own science fiction short story using the words from our Science Fiction Vocabulary list. Feel free to include all the aliens and future technology that you can imagine! Here are some writing prompts to get you started:
- I set my time machine to the year…
- Our android teacher was like our human teachers in most ways, except…
- We didn’t know whether we were more excited or frightened, but there could be no mistaking what we saw: it was a message from an extraterrestrial being. It said...
Other fun activities
- Use mini-marshmallows and toothpicks to make models of the constellations.
- Build a model rocket. This could be with a kit, LEGO® or recycled toilet paper rolls. Be creative!
- Go stargazing. If you have a telescope that’s great, but binoculars work well too. Try to find the International Space Station. Spot the Station will tell you where to look!
- Design your own Mission Patch. See examples of past patches and their meanings here.
- Make half moon or crescent cookies. This is a delicious way to learn the phases of the moon.
- Explore the Earth at Night to find out what the Earth looks like at night with images from NASA Earth Science.
- Build a model solar system using a kit, modeling clay or paper mache.
Return to Puku Summer Camp page >
Want to print this? Click here to download a PDF of this page
