Our Planets

Our week began with the making of telescopes.

We were in need of telescopes this week as we looked out into our solar system and studied the planets.

How did we study things that are so beyond the reach of our hands?

We read books, built puzzles and played pretend.

Evan: I am on the blue star.

Ari: I am on the planet with rings.

Morah Katie: That is Saturn.

Evan: Now I am on this planet.

Morah Katie: That is our planet, Earth.

We compared the sizes of spherical fruit, and imagined which planet they would be.

We decided a grape would probably be Mercury because it is so small, 

while the clementine could be Venus.

 However, "cuties" are NOT stinky like Venus, they just both happen to be orange in color.

The watermelon could be Saturn, they both have stripes (or rings) around them.

Sroli:  Earth is green and blue and the apple is red and orange and yellow so it looks more like Mars.

A cantaloupe would be Jupiter, it is so big and contain so many seeds. 

The real Jupiter could fit 1000 Earths inside.

Sroli: But the cantaloupe could be the Sun too because it is SO big and Sun is giant! It is like this big:

As we created a planet collage, we discussed the different planets.

Morah Katie: Which planets would you like to travel to?

Abigail: Not Venus. Venus is stinky, it's air is stinky.

Amelia: We wouldn't want to land on the Sun either, it is TOO hot.

Natan: Jupiter is a gas planet so we can't land. Earth has water and grass.

Abigail: And air to breathe. 

Natan: Earth is where all living things are on, it is so special.

Amelia: Neptune is windy. It's blue spot is a storm.

Abigail: This is the one with the wind storm; it's blue. 

Natan: I have 8 planets.

Morah Katie: You are all very smart astronomers. Tell me about Mercury.
Sroli: Little Mercury is the smallest.
Morah Katie: What should I know about Mars?
Sroli: It has a robot on it.
Judah: It's the Mars rover.
Morah Katie: What about Earth?
Sroli: It has oxygen so we can breathe.
Amelia: And it has a beach.
Morah Katie: What is interesting about Uranus?
Judah: It rotates sideways.
Isaac: Jupiter has a red spot and many moons.
Sroli: The sun is far away from Neptune. It also has rings and moons.
Morah Katie: What is interesting about Venus?
Abigail: It is stinky.
Sroli: The air is bad. It's orange.
Morah Katie: Can you tell me something about Saturn?
Isaac: It has rings around it and moons.
Judah: It's a gas Planet.
Natan: Jupiter is a gas planet too.