I’ve meant to share our journey through Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Astronomy as we’ve moved along. But there’s this silly little thing called: Life! It’s constantly sneaking up and disrupting my balance!
So alas…many of the projects I would have enjoyed doing have not been done. And the ones that have been…I haven’t shared.
This is my attempt to catch up and (I hesitate to say it) get with the program. Actually, I’ve been guilt tripped into it really. My first post has been pinned a couple times and suddenly I feel this responsibility to not let my pinner friends down! 
Chapter 1 – exploring the universe
You can read all about our Chapter 1 adventures here. We did make some pretty groovy chalk solar systems.
Chapter 2 – the Sun
I decided to make lapbooks to go along with our studies. They used their handprints in firey colors to represent the sun on the face of our books.
Chapter 3 – Mercury
I am not a fan of messes but from their facial expressions they clearly are. 
We dropped various sized pebbles into flour to see how craters are formed.
We then used our flour to make some salt dough.
Which was perfect for making a mini Mercury.
Complete with lots of bumpy craters!
Chapter 4 – Venus
No pictures of a project because I didn’t do any. Oops. But they have a really great idea of making a comic strip of a Day on Venus which we’ll be adding to our lapbooks.
Chapter 5 – Earth
I totally meant to do this really neat playdoh project.
Maybe we still will now that it’s warmish and we can take the mess outside? It would make for a really fun review!
Chapter 6 – the Moon
They looooooved using oreos to create the phases of the moon! I got extra Super Mommy points for letting them use the mint flavored!
There are also some really amazing Youtube videos of eclipses! Which is just another reason love my iPad.
Chapter 7 – Mars
No projects – just reading and talking together. Toby really enjoys reading aloud to us. And (when I’m not in a super hurry) I love that we have lots of “talk about it” pauses. Some of our sweetest moments this year have been snuggled on the couch talking about the universe.
Chapter 8 – Space Rocks
We just dove in this week so no pics of Space Rock projects yet.
But I did decide we needed to beef up our lapbooks. So I went hunting and found some great printables. I used the 1st and 3rd pages of this pdf .
The paper to the far right is a lift the flap space words printable. <3
Who wouldn’t love an teensie tiny accordian style booklet of the plants in order?
Closer shot of the life the flaps printable.
And that’s where we’re at so far. Bristel is in love with the solar system and is enjoying it even though some of my good intentions have been a complete fail! But no looking back now…onward we go!
Check out my Solar System Pin Board for some more inspiration.
…danielle
OK- SERIOUSLY- we should form our own co-op Internet group somehow! MY family has been journeying through space and doing some of the EXACT same activities as y'all have been doing!
ReplyDelete(Seriously, I wonder if an Internet Co-Op group is even possible...hmmmm...)
That thought has crossed my mind too! I've just never had the time to figure out how it would work. If you do - count me in! My kids would love something like that!
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My oldest (Eli the 13 year old) is finishing up his space unit. :) I love the flour crater idea!
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