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Elementary Programs Chapter

by Jeanette Larson

Back to the Future With Books

Books To Share

Books to Show or Booktalk

Bulletin Board

Blast Off!

Create a large space ship out of construction paper using the template provided. Cut out six or seven small portholes and place photographs of some of the reading club participants peaking out as they travel through outer space. Add letters to create a caption that says, “Blast off with Books!” If desired, print out the spacesuit template provided by DLTK at www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/space/mspacesuit.html, and allow the children to color the spaceman. Cut out the area in the helmet for the face and insert a photograph of the children’s faces peering out of the space suit.

Nametags

Alien I.D. Cards

Print out copies of the Intergalactic Alien I.D. card from Fun Play Dates at www.funplaydates.com/downloads/Aliens.pdf onto large self-adhesive labels. Let each child fill out the card, including the planet they have arrived from and their special abilities. Remove the protective paper and let the children wear their Alien I.D. cards during the program.

Displays

Out of This World

Science fiction became popular just as the Texas Reading Club was beginning in the 1950’s. In part, that popularity was due to the realization that space travel was a real possibility. Display toy robots, space ships, and other items surrounded by science fiction books.

Night Sky

Purchase a copy of You Build It: Stars and Planets by Dennis Schatz and add the night sky to your display. This inexpensive book kit includes a “build-it-yourself” solar system, a battery-powered planetarium and glow-in-the-dark star charts.

Decorations

Fly Me to the Moon…and Beyond

Use Ellison or other dies to create astronauts floating in space, rocket ships, planets, the moon, robots, and the space shuttle. Place the shapes on bookshelves in the children’s area or hang them from fishing wire above the shelves.

Refreshments

Man in the Moon Cheese Snacks

Cut up squares and rectangles of cheese and let the children to create snack creatures, or prepare them in advance and serve them.

Phases of the Moon Cookies

Provide fresh baked or store bought plain round sugar cookies. Give each child a couple of cookies, an individual portion of chocolate frosting in a small paper cup, and a plastic knife. Let the children decorate their cookies to represent the phases of the moon by “darkening” the shadowed or non-visible part of the moon. For a new moon, cover the entire cookie with frosting; for a first quarter, or waxing moon, decorate the left side; for a fourth quarter or waning moon, decorate the right side. For inspiration, print the “phases of the moon” graphic available at Enchanted Learning, www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/moon/Phases.shtml.

Incentives

Oriental Trading Company, www.orientaltrading.com, sells bendable robots that could be offered as incentives for participating in the reading program.

Rhode Island Novelties, www.rinovelty.com, sells alien and astronaut inflatables in various sizes and colors that could be offered as incentives for participating in the reading program.

Demco, www.demco.com, sells solar system bookmarks that include NASA and Hubble telescope photographs of the planets, sun, moon, and Halley’s Comet. Also available are “future topics” bookmarks that feature future technology topics and idea starters.

Songs

Sing “You’ll Always Be a Planet to Me” by Tom Paxton. The lyrics and a free download file of this song about Pluto’s demotion are available on-line at Tom Paxton, www.tompaxton.com/download.html.

Rhymes and Poetry

But Outer Space

(By Robert Frost. Public Domain.)

But outer Space,

At least this far,

For all the fuss

Of the populace

Stays more popular

Than populous.

Windows to the Universe provides a list of poetry related to outer space and links to electronic text for most of the suggested poems, at www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/art_and_music/poems.html&edu=elem.

Audio Recordings

Puppet Plays

Perform the puppet show, “Zip Van Binkle” in Fractured Fairy Tales: Puppet Plays & Patterns by Marilyn Lohnes. This “fractured” take on Rip Van Winkle involves time travel to the future and the past. The book is available through NetLibrary, a TexShare resource.

Perform the puppet show, “Take Me to Your Library” in One-Person Puppet Plays by Denise Anton Wright. This two-character puppet play involves an alien creature that wonders if there is intelligent life on Earth. The book is available through NetLibrary, a TexShare resource.

Stories

Zack Proton Mad Lib

(By Brian Anderson. Used with permission of the author.)

Refer to the story sheet provided at the end of this program.

Tongue Twisters

Robie Robot

(Traditional.)

Robie Robot ran a race,

Robie Robot’s lost in space.

Night Light

(Traditional.)

There’s no need to light a nightlight

On a light night like tonight,

For a night light's light’s a slight light,

And tonight's a night that's light.

When a night's light, like tonight's light,

It is really not quite right

To light night lights with their slight lights

On a light night like tonight.

Riddles and Jokes

(By Jeanette Larson.)

Q. What is the astronaut’s favorite computer key?

A. The space bar!

Q. What kind of nut is found in space?

A. An astron-nut!

Crafts

Robot Bank

Materials
Directions

In advance, the librarian or other adult cuts a slits in the sides of the plastic bottles large enough for coins or bills to pass through, using an Exacto knife, and cuts the aluminum foil into sheets large enough to cover the bottle. The children cover their milk or soda bottles with aluminum foil. They press the foil into the pre-cut slit or cover the slit and carefully slice through the foil at that spot. Then they decorate the robot with pipe cleaners, stickers, and nuts and bolts. Be sure to use craft glue that will adhere to aluminum foil.

Flying Saucers

Materials
Directions

Give each child two paper plates and some folk stickers and allow them to decorate both plates with swirls, spirals, and other “alien” features. When finished, the children staple the two paper plates either back-to-back or front-to-front. Then let them fly their saucers! Back-to-back flying saucers will look and fly differently from front-to-front saucers.

Glow in the Dark Moon Rocks

Materials
Directions

In advance, gather or purchase small, smooth rocks and clean and dry them. Let each child use the florescent paint to decorate a rock. After the paint has dried, they can add glow-in-the-dark stickers for additional effect.

Games and Activities

Special Effects

Use some of the activities in Chapter 5 of Movie Science: 40 Mind-expanding, Reality-bending, Starstruck Activities for Kids by Jim Wiese to show how science fiction movies and television shows use real science. The librarian can follow the instructions to demonstrate the science behind science fiction, including how worm holes work, how to simulate the effects of x-ray vision, and how to show the effects of gravity on water. The book is available through NetLibrary, a TexShare resource.

Time Capsule

Create a library time capsule for children of the future to learn about what life was like in 2008. Include a sample bookmark, certificate, and reading log along with other items from your library. The time capsule might document what kids are interested in at this particular time by including a list of favorite books, a picture of some of the reading club participants, small toys, and a message to children of the future. The English language message in the time capsule launched on the Voyager spacecraft in 1977 says” Hello from the children of planet Earth.” An example of a time capsule handout detailing information children might include is on-line at the University of British Columbia’s “exploring archives” web site, www.slais.ubc.ca/PEOPLE/students/student-projects/archivelearning/students.htm. The project provides everything you need to know about creating a time capsule. Items can be placed in a large plastic Tupperware-type bowl, archival storage box, or another large container. After the children have helped put together the time capsule, store it someplace safe and dry and leave a note for a future librarian to open the time capsule in twenty years.

Moon Day Party

Celebrate the day that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldren walked on the moon in 1969 by holding a party on or around July 20th. If the timing doesn’t work, select any Monday and declare it “Moon-day.” Serve Moon Pies, Tang (the drink the astronauts took to the moon), crescent rolls or cookies, and cheese snacks. Play games like “Pin the Astronaut on the Moon” and other adapted games.

Science Explor-ations

Visit Explore! Fun With Science Explor-ations at www.lpi.usra.edu/education/explore/explorations.shtml and select from dozens of simple and fun space science activities for elementary school children.

Web-Based Activities

dMarie Time Capsule
http://dmarie.com/timecap/
Create a “reverse” time capsule by looking at what happened on the day you were born or any other specific date in history. Topics include popular songs and television shows, information about famous people born on that date, toys, books, and prices for sample consumer items.
Intergalactic Overdrive
http://kids.yahoo.com/games/game/intergalactic
This game, and many others available through Yahooligans, pit aliens against astronauts, and robots against spaceships.
Official Zack Proton Genuine Intergalatic Website
www.zackproton.com
Check out the printable games and coloring sheets that are out of this world!
Space Day
www.spaceday.org
This site includes on-line games in the “Students” section, including a galactic matching game, star search, and jigsaw puzzle. Other games are more educational but still a lot of fun.

Guest Speakers

Invite someone from a local robotics club to bring a robot and talk about how robots work. You may also find someone knowledgeable about robotics at local high tech corporations or high schools, technical schools, or colleges for clubs and organizations.

Invite a professional or amateur astronomer to bring a telescope and talk about viewing the stars and planets.

Videos/DVDs/Films

If you have public performance rights, show these videos and DVDs, or segments of them, to the children. Otherwise, display them for home use. The length listed is for the entire film.

Computer Software

Starry Night: Complete Space and Astronomy Pack.

Web Sites

Star Date
http://stardate.org
The University of Texas McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mountains provides daily stargazing tips, an on-line radio program, and other celestial information. The teacher section provides several astronomy-related activities that can be used in library programming.
Windows to the Universe
www.windows.ucar.edu
This site from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research at the University of Wisconsin provides a wealth of information about outer space and the planets, along with reproducible coloring pages, games, short videos, and additional resources for educators.

Magazines

Sky and Telescope
www.skyandtelescope.com
This magazine provides observation tips for amateurs and other information about the night sky.
Star Date
800-STARDATE
Produced by the University of Texas McDonald Observatory, this 24-page magazine provides detailed sky watching information, in-depth features, the latest astronomy news, and more.

Professional Resources

Demco
www.demco.com
This library supplier sells a variety of inexpensive incentives.
DLTK
www.dltk-kids.com
This web site provides free printable patterns for crafts, coloring pages, and other resources.
Enchanted Learning
www.enchantedlearning.com
Thematically arranged, this site provides information and patterns for a variety of activities.
Explore! Fun With Science Explor-ations
www.lpi.usra.edu/education/explore/explorations.shtml
This site includes dozens of simple and fun space science activities for elementary school children.
Fun Play Dates: Aliens Playdate
www.funplaydates.com/nav_pages/aliens.html
This free “fun pack” provides crafts, coloring sheets, mask templates, invitations, recipes, and more for a full alien-themed program.
Oriental Trading Company
www.orientaltrading.com
This carnival supply company sells inexpensive items for incentives and decorations.
Rhode Island Novelties
www.rinovelty.com
This novelty company sells a variety of inexpensive items that can be used for decorations and incentives.
Tom Paxton
www.tompaxton.com
The website for this author and musician includes downloadable files for some of his songs.
University of British Columbia
www.slais.ubc.ca/PEOPLE/students
This student project web site offers guidance on creating a time capsule.
Windows to the Universe
www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/art_and_music/poems.html&edu=elem
This web site provides a list of poetry related to outer space, with links to electronic text for most of the suggested poems, along with other activities for educators.

Craft Materials

Blast Off! Bulletin Board
Space ship with people looking out the windows
 
Zack Proton Mad Lib Story Sheet
Zack Proton Mad Lib. See long description.
 

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