Space/Moon/Planets

Moon Mania
Ideas from First Grade Parade

Paper Mache Planets

Funtastic Space Day!

Paper Mache Planets

After spending a week learning about the moon and the sun we were ready to start our research on the planets.  We started the week by watching The Magic School Bus Gets Lost in Space.  We then read books and visited websites to find information about each of the planets.  Each child chose a planet to research.  They wrote notes on sticky notes, filled in a web to organize their notes, and wrote a report about their planet.  After the planet research the children created a paper mache model of their planet.

Paper Mache Planet Instructions:

Materials

Bulletin board paper

Glue

Paint brushes

Punch balloons

Preparation

Tear up pieces of bulletin board paper in a variety of colors

Mix two parts glue with one part water

Color suggestions:

Sun – red, orange, and yellow

Mercury – orange, yellow, black

Venus – yellow, white

Earth – blue, green

Mars – red

Jupiter – brown, tan, red, white

Saturn – yellow

Uranus- green and light blue

Neptune – light blue and purple

Pluto – gray or black, purple

Divide the class into 10 groups.  One group will create the sun; the other groups will create the planets.  Have one child apply glue on the inflated balloon and then have the other members apply the torn paper.  Have them apply another layer of glue when the balloon is completely covered with paper.  Allow to dry.  Hang the sun in the center of the room. The planets can be hung in the order in which they orbit the sun