Here is a list of resources to use to plan a unit study on astronomy. I should note that one reason I chose astronomy for this month’s Unit Study Starter, is because the Perseids meteor shower will be most visible during the weekend of August 12th & 13th. The Perseids is supposed to be one of the most active meteor showers and therefore one of the easiest to observe on a clear night. Add a few more resources to this list to make a complete Unit Study or pick and choose from this list to augment what you’re already doing in your own curriculum. In any case, have fun!
Solar System Reading List
Clyde Tombaugh and the Search for Planet X by Margaret K. Wetterer & Laurie A. Caple
The Magic School Bus Lost in Space by Joanna Cole
The Planets in our Solar System (Let’s Read and Find Out Series Stage 2) by Franklin M. Branley
There’s No Place Like Space by Tish Rabe
Our Solar System by Seymour Simon
Encyclopedia of the Solar System by Paul Weissman
A Traveller’s Guide to Mars by William K. Hartman
Your Guide to the Sky by Richard Schaffer
The Grand Tour by William K. Hartman
Blue Skidoos to the Planets by Angela C. Santomer
What’s Out There? By Lynn Wilson
Janice VanCleave: The Solar System by Janice VanCleave
Kingdom of the Sun by Jacqueline Mitton
Postcards from Pluto by Loreen Leedy
My Big Busy Space Activity Book by Roger Priddy
The Complete Book of Our Solar System by Vincent Douglas
Children of the Sun by Arthur John L’hommedieu
Don’t Know Much About the Solar System by Kenneth C. Davis
Me and My Place in Space by Joan Sweeney
DK Handbooks: Stars and Planets by Ian Ridpath
Welcome to Eurekaville by Sylvia Branzei
The Kingfisher’s Young Person’s Guide to the Universe by David Lambert
3-D Thrillers! The Solar System by Marc Tyler Nobleman
Astronomy on the Web
Star Child
Provides a basic tutorial through our solar system.
Sky and Telescope
This is a great site, but what I really like about it, is that it has an interactive star map so you can input your location, and the date and get a map of what you can see up in the sky. With that said, take your map and go outside at night and see what you can find!
NASA Planets
Anything on NASA’s website is informative and makes an excellent read. If your kids are really into studying astronomy I highly recommend taking a few days just to look around. However, this particular page, has great pictures and concise information about the planets.
Discovery School
This website includes a calendar of astronomy events so if you can’t catch the meteor shower or shooting stars, you can put it on your calendar!
Activities
Of course I’ve already mentioned the meteor shower on August 12th. I also highly recommend these two activities:
Take time to make a night sky journal. You can just use a folder with blank pages but the idea is to go outside once or twice a week for several months. Stand in the approximate same spot, facing the same direction and chart the night sky that you see.
Take the time to identify several constellations in the sky. Go through the Greek myths for which they’re named.
Related Articles:
Baby Galileo: Discovering the Night Sky