Family Space Day Overview - Gas Giants

Family Space Day is a three hour event. The activities are set up so that children
and parents can select the order in which they undertake activities. Parents and
children are encouraged to learn, play, and explore together.

Objectives of the Day

Children will:

• learn characteristics of the Gas Giants.
• model their sizes and distances from the Sun.
• discover that the Gas Giants are much larger than Earth and made of
  different materials.
• investigate the interiors of the Gas Giants.

Activities

• Station 1: Gas Giant Posters
  Children and their parents will view 8 posters with basic information about
  the four gas giants such as distance from Earth, temperature, make-up, and
  size to gain a better understanding of the planets.
• Station 2: Rocky Planet or Gas Giant?
  After viewing the posters, children will determine whether the statement
  given is a description of an inner planet or an outer planet.
• Station 3: Candy Gas Giants
  Using craft materials or edible materials, children create a model of Earth
  and a model of their favorite Gas Giant.
• Station 4: Gas Giants Sun Catcher
  Children create sun-catchers in the shape of the four outer planets.
• Station 5: Solar System Mobile
  With the aid of clues found in “The Solar System I’m Rhyme” song, children learn about the characteristics and sizes of the planets in our solar system and create their own“ Solar System on a String” mobile.
• Station 6: Where are they? Traveling to the Gas Giants
  Children investigate the distances between, and relative sizes of, the Sun,
  Earth, and different Gas Giants in this active modeling activity.
• Station 7: Storms on Jupiter
  In this demonstration activity, your child will see how the clouds swirl
  around in a storm and compare them to the Great Red Spot’s movement.
  
• Station 8: Saturn Model
  Children create a model of Saturn using a Styrofoam ball and paper plate.
• Station 9: Saturn Flip Book
  Children learn about Saturn’s layers as they create their own flip book.
• Station 10: Coloring Sheets and Games
  Children can relax and color and play simple games related to the gas
  giants.
• Station 11: Reading Room
  Children and their parents can browse and read a selection of books about
  the gas giants (refer to book list for suggested reading).

Other Materials

Facilitator Information – Gas Giants
Explore the Gas Giants– Book and Website References
All About the Gas Giants– A Gas Giant Fact Sheet

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