Family Space Day Overview - Venus

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 about Venus’ interior and atmosphere.
• learn about the volcanos on Venus.
• compare Venus’ atmospheric pressure to Earth.

Activities

• Station 1: Venus Posters
  Children and their parents will view posters that provide information on what
  Venus is like.
• Station 2: Edible or Non-Edible Venus
  Children learn about the different layers of Venus by building either an edible
  or non-edible Venus.
• Station 3: Play-Doh Venus Volcanos
  Venus – like other planets and moons in our solar system - has volcanos at
  its surface. Children will learn how volcanos build up by a series of lava
  flows.
• Station 4: Venus Pudding Volcanos
  Some of the volcanos on Venus look like giant pancakes; they are round,
  flat-topped, and have steep edges. Scientists debate the composition of the
  lava that made these volcanos. Children will create volcanos with pudding
  and compare the viscosity between thick and thin lava flows.
• Station 5: Paper Plate Venus and Earth
  Children make a representation of Venus and Earth’s layers and
  atmospheres using paper plates.
• Station 6: Feeling the Pressure
  Children experience the amount of pressure on Venus compared to Earth
  using bags of sand and Styrofoam cups.
• Station 7: Radar Mapping: What’s in the Box?
  Children explore 6 different boxes to try to figure out what is being
  represented in each box.
  Copyright by the Lunar and Planetary Institute, 2009
  LPI Contribution Number 1485
  http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/space_days/venus
• Station 8: Venus and Earth Matching Game
  Children recall what they’ve learned throughout the day by matching each
  statement to the planet it describes.
• Station 9: Coloring Sheets and Games
  Children relax and color and play simple games related to Venus.
• Station 10: Reading Room
  Children and their parents browse and read a selection of books about Venus
  (refer to book list for suggested reading).

Other Materials

Facilitator Information – Venus
Explore Venus– Book and Website References
All About Venus– A Venus Fact Sheet

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