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The 4th of July may only come once a year, but if you take some time and know where to look, you’ll discover that the night sky is full of nature’s fireworks! On any clear night you may glimpse sparkling lights hurtling through space. Some are asteroids or meteors making their way around our solar system. A special sparkling celestial object that may make a rare appearance is a “comet” that resembles a fuzzy star stretching across the heavens. Comets have caught the attention of Earthlings for thousands of years, and are always a fascinating treat to behold. These masses of frozen space rock and gas heat up as they near the sun … and then grow one enormous tail! If you’re lucky—and persistent—you may spot a few orbiting over your backyard! Time to look up and take note. The night sky is alive with adventure and activity!
In this issue, young astronomers will:
- Read informational text about space objects
- Learn space vocabulary in context
- Differentiate between asteroids, meteors and comets
- Understand a comet’s composition
- Calculate sums and differences to label parts of a comet
- Read about famous comets including Halley’s Comet and Comet Hale-Bopp
- Follow written directions to make your personalized comet
- Use the newspaper for a space scavenger hunt
- Understand the Greek origin of words
- Practice measuring and comparing using articles in the news
- Write a sunny poem
- Use a secret decoder ring to discover a space book that’s guaranteed to capture your imagination!
6 page PDF
