General Science 3rd-6th Extension Activities Lesson 14

Astronaut Spotlight

Mae Jemison: I Wanted To Go Into Space - 2:41

Mae Jemison describes her journey from a space-loving girl in Chicago to an astronaut looking down on Chicago and thinking about her younger self. She is a physician, engineer, educator, entrepreneur, and the first woman of color to go into space, having served as a NASA astronaut for six years. She now works on the 100 Year Starship project and is a lifelong dancer.

Picture Book Reading

Read one of these picture books: Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed or Blast off into Space Like Mae Jemison by Caroline Moss.

Craft Activities

Make an Astronaut Helmet

Use a paper plate, aluminum foil, a hole punch, and string/ribbon. May also use permanent markers, stickers, or other decorations. Cut out a hole for seeing through in the plate. Punch a hole on each side and tie on a string or ribbon on each side, long enough to connect and tie behind a student's head. Cover the plate with glue and add on aluminum foil. Decorate as desired.

Build Spaceships or Telescopes

Use building blocks to create your own spaceships or telescopes.

Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope for Children - 4:02

The Hubble Space Telescope has been hailed as the greatest advancement in astronomy since Galileo's telescope. Learn about its history, discoveries, and how it works.

How Hubble Works | Spaced Out - 3:36

In this episode of “Spaced Out,” we break down the inner workings of the most advanced telescope in space—Hubble! Learn about the incredible systems that keep Hubble running and how it's affecting the next generation of space telescopes.