Little Learning Labs: Astronomy for Kids, abridged edition: 26 Family-friendly Activities about Stars, Planets, and Observing the World Around You; Activities for STEAM Learners

Michelle Nichols

Oct 2018 · Quarry Books

About this ebook

Little Learning Labs: Astronomy for Kids teaches children the wonders of outer space with 26 hands-on activities that can be done at home with items found around the house.

It's not easy to explain and understand what lies beyond the night sky. This curated collection of 26 projects from the bestselling Astronomy Lab for Kids introduces children to the basics of outer space through 26 hands-on labs that can be completed with everyday items from around your house. It's the perfect resource for teachers, homeschool families, and community groups.

Mini astronomers will learn about things such as the size and scale of planets using sandwich cookies and tennis balls, how to measure the speed of light with a flat candy bar and a microwave, how to make a simple telescope with magnifying glasses, and so much more. Kids of all ages and experience levels will love completing these hands-on labs with the guidance of adults.

Why wait to introduce children to the expansive wonder of the skies, when Little Learning Labs: Astronomy Lab for Kids can put it within their reach today?

About the author

Michelle Nichols is Master Educator at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Illinois, where she has worked for twenty years. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from National-Louis University. At the Adler Planetarium, Ms. Nichols specializes in informal education (i.e. "out-of-school-time" education). She has developed, facilitated, and evaluated hundreds of astronomy, space exploration, and history of astronomy activities for audiences ranging from early elementary children to adults. She has served on Adler staff teams to create planetarium shows, several of which have been distributed to planetariums internationally, and several dozen exhibits, both large and small. From 2008 to 2014, she was a member of the NASA Interstellar Boundary Explorer Education and Public Outreach team. She currently works with Adler's Far Horizons Space program, bringing the excitement of high altitude ballooning and space exploration to middle and high school students and teachers. Ms. Nichols coordinates the Adler Planetarium's telescope outreach program, 'Scopes in the City. Ms. Nichols has served as an advisor for several Bearport Publishing children's books: Superfast Rockets, Space: Surviving in Zero-G, Ellen Ochoa: Reach for the Stars, and The Space Shuttle Challenger Explosion, as well as the Scholastic News Nonfiction Readers series (The Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, The Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto: Dwarf Planet, and Comets).