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Description

Create a solar system diorama out of a cardboard box, and let the beavers create the planets. Followed up with learning about constellations (great for winter months when the stars are out at 5pm). Games at the end if time.

Resources

Solar System:

Large cardboard box, painted black inside.
Polystyrene balls (see below, or card cut outs).
Paper clips
Thread

Constellations:

Black paper/card and star stickers (or paper and pencil)




Preparation: Large cardboard box, inside painted black, thread hanging with paper clips at the ends to spike the planets on. Inside the box, paint the sun onto one end of the box (or use a polystyrene ball cut in half, painted, and then sealed with PVA).

NB - instead of buying Polystyrene balls, you could use card circles cut out - although the beavers do really engage with the 3D shape of the planets, and would recommend it for the small cost.





--- buy the three packs below to do it more than once ---

Polystyrene Balls (planets) £1.49
https://www.therange.co.uk/arts-and-crafts/craft-supplies/boxes-shapes-and-letters/pack-of-polystyrene-balls/#577994

Pack of Polystyrene Wreaths (Saturn's rings) £1.00
https://www.therange.co.uk/christmas/christmas-crafts/make-your-own-christmas-decorations/embellishments-decorations-and-toppers/pack-of-polystyrene-wreaths/#578010

Polystyrene Ball (sun) £2.29
https://www.therange.co.uk/arts-and-crafts/kids-arts-and-craft/kids-craft-supplies/pom-poms/large-polystyrene-ball/#577997

--- OR buy a single solar system pack to do it once ---

OR! Polystyrene Solar System: £2.99
https://www.therange.co.uk/arts-and-crafts/craft-supplies/boxes-shapes-and-letters/polystyrene-solar-system/#578003




--- stick stars ---

Sticky stars are great also https://www.therange.co.uk/arts-and-crafts/papercraft/stickers-toppers-and-embellishments/stickers/sparkly-star-stickers/#3917 £0.99, two packs worked well for one colony sharing the stars making one constellation in each lodge

Instructions

Solar System:

A sheet introducing the solar system with facts, can be lead by asking beavers questions first. After the log chew talking about the sun and our solar system, the beavers can breakout into their lodges and work as small groups learning about two planets in each group. Colouring in their planets with felt pens, and absorbing the facts, after 10-15 minutes, come back into a river bank and one by one add the planets to the diorama with each group sharing facts about each planet to the colony.

The flash cards need to be printed in colour, so the beavers can colour in the polystyrene balls accurately.

How hard is it to be a solar system? With one beaver the sun, position eight other beavers as the planets and get them to orbit the sun!


Constellations:

There are also sheets attached for learning about some easy to spot constellations, they can then draw their own favourite constellation, and these can be added to the back of the diorama (black card and sticky stars work well if possible).

Please use this website http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Yoursky to make your own sky map for the evening of your meeting - giving the beavers the opportunity to try and find stars if a clear night.


Games:

If time, there games included in the PDF.

Land on the moon:

Beavers are divided into two teams and form circles at opposite ends of the room. One circle is the moon the other is the earth. A leader stands in the middle of the earth circle and throws a ball to each Beaver Scout in turn counting each catch as they go round. Meanwhile the first one in the moon team races round the earth circle and back to their place. When all those in the moon team have run round the earth circle, the last one shouts “LANDED” and the leader stops throwing the ball. Then the teams swap over and the team with the highest catch score wins.

Tags

• beavers
• space badge

Badge Links

• Space - Constellation
• Space - Identify
• Space - Planets