Planetary Project

James came home with an unusual homework assignment: choose one of the planets in the solar system to study and report upon. Mmmm hmmmm. Well, we did okay with the ostriches, so let's go planets! How to do this as a real study project? I grabbed my laptop.

James bounced right over "Can I do Decoration Hunt? I want to watch Lazy Town!"

He settled in with me on the sofa and we selected (courtesy of Google search) the following:

1. Martha Stewart creates a mobile!
   James' first choice
2. A "Solar system mobile in action"
   Our second choice; no noise - he was hooked
3. "The Solar System HD"
   James liked the HD; I loved the music. Just the perfect pacing to observe and have the chance to ask questions and talk.
4. "Our Solar System: A poster and index of best available planet images,"  by Dr. Steuard Jensen for the Alma College planetarium;
   this is the image that James used to pick his planet: Saturn
5. The Solar System - Tour the Solar System on Sea and Sky;
   fun to click through, and another eye-catching view of the planets in our solar system

Extra credit: National Geographic Live! Solar System Exploration: 50 Years … Too much talking (and some of it VERY fast) but still a good viewing. Learned some new facts myself.

Right now I am replaying The Solar System HS ... I really am enjoying the music (and the Star Trek connection).

It's really interesting to see how a different approach to starting a report project (more visual than verbal instruction) makes this more interesting to us both.

Courtesy of NASA and Cassini