Pluto's Valentine (Art + Books Series)
We’re into February now!
A new month means a new theme, and since February is the
month of Valentines, that means that this month’s book theme is going to be …
Pluto and the solar system?!
Yes, Pluto!
Back in 2015, when the New Horizons spacecraft flew past
Pluto, it captured images of a heart-shaped plain on Pluto’s surface. That
makes Pluto a great planet to study during February.
Before starting into this project, though, I highly
recommend reading Pluto's Secret: An Icy World's Tale of Discovery by Margaret
Weitekamp and David DeVorkin. This book is a fun story about Pluto’s discovery
and the debate involving Pluto’s status as a planet.
If you have older readers, I also recommend Mission to
Pluto: The First Visit to an Ice Dwarf and the Kuiper Belt, by Mary Kay
Carson and Tom Uhlman. This book has gorgeous photos that even younger children
might enjoy, but the longer, more technical text would be better for somewhat
older children.
Paper Plate Pluto:
Supplies: paper plates, finger paint, a piece of
construction paper, scissors.
This project is very simple!
When we did it, we started with a paper plate and painted it
a rocky gray color. Then I traced a heart-shape onto the piece of construction
paper (using pink paper, of course!), cut that out, and placed it over the wet
paint to create the planet.
First and second-grade kids should be able to do most of
this project by themselves once you explain the steps. Older students can also
skip the paper plate and trace out a circle on a piece of paper instead.
Then, they’re done painting, they can cut out the circle to
create their planet.
For preschoolers, though, paper plates are a simple way to
make a circle painting. You can also cut out the hearts ahead of time, if you aren’t
ready to let younger children use scissors yet.
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