World Space Week is a week-long celebration in honor of the launching of Sputnik 1 in 1957 and also the signing of the Outer Space Treaty in 1967. Taking place from October 4 through October 10, over 1,600 events are scheduled in more than 90 countries, promoting science, technology, and space exploration. Take part in the festivities in your Spanish classroom with these vocabulary words and activities.
Space and Astronomy Vocabulary
- el espacio (space)
- la luna (the Moon)
- los planetas (the planets)
- la Tierra (Earth)
- el Marte (Mars)
- las estrellas (stars)
- la nave espacial (spaceship)
- el satélite (satellite)
- la estación espacial (space station)
- el cohete (rocket)
- el/la astronauta (astronaut)
- la galaxia (galaxy)
- explorar (to explore)
- colonizar (to colonize)
- viajar (to travel)
Activities
- Space Bingo
Have students create a bingo board by either writing the vocabulary or drawing an image to represent the word. For higher level students, try describing the vocabulary word instead of simply stating it.
- Constellation Art
Study the constellations and their Spanish names as a class. Using various star charts, have students connect stars to make up their own constellations and name them in Spanish.
- Galactic Meeting
In groups, students can come up with a home planet and galaxy they will represent at a peaceful meeting of the galaxies. During the meeting, have students introduce and describe their planet in Spanish.
- Visual Aids
Using poster boards, 3D models, or digital art, have students create visual aids for vocabulary related to space and astronomy. Display the visual aids outside the classroom for other students to view and learn from.
By Kelli Drummer-Avendano
Read also:
Exploring Space and Astronomy During World Space Week: Space Vocab in Italian
