Space Cats in the Classroom! (Astro Cat Lesson Plan Ideas)
We’ve been travelling the length of the UK to see kids using our apps ‘in the real world’. And although we enjoy guiding our users through the interactive content, it’s always helpful to take a step back. Recently, we visited the Quentin Blake Library in London to observe an informal lesson with everyone’s favourite space-savvy blue cat! We were so inspired watching the group engage with Astro Cat’s Solar System, that we had a think about what an Astro Cat Lesson Plan would look like…
What you’ll need…
– One download of Astro Cat’s Solar System on a tablet
– A projector to allow the whole class to interact with the content on the tablet screen
– The free activity sheets (Download the Astro Cat Activity Sheets), and colouring pencils
– 2 hour long classes to complete the app at a comfortable pace
Get exploring from the start!
Our group was immediately excited to choose a cat avatar and give it a name- a good ice-breaker. On arrival at the solar system screen, the children were keen to look through all of the planets, and take the lead in deciding where to navigate. This is a great opportunity to challenge your class to say aloud which planet comes next as you swipe through the solar system.
Letting young explorers lead the way
Apps allow for a lot of independence. On the planet fact file screens, the children we observed took it in turns to read the facts aloud. One child was chosen to swipe the screen downwards and ‘unzip’ the planet, and another child was chosen to complete the supplementary activity, for example swirling the gases to create a new star. The group then worked as a team again, to complete the Jetpack Challenges by calling out the answers.
Overall outline for each hour session
– A few minutes settling down, and choosing and avatar and name
– 40 minutes of play on the app, progressing through the planets and building a rocket!
– 15-20 minutes of wind-down time with the Astro Cat activity sheets, colouring and designing spaceships
There you have it: a STEAM lesson with Astro Cat!
If you’ve already fallen in love with the Astro Cat brand, you can also find the books (and Intergalactic Activity Book) at Flying Eye Books. Galactic Genius with Astro Cat, our brain-boosting puzzle app, is available on the App Store, Google Play, and Amazon.
Finally, if you’re considering introducing Astro Cat to your class, here are the thoughts of a fellow educator…
“With all planets researched and mastery shown of the subject knowledge, the final accolade is a flight in the rocket through the solar system! Do not be suspicious about this teachers, it certainly spurred me on to complete the whole game in one sitting to ensure that I got into the rocket!
This application is excellent and a great way to ensure that the subject content sticks and can provide the busy teacher with an alternative to the text book versions of the content about the solar system.”
Further reading from our blog…