Stars in Our Eyes

As a teacher-in-training, I'm starting to collect a few ideas that I can incorporate into my future classroom: activity ideas, filler ideas, organization methods. One thought I had recently is related to my enjoyment of Instagram. What an amazing thing to be able to connect with photographers all over the world and see what they see! But a few Instagram accounts go even farther, going out of this world. 

Two of my favorite galleries on Instagram feature pictures of space, planets, and miles-high views of planet Earth: NASA and the International Space Station. 

Seeing the manmade islands of Bahrain from the stunning cupola of the ISS...or distant galaxies...or a hole drilled on the planet Mars...is an amazing opportunity. Turn on a phone, open an app, see something thousands of light-years away. 

If an elementary student can grasp both how far away something is, and how close technology can make it...what a great thing. I think it would be terrific for a class to check the latest pictures from outer space and above the Earth daily or weekly.  

The picture below may be the ultimate selfie. It's astronaut Rick Mastracchio, space-walking at the ISS. Note the reflection of his home planet in his helmet.