Since September, the youngest pupils at our school have been embarking on an extraordinary adventure: exploring the solar system. As soon as they enter the Maternelle section, visitors are greeted by a magnificent spaceship, the symbol of this inspiring project that plunges children into the captivating world of space. The German classroom, transformed into a real space universe, is decorated with a large rocket, planets, UFOs and books, creating an immersive environment to stimulate learning.
A bilingual project based around the solar system
The project began with the reading in German of the book ‘Das Raumschiff im Klassenzimmer’, which tells the story of a little boy who dreams of becoming an astronaut. This story aroused the children’s curiosity and inspired them to transform the classroom into a space dedicated to discovering the planets in our solar system. With the help of German teacher Mrs Göbel, the pupils embarked on this bilingual journey, combining language skills with scientific discovery.
Developing creativity and manual skills
Each class contributed to the project by making various items. The PS/GS children cut, glued and painted paper to create a large rocket, while the GS children built a space shuttle. The PS/MS pupils worked on the planets of the solar system using a variety of techniques: cutting, gluing, tearing and painting. These activities enabled the children to develop essential skills such as motor coordination, creativity and the ability to follow precise instructions. They also encourage them to learn specific vocabulary in German, including the names of the planets, colours and terms related to the universe.
Fun and educational activities to enhance learning
Learning goes beyond artistic creation. The children also practise on the workbooks, with chalk drawings of the Milky Way, mazes and exercises to learn about scale and proportion. These activities help them to acquire notions of spatial location, proportion and precision of gesture.
The experience is rounded off by the song ‘Die Weltraumaus’, which tells the story of a little mouse preparing for his journey into space. By learning this song, the pupils develop their musical ear, their memorisation and their pronunciation in German.
A bilingual journey that continues in French
The project, initiated by Ms Göbel, goes even further. The children will continue this exploration with their teachers in French, deepening their knowledge of space and enriching their vocabulary in both languages. They will also continue to carry out manual and artistic activities, such as making UFOs with a personalised ‘Martian’.
An educational adventure to help them grow up while having fun
This project on the solar system will enable the pre-school pupils to develop a wide range of skills: creativity, precision, bilingual vocabulary, observation skills and fine motor skills. By combining scientific discovery and language learning, it offers children a fun and immersive way of understanding the world around them, while fostering an awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity.
This journey into space has only just begun, and the children are ready to continue the adventure with enthusiasm and curiosity!
