Space Themed Writing Ideas for Kindergarten

Even though my son is only 5, I still love to incorporate writing into the units I teach him. He is still learning to correctly write all the letters so his writing usually consists of drawing a picture and then dictating the story to me and I write it down word for word. Sometimes he can copy down a sentence I’ve transcribed from him and he’s getting to where he likes to use invented spelling and write on his own.

We studied space last week and here are some of the things we wrote about.  As you can see, it’s a mix of dictation, invented spelling, and him copying down what I transcribed.  Any of these writing topics would be a fun way to incorporate writing into a space or solar system unit for kindergarten.

• Make a KNOW-WONDER-LEARN chart about space.  Before the unit, record what the students already know about space, what they wonder about it, and then as you go through the unit or at the end, write what they have learned about space.

• A New Discovery-  Have students pretend that they discovered a new planet.  They can draw a picture and describe it.  What is the temperature like there?  What size is it?  Do any living things live there?

• An Outer Space Adventure-  Students write about an adventure that they or anyone else might have in space.  Where would they go?  What would they find?  How would they travel there?  Let their imaginations really have fun with it!
• Facts about the Solar System-  Students can use a graphic organizer to record things they’ve learned about different parts of the solar system.  Maybe even have them write and illustrate several facts on separate sheets of paper and put them together to make a booklet of what they’ve learned. (We didn’t have time to get to this one!)

• If I Were an Astronaut-  Students write about what they would do if they were an astronaut.

“If I was an astronaut I would go to visit Jupiter for a whole year.”

• What I Know About Astronauts-  Have students write about the job of an astronaut.  What do they do?  What tools to they use?  Why are the important?

Even though their little brains work faster than their pencils at this age, it’s still important to give them opportunities to write.  Dictating their stories to you or using invented spelling and then telling you what they wrote are two great places to start.  They have lots of wonderful stories and ideas in their smart brains; they might just need a little help getting down on paper!