Need a short activity for your students: In the News...
NASA has announced that the first man-made object has left the solar system! The Voyager 1 launched in 1977(along with the Voyager 2 sixteen days later) has left heliosphere and is now zooming into interstellar space. The heliosphere is the boundary separating our solar system including the sun, planets and solar wind from the rest of the galaxy. Some say the solar system contains the orbits of  distant comets so if this is included, the Voyager still has thousands of years to go to exit the solar system. Either way, it's an amazing triumph for the space probe, which with memory less than a smart phone is still working! Traveling at more than 28,000 mph, the Voyager carries what is called the "golden record", including sounds and photographs of our word so that if alien life forms are out there and come into contact with the Voyager, they can learn a bit about our world.
 
NOTE: Illustration of The Golden Record from NASA. gov

Extension Activities:
Pretend you are the Voyager 1 and write a diary entry as to what have you seen along your journey?
Make your own "Golden Record". What would be 7 things you'd want aliens to know about earth and its live forms?
Learn about a planet, comet, asteroid or meteor and create an illustration. Write 4 facts learned about your topic.
Learn about space junk: http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/orbital/

Resources for Kids:
http://kidsastronomy.com
http://www.spacekids.co.uk/learn/
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html#.UjhJ1RaBAqY