Ipswich Library graduates young astronauts

The Marcus P. Beebe Memorial Library 2019 Summer Reading Program "A Universe of Stories" ended July 31.

During the eight week program, 66 children participated in space related activities and read 769 books.

The reading program started with a visit from the Watertown Bramble Park Zoo. Later that day the children were read the book "To Burp or Not to Burp" and learned how the astronaut bodies function in space and what is recycled in space. They helped decorate both bulletin boards by coloring an alien, an astronaut or a rocket-one for the bulletin boards and one to take home.

The next two weeks the children trained like an astronaut by doing activities with coordination, balance and team work at ten different stations.

The Ipswich Library borrowed a NASA kit from the S.D. State Library and the children learned about eclipses, how far the planets and satellites are from earth, how large things are in the universe and looked at the sun by using special binoculars.

The Library celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing by reading "To The Moon and Back" by Buzz Aldrin, showing the children pop-ups of the rockets and capsule used. Each child made a moon rock to take home and went on a scavenger hunt for the planets. After learning about satellites and rovers, the children became a Mars Rover. The first child in line was the rover and the child behind them was mission control, telling the rover which foot to use and where to put their foot down to walk a grid pattern. Children could do the challenge with or without being blind-folded. The program ended with a treat and awards to everyone who participated this summer.

Assisting the summer reading program were Ruby Bosanko, Deb Gillick, Carolyn Burgod, Marion Heintzman, Beth Pond, all the staff at Tiger Post and the parents who stayed during the activities.

 

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