NASA image courtesy MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Michon Scott.

For the second time this week we have space-related activities. First it was the Plants in Space project on Tuesday, and now it is time for World Space Week.

World Space Week is held from October 4-10 each year, and it is a perfect time to get your children/students/future astronauts excited about Astronomy. Why October 4? That’s the day that Sputnik was launched into space in 1957.

Of course I went right for the educator’s area on the website, and I found some treasures. For a free download of twenty-six pages of great activity ideas for children of all ages, check out the 2005 global edition (in English) of the Teacher Activity Guide

On the same page, the ESA edition (ESA= European Space Agency) is older version. Although some information is dated, it is 15 pages and student activities start on page 7. How can you go wrong with a title like “Eggnaut – or Houston we may have an Omelet.”

The website also has an extensive list of education links, including BBC Space and Lance’s Lab, where children are challenged to design a space station module for musician Lance Bass to live in space.

The event search will help you locate related events in your area. In Arizona there will be a series of free lectures at Arizona State University this week. Look for stories in your local news media, as well.

I particularly enjoyed seeing what other children are doing to participate throughout the world via the World Space Week Photostream on Flickr. What a golden opportunity to sneak in a geography lesson, so have an atlas handy.

I’d love to hear how you celebrate  World Space Week.