Our world is full of complex things created by God that we often do not think about everyday. There are also many things that are beyond our understanding; yet God has instilled an insatiable curiosity within us that leads us to study his creation and understand him as Lord of all the earth. Psalm 19:1-2 says, “The heavens declare your glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.” This unit is intended for 6th grade. Students can obtain that knowledge through this unit by studying the sun, moon, stars, planets and other things of outer space that will be covered in this unit. This two week long unit will be integrated in various subjects as well. We will not only study how our solar system works, but also some of the discoveries people made through history and how they perceived the function of the solar system. We will study the mathematical distances and masses of objects in space, and we will study how the Bible states the way God created everything into existence. Other topics will be covered in exploratories such as telescopes and constellations.

            This unit seeks to give students a glimpse into God’s creation beyond what we normally encounter. The goal of this unit is to help students better understand the complexity of outer space how God designed it with such detail and intricacy. Students will see that God’s placement of planets and His rules of physics have allowed space to exist and flourish. Students will also understand how sin has distorted our view of outer space. Instead of being a place of wonder and exploration, space has become a coveted area, the final frontier. It is only when people step back and admire outer space that this distortion lessens. Outer space can then become a mysterious place waiting to be explored and understood. As and Christians we need to know about these things so that we can know more about God’s world, participate in discussions about the solar system, and be witnesses to others through our knowledge of the solar system that God created. We also want to teach our students to take care of this earth God created and stand in awe of the vastness of this universe.

            As God designed everything with a purpose, we ought to understand those purposes and make them meaningful to our own lives. Space can seem so distant and unattainable to students. However, studying it will bring them to realize that it is not just a blur up in the sky, but it has minute details that have been discovered that affect our living on planet earth. Understanding our solar system will create more awareness of the power and authority God has in our lives; this unit teaches students how incredibly extravagant God is. Psalm 8:3-4 states, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of many that you would care for him?” This unit will help students consider all these things and work through some of the questions and doubts they may have at this age about God and the universe he has created.

            Through this unit, students will come to understand what our solar system consists of, who has made major findings, and how these findings connect to our existence. Other goals carried throughout this unit include: students being able to go through the process of writing research papers, and complete math problems that mimic those used by astronomers to solve space-related questions. As a result of this study, students will have a better understanding of outer space, a firm grasp of the math and history involved in space exploration and the knowledge of how to write research papers. The main study of the solar system will help students to be a witness for God and his sustaining power over our universe.

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