Monday, February 25, 2008

Stinker from Space by Pamela Service



Parent-Child Book Discussion Questions
Stinker from Space by Pamela Service
Grades 4-5
February 2008

Snack ideas: Nutter Butters (but perhaps a nice butter cookie instead due to potential allergies)

1. Do you think the book would have been as funny if the alien had found another animal body? Why or why not?

2. This book was published in 1988. What space history has been made since then?
Defining moments in Nasa History: http://history.nasa.gov/Defining-chron.htm

Shuttle technical drawings: http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/history/shuttle-mir/multimedia/diagrams/shuttle/diagram-shuttle.htm

3. Karen believed Tsynq Yr right away when she heard his voice in her head. Would you have believed it? Would you have told your parents? Why or why not?

4. Karen and Jonathan have a lot in common but don't want to be friends. Why? Do you think they will still be friends after Stinker leaves?

5. Do you think Stinker will trade in his body for a better model when he gets home?

6. Has anyone in your family (including pets) ever been sprayed by a skunk? What can you do to get rid of the smell? (Remedy published in the New York Times by chemist from Humbodlt University: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/26/science/26skbox.html)

7. Do you think there are aliens in space? Why or why not? What do you think they look like?


8. Interesting space facts--
How long does it take to go to the moon (how fast?)
According to this article bu Scholastic.com, it would take you approximately 26 days to get to the moon if you took a standard airplane that travels 400 mph. In a spaceship, it takes 2 days traveling at 25,000 mph

How long would it take to get to Mars (the closest planet)
According to this website by Cornell University, if the average rocket travels 25,000mph and earth and mars were still moving in their orbits, it would take 9 months at the very least (only 2.5 months if the planets didn't move).

How long would it take to get to the closest star?
The nearest star set, Alpha Centauri (actually 3 stars), is 4.36 light years from Earth. That means it takes 4.36 years for LIGHT to travel from there to Earth. It would take 160,000 years to get there if we took the space shuttle (that travels at 18,000 mph). This according to a scientist at UW Green Bay* (further research may be required for better siting of info... most resources use km/hr and I stink at math...)


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Short interview with Pamela Service

Other alien books:

Two Heads Are Better Than One (Alien Clones from Outer Space series) by Homzie
Bobo Crazy
Rudest Alien on Earth
Aliens for Breakfast series

1 comment:

Hillary Homzie said...

Thanks for mentioning my Alien Clones From Outer Space series!