(for children of senior preschool age)
Program content: To form an idea of air, its properties (colorless, weighty, odorless, lighter than water, moves); about the role in the life of living beings.
Develop interest in cognitive activity and experimentation.
Develop thinking, learn to draw conclusions during experiments, and justify judgments.
Materials and equipment: Hanging scales; 2 identical balloons; a glass of water for each; cocktail straws; an empty glass for everyone; transparent container with water; 2 candles; jar; matches; fans for everyone; plastic bags for everyone; sharp chopsticks for everyone; soap bubbles on the floor of the group; cards - designations of air properties; Frog toy; balloons in a bunch.
Preliminary work: Conversation “Living and non-living nature”; looking at illustrations in the encyclopedia; observing the wind while walking.
Educator:Guys, today we will have an unusual activity.
Remember, we talked about living and non-living nature. Let's remember what belongs to living nature (people, animals, plants)?
What about non-living nature (stones, water, air, soil, stars)?
Well done! Now listen carefully to the riddle. If you solve it, you will find out what we will talk about in class today.
We need him to breathe
To inflate the balloon.
With us every hour,
But we don’t see it.
That's right, it's air.
Guys, what do you know and can say about air?
Our entire planet is shrouded in a blanket of air. Air is everywhere: on the street, in the room, in the ground, in the water, and even inside us.
(Sounds are heard from behind the doors)
Little Frog: Oh, help, save me, I’m flying!!!
Educator: Who is that screaming there (opening the doors)?
(A frog flies into the room on balloons.)
Hello little frog! How did you come to us?
Little Frog: Hello guys! I was walking with balloons, but suddenly the wind picked me up and carried me, carried me and brought me to your kindergarten.
How interesting you are here! What are you doing here? Can I stay?
Educator: Of course, stay. Today the guys and I are talking about air.
Little Frog: About the air? What is air? I heard something about him, but never met him. Maybe he doesn't exist at all?
Educator: Wait a minute, frog. I have never met him either, but I know that he is around us.
Little Frog: I don't see anything. Where is he? Where did he hide?
Educator: He didn't hide anywhere. Guys, let's prove to the frog that there really is air. I invite everyone to the mini-laboratory so that we can conduct experiments like real scientists (children move to the tables).
Experience No. 1 "How to catch air."
Educator: Take plastic bags from the table and try to catch the air.
Twist the bags. What happened to the packages? What's in them? What is he like? Do you see him?
Little Frog: I'm sure there's nothing there!
Educator: Fine! Let's check. Take a sharp stick and carefully pierce the bag. Bring it to your face and press it with your hands. What do you feel?
(The teacher brings the bag to the frog.)
Little Frog: I don't see it, but I feel it.
Educator: Well done frog! You yourself made the correct conclusion that air cannot be seen, but it can be felt.
Let's put a card on the easel indicating the properties of air: “Air has no color. It's transparent."
Experience No. 2"What's in the glass?"
Educator: Look, I have a glass in my hands. Do you think it's empty?
Little Frog: It is clear to everyone that there is nothing in it.
Educator: We'll check it now. We will need a container of water and this glass.
Let's turn the glass upside down and slowly lower it into the water. Please note that the glass must be held level.
What do you see? Does water get into the glass?
We pull it out. Look, the outside of the glass is wet, but what about the inside?
(The teacher invites the children to touch the inside of the glass.)
Guys, why didn't the water get into the glass? What can be concluded?
That's right, there is air in the glass, it doesn't let water in.
Now, let's try to lower our glass into the water, but we will hold it slightly tilted. Look closely, what appeared in the water?
We see air bubbles. Where did he come from?
What can be concluded?
When a glass is lowered into water, it gradually displaces the air from it, taking its place.
Little Frog: Guys, I also remembered how you can see the air! I sat in the pond and blew bubbles into the water through a straw. It was so much fun.
Educator: Well done frog! You told me another interesting experiment with air.
Experience No. 3"Air is lighter than water"
Educator: In front of you are glasses of water and cocktail straws. Insert the straws into the water and blow into them. What do you see? What comes out of the water with bubbles? Where does it come from?
Little Frog: Why do bubbles rise to the surface?
Educator: Because air is lighter than water.
Let's put another card on the easel - designating the property of air “Air is lighter than water.”
Guys, frog! I have a little surprise for you.
(The teacher takes out soap bubbles).
What is this? What do you think is inside the bubbles? Let's play a little. At first, some children will cheat them, others will catch them, and then vice versa.
Physical exercise “Soap bubbles”.
Now let's go to our laboratory. New discoveries await us!
Do you think air has weight?
Little Frog: Of course not!
Educator: Want to check it out?
Experience No. 4 “Does air have weight?”
(The teacher picks up a balloon.)
What's in my hands? Why is it called that? Well done!
We will need scales and two identical balloons.
You can make these scales yourself from a string and a stick (shows scales).
I hung balls on both sides. Look, the scales are balanced now.
I'll take a sharp stick and poke one of the balls.
What happened? What can be concluded?
The balloon with air sank down, and the burst balloon rose up. This means that a balloon with air is heavier than a balloon without air.
We place a new card on the easel indicating the property of air “Air has weight.”
Little Frog: I'm wondering if the air has a smell? What do you guys think?
Educator: Try to suck in air through your nose. Does it smell?
We put the following card “Air has no smell”
Little Frog: Then why does the kitchen smell like pies, and the meadow smells like flowers?
Educator: Wait, don't rush. I'll try to explain it to you. The air has no smell, but by moving it can bring it to our noses.
Little Frog: Can he still move?
Educator: Tell me, little frog, how did you end up visiting us today?
Little Frog: The wind brought me.
Educator: Guys, what is wind? What kind of wind is there?
Wind is the movement of air. Can we feel the air moving? How about seeing?
While walking, we often observe air movement (trees swaying, clouds running, a pinwheel spinning, steam coming out of our mouths).
Can we feel air movement in the room? How?
Experience No. 5"Air Movement"
Take the fan in your hands and wave it in front of your face. How did you feel?
And if we opened the window now, what would we feel? Well done!
So, we conclude that air moves and put a new card indicating the properties of air.
Guys, today we talked a lot about air, its properties, but we forgot to say the most important thing that air is necessary for all living things. We can't live even 5 minutes without it.
Try it, close your mouth and pinch your nose with two fingers. Don't breathe.
Why did you remove your hand and open your mouth? What were you missing? Did you feel good without air?
Let's do another experiment.
Experience No. 6 “Why does the flame go out?”
Let's take 2 candles and light them. Let's cover one of them with a jar and watch what happens.
Why did the candle in the jar go out?
The jar ran out of oxygen and formed carbon dioxide. In the same way, we cannot live without oxygen in the air.
Tell me guys, where does oxygen come from?
Little Frog: So if there were no plants, we couldn't breathe?
Educator: That's right frog!
Children, what conclusion can we draw?
It is necessary to plant more plants and not pollute the air with exhaust gases. We need to protect our planet and take care of clean air.
Well done boys! You worked very well, learned a lot, and I hope you remembered a lot.
Let's use the flashcards to remember everything we talked about in class.
1. Air has no color.
2. Air is lighter than water.
3. The air has no odor.
4. Air has weight.
5. Air moves.
6. We breathe air. He is part of nature.
Little Frog: Thank you guys for such an interesting activity. Now I'm the smartest frog in the world!
Educator: Be sure to come see us again.
Little Frog: I want to give you these balls. Now I know why they are called airborne!!!
Ecological fairy tale for children of senior preschool age
"Air, water, fire"
Once upon a time, there lived three sisters on planet Earth. The eldest was called Air, the middle one was Water, the youngest was called Fire. The sisters were inseparable and friendly. But one day a dispute arose between them about which of them was more important and needed by man.
Older sister Air says:
I am the first one to appear on planet Earth, and life began to emerge with me: plants, animals, birds, insects, and, of course, humans. Without air, a living organism cannot live for more than three minutes.
The middle sister, Water, objected.
I am more important than anyone in the world. Even every blade of grass, the smallest bird, will not live long without me. What can we say about fish and animals whose home is water. And a person starts every morning by washing his face and brushing his teeth, preparing food and drinks, washing clothes, watering plants, and all thanks to me. I am the most needed on the planet!
In order for a person to cook food and not freeze in severe frost, a fire is needed, said the younger sister. – When man appeared on planet Earth, air and water were available to him, but he invented me himself. This means that I am more important for a person.
The sisters argued for a long time about their importance, but did not come to any decision. Then the sisters turned to planet Earth:
Mother planet Earth, decide which of us is more important and needed?
Planet Earth gave the answer:
My dear daughters, the three elements - Air, Water and Fire - do not quarrel, but rather look at how a person treats each of you. The one who sees a caring attitude towards herself will be the one who is most important.
The sisters began to think about the words of Mother Planet, and decided to observe human behavior in the city. The first to volunteer to watch was the older sister, Air.
A person will take care of me, even if he doesn’t have clean air.
But suddenly I saw the cars releasing exhaust gas and coughed. In the distance stood large plants and factories, exhaling clouds of black, blue, green smoke. The older sister burst into tears:
The person doesn’t care about me at all, apparently he doesn’t need me.
The middle sister, Water, grinned:
I know for sure that a person is obliged to take care of me. Where would he be without me?
As soon as she said the last word, chemical waste began to pour out of the same plant directly into a clean river. Before the eyes of the middle sister, fish, crayfish and other river life began to die. A person who drank such water became ill.
Water got angry:
How is this possible: they poison the water themselves, and then drink it!!!
The middle sister was completely desperate. And only the youngest still hoped for championship. But when I saw how the fire in the forest was not put out, and the flames engulfed all living things around, I prayed:
Mother, planet Earth, I don’t want to be in a person’s life, but I was created to bring benefit, not harm.
The sisters Air, Water and Fire have completely sunk; they no longer remember their differences.
Maybe people don’t need us at all? Maybe it’s better that we weren’t in his life at all?
Wait! Don’t rush! - Planet Earth called out to them. You have only seen the worst deeds of a person, but there are other people. There are many children on the planet, and they appreciate your participation in their lives. For example, they say goodbye to winter and welcome spring on the Maslenitsa holiday. Children prepare a doll from multi-colored fabric, burning it on the street. Everyone sings, dances, rejoices, eats pancakes, which cannot be cooked without fire. In the summer, when it is very hot, kids celebrate “Neptune’s Day.” They joyfully water each other with watering cans and sprinklers, glorifying water. The children use air to blow soap bubbles, and the teacher helps them organize games with a kite and twirlers.
In kindergarten, teachers teach children to save nature. Even the smallest children know that water quenches thirst not only for humans and animals, but plants really need it. To be healthy children need to walk more in the fresh air. But you can’t play with matches, otherwise disaster will happen!
The sisters looked at each other, wiped away their tears, and decided:
If there are children on planet Earth, then they equally need air, water and fire.
Since then, three sisters Air, Water and Fire began to live together.
Presentation for the lesson
Back forward
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Purpose of the lesson: to form children’s ideas about air and its properties.
Lesson objectives:
- contribute to enriching and consolidating children’s knowledge about the properties of air, expanding children’s understanding of the importance of air in the life of humans, animals, and plants;
- develop in children the ability to establish cause-and-effect relationships based on a basic experiment and draw conclusions;
- consolidate basic ideas about the sources of air pollution, the importance of clean air for our health, some rules of environmental safety, and develop the environmental consciousness of children;
- develop children's cooperation skills through involvement in various activities with children and adults;
- to cultivate a culture of communication, to intensify the speech activity of children.
Progress of the lesson
- Guys, listen carefully and guess the riddle:
We need him to breathe
To inflate the balloon.
With us every hour,
But he is invisible to us!
- What is this?
- That's right, it's air. And today we will talk about air like real research scientists. To do this, I invite you to the laboratory.
The teacher shows a picture (slide 2) with the image of planet Earth.
– Our planet Earth is surrounded on all sides by a thick layer of air.
This amazing shell is called the atmosphere. If it were not for it, all living things would die in the scorching rays of the Sun during the day, and at night they would die from cosmic cold. Without air, our planet Earth would be a dead desert.
Wherever we go, wherever we go by sea or by land, there is air.
- Which of you guys saw the air? I don't see it in our laboratory either, but I know it's here. And now we will make sure of this together with you.
OBSERVATION 1. How to detect air.
– Air is easy to detect if you create its movement. Wave the fan in front of your face. How did you feel?
(The air is not visible, but it can be felt on the skin like a light breeze).
OBSERVATION 2 (with sachets)
– And also, the air can be “caught” in a bag. What's in our bags? (air)
-What is he like? Do we see him? Why don't we see him? (The air is colorless, transparent)
– What did the bag filled with air become like? (elastic)
– Various soft objects can be inflated (filled) with air. By filling objects, the air becomes elastic, and shapeless objects take on shape. (Inflate a soft, shapeless ball and let the children touch it.) What objects have air inside them? (Ball, car tires)
OBSERVATION 3. Experiment with a straw.
- How else can you see the air? Take each person a straw and blow through it into a glass of water. What comes out of the water with bubbles?
What other bubbles can you blow? (soapy)
– What is inside soap bubbles? (air)
CONCLUSION: Air is everywhere.
OBSERVATION 4. There is air in all objects.
On the teacher’s table there is a jar of water and small objects (stone, button, sponge, etc.)
– Is there air in these objects? (children's answers)
- I will lower these objects into the water, and you carefully observe what happens? (objects sink (fall to the bottom), while bubbles come out of them and rise up)
– Bubbles are air, it was in the object and came out of it when the object fell into the water. Air bubbles rose upward; air is lighter than water.
OBSERVATION 5: Air takes up space.
– I have a glass with a piece of paper attached to the bottom. What do you think, if you put a glass in water, what will happen to the leaf, will it get wet or remain dry?
Turning the glass upside down, slowly lower it into the water (the glass must be held straight) until it touches the bottom. Then we take the glass out of the water. Why did the piece of paper at the bottom of the glass remain dry?
(children's answers)
- There is air in the glass, it was he who did not allow the water to wet the leaf, he did not let the water into the glass.
Now I will lower the glass with the leaf into the water, but I will hold the glass slightly inclined. What appears in the water? Air bubbles are visible. Where did they come from? The air leaves the glass and water takes its place. What happened to our piece of paper? He got wet. Water displaced the air from the glass and took its place, took up all the space and wet the piece of paper.
So, what have we learned about air? (slide 3)
- Air is everywhere.
- It is transparent, colorless, tasteless and odorless.
- Lighter than water.
He is transparent and invisible
Light and colorless gas.
With a weightless scarf
It envelops us.
GAME “KNOW BY THE SMELL”
The air itself has no odor, but can carry odors. By the smell transferred from the kitchen, we guess what dish was prepared there.
Close your eyes, pinch your nose. I will carry an object past you, and you try to recognize it by its smell. Managed?
(no, the nose is closed)
Open your nose. And now? Odor travels through the air, so we smell it when we inhale the air.
PHYSICAL MINUTE. BREATHING EXERCISES.
How does a person breathe? Place your palm on your chest and feel how your breathing occurs?
Inhale – inhales good air (oxygen)
Exhale – exhales bad air (carbon dioxide)
A person breathes all his life, he needs air for life every second.
– Cover your mouth and nose with your hand so as not to breathe. What did you feel, what did you experience?
A person can live
Without food – 30 days;
Without water – 14 days;
Without air - a few minutes. (slide 4)
– When we simply inhale and exhale air, do we see it?
When can we see the air we exhale? (in winter, steam comes out of your mouth).
We took a deep breath
We breathe easily.
(slow inhale and exhale for 4 seconds)
Breathe through one nostril
And peace will come to you.
(long inhalation and exhalation through one nostril, close the other nostril with your index finger)
Deep breath - hands up,
Exhale for a long time – arms downwards through the sides.
– Why is it important for a person to breathe correctly? (So as not to get sick)
When breathing through the nose correctly, the air in the nose warms up, is cleared of impurities and enters the lungs.
Only clean air is good for health. Scientists - ECOLOGISTS - monitor the cleanliness of the air on Earth. They study how people influence nature, what they can do to reduce air pollution.
– What pollutes the air in our lives? (slide 5)
(smoke from factories, fires, exhaust gases, dust, cigarette smoke...)
– What should be done to keep the air clean?
(plants and factories install special filters to purify the air, water paths and sidewalks; plant trees, bushes, flowers; ventilate rooms, wipe off dust)
OBSERVATION 6.
– Do you know what will happen to air if it is heated?
A balloon placed on an empty bottle inflates when the bottle is immersed in warm water, and deflates when immersed in cold water.
The air heats up, expands and leaves the bottle. That's why the balloon inflated. Warm air rises.
– Where does a person use this property of air? (aeronautics) (slide 6)
OBSERVATION 7. Wind is the movement of air.
Turn on the fan and let the children feel the breeze.
Where did the wind come from?
What is a fan for? (in hot weather, freshen the air)
-What is wind? (air movement)
We cannot see the wind because the air is transparent, but we can watch the clouds floating, the leaves on the trees swaying, the tree branches swaying)
– Man has long learned to use the properties of air. Where does the air work? (slide 7)
RESULT OF THE LESSON:
What did you learn about air today? (slide 8)
- Air is part of nature. It is everywhere around us, we breathe it.
- Air is invisible, transparent.
- Air can move.
- Air has no odor, but it can carry odors when it moves.
- Air expands when heated and contracts when cooled.
- We all need air. There is no life without him.
Which of the experiments did you like best, what property of air did it tell us about?
Did you know that air has another amazing property - you can play with air. They even sell special toys for playing with air. (Pinwheels, soap bubbles, kite...)
Today we learned about the properties of air by conducting experiments and experiments with air. I think you will tell your friends and parents about everything interesting that you learned today in our laboratory. And your mothers and fathers will be able to tell you about other properties of air and read about the “great invisible man” in encyclopedias.
Thank you guys for the lesson, it was very pleasant and interesting to communicate with you.
Literature:
- "Air" comp. Yu.I. Smirnov. – St. Petersburg: Sova, 1998.
- Voronkevich O.A. “Welcome to ecology!” – St. Petersburg: Detstvo-Press, 2007.
- Kulikovskaya I.E., Sovgir N.N. “Children's experimentation” - M.: Pedagogical Society of Russia, 2005.
- Nikolaeva S.N. “Introducing preschoolers to inanimate nature. Nature management in kindergarten" - M.: Pedagogical Society of Russia, 2003.
- Pavlenko I.N., Rodyushkina N.G. “Development of speech and familiarization with the outside world in a preschool educational institution: Integrated classes. – M.: T.Ts. Sphere, 2006.
- Parker S., Oliver K. “Man and Nature” (100 questions and answers) / trans. from English MM. Zhukova, S.A. Pylaeva. – M.: ZAO “Rosmen-Press”, 2006.
- "Scientific answers to children's whys." Experiences and experiments for children from 5 to 9 years old / Author-compiler Zubkova N.M. – St. Petersburg: Rech, 2009.
- Tugusheva G.P., Chistyakova A.E. “Experimental activities of children of middle and senior preschool age: Methodological manual - St. Petersburg: Detstvo-Press, 2009.
Lyudmila Fedotkina
The purpose of this educational fairy tales:give children knowledge about the meaning of water, air,sun and soil in life on Earth;about the relationships in living and inanimate nature.
Fairy tale designed in the form of a magnetic theater.
A long time ago there were three kingdoms on our planet - states:kingdom Air, the Wind ruled in it;
Queen Wave ruled in the kingdom of Water;
and the kingdom Earth ruled by Queen Soil.
They lived amicably, but one day an argument arose between them.
I,- said the Wind, - more important and stronger than you! If I want, I’ll create a storm at sea, and on I'll spin a hurricane on the earth.
“Well, no!” objected Queen Wave. -If I want, I’ll flood everything around with my water. After all, the rains, the seas, oceans, rivers, and lakes are in my power!
Don’t argue! Why argue about it if it’s clear that I’m the most important! - confident said Queen Soil. -Without me, nothing alive would exist.
So they argued, forgetting about everything in the world. The rivers froze in silence, the breeze did not blow, Earth did not give birth to a bountiful harvest. It became gloomy and quiet on the planet. They argued for a long time, but could not come to an agreement.
And the Sun reconciled them.
It came out into the sky, illuminated everything around with gentle rays, warmed air and water. Fish and algae appeared in the water; and part of the water evaporated and turned into clouds. The wind gathered the clouds into a cloud. The rain wet land,grew up by grass and flowers on the ground;butterflies, birds, animals, people appeared.
Our planet has become cheerful and beautiful. Since then they have lived in harmony Air,Water,Soil and Sun. They realized that to live on Each of them is important to the earth!
That was a long time ago! In one kingdom there lived an Astrologer.
The king built a high tower for him, to the very top of which a thousand steps of a steep spiral staircase led.
Every evening the Astrologer climbed these steps and watched the stars and constellations through a telescope.
He perfectly studied the starry sky and skillfully made maps that helped sailors and travelers not go astray.
The astrologer observed the Sun and Moon for many years, knew how to predict solar and lunar eclipses, and determined when a lean year would come.
Once a week he went to the royal palace, where the young king received him with constant respect and honor. The astrologer was treated to the best wines from the royal cellar and treated to delicacies brought from overseas countries. And I must tell you that the Astrologer loved to eat deliciously!
After a hearty meal, the king asked the Astrologer about his observations of the stars, because they helped to skillfully rule the country. Then the Astrologer went home.
His small white house with a red roof stood at the foot of the tower and was surrounded by a wonderful garden where rose bushes bloomed, grapes decorated the fence, and dark green ivy climbed along the walls of the house.
“Very beautiful and cozy!” - you will say and, of course, you will be right.
The astrologer would be completely alone if it were not for his young friend Henri, whom he took in when the boy’s parents died. The astrologer loved him as his own son, raised him, taught him to read and write.
Henri became attached to the wise, kind Astrologer with all his soul.
During the day he helped Astrologer with housework and looked after the garden. And at night, when he grew up a little, he began to climb the tower to help the old man observe stars, comets and asteroids, and in doing so showed extraordinary abilities!
Things were going well in the kingdom, and only one circumstance darkened the life of the young king and queen: they had no children!
The king dreamed of a son - the heir to the throne, and the queen often dreamed of a sweet, charming daughter.
One day the old Astrologer fell ill: his legs hurt, and he could not, no matter how hard he tried, climb the thousand steep steps of the tower. Henri tried to console the poor Astrologer, brewed him tea with medicinal herbs, sat him in a soft chair, and wrapped his sore legs in a warm blanket.
“I will climb the tower alone today and make observations, as well as make all the necessary calculations!” - the young man said decisively. - You rest and get better. No need to worry. Everything will be fine.
- Oh, dear Henri! - the old Astrologer said sadly. “Today, for the first time in many years, I will not climb the tower, I will not see the starry sky: neither the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, nor the blue Polar Star, nor distant Sirius, nor the brightest Vega from the constellation Lyra. You know, my dear boy,” he continued, “sometimes it seems to me that the stars have become dear to me, they twinkle and tremble, I see their distant light and feel that they, as if alive, are whispering something to me. I'm so used to them! But I believe, son, that you will cope with everything no worse than me...
The poor fellow bowed his head on his chest and dozed off in an easy chair by the fireplace. Maybe he dreamed of the starry sky. And Henri quickly climbed the steep steps of the stairs and found himself at the very top of the tower.
As soon as the young man looked at the telescope, he heard a quiet crackling sound. He turned around and saw that a huge, transparent, emerald-blue ball, glowing from within, was approaching the open glass terrace of the tower.
The ball hung in the air near the tower, its radiance faded, and Henri noticed unclear shadows inside the ball. The young man froze in amazement.
Suddenly the door of the ball opened and a beautiful golden-haired girl came out. She smiled. Following her, a young man emerged from the magic ball. Slender, tall, they were wrapped in light, shimmering silky clothes; their heads were adorned with golden crowns sparkling with large precious stones.
“Good evening,” answered the stunned student of the Astrologer.
- We are twins, we flew to you from the distant constellation Gemini to tell you good news! Know that the royal couple will soon have children: a boy and a girl - twins.
Henri's heart began to beat with joy. He listened to the aliens, trying not to miss a word.
“We have been watching your country for a long time, we like both your fair king and the hardworking, resilient people, whom he wisely rules,” the young man continued. - As a gift to the newborn twins and all your people, we will leave our spaceship - this sparkling ball. When the children turn 10 years old, you and them can take a trip around the solar system on it - get to know the Moon, Sun, Venus, Mars and other planets better. Let people know the structure of the solar system!
- The journey will only take you one night! After all, our spaceship is rushing through space at great speed,” added the alien beauty.
- But how to control this ball? - Henri asked.
- Very simple! - she answered. - Let's go into it.
The alien youth opened the door and all three stepped inside the spaceship. There was a smell of some amazing incense here, everything sparkled and shimmered, like crystal illuminated by a bluish light.
Henri noticed three comfortable chairs. Touching them, the young man felt that they were soft, as if made from sheep's down.
“Here is the control panel,” said the alien, showing Anri a small remote control on which metal buttons gleamed.
He explained to Henri how to fly the starship. It turned out to be so simple that anyone could handle the controls!
“But I want to warn you,” the girl entered the conversation, “never press the red button!” Otherwise, the interplanetary spacecraft may leave the solar system and fly into endless outer space. If something unexpected happens to you, call us for help immediately! In less than a few minutes, we will be nearby and help you out of any trouble,” the girl finished. “Here’s an emergency call,” she pointed to the blue button.
- Thank you! Thank you so much, dear twins. I am very excited about your appearance, your extraordinary story, and the opportunity to be outside the Earth. It all looks like a wonderful dream! Maybe I'm really dreaming?!
Henri closed his eyes, rubbed his eyes and shook his head. But the glowing ball and the aliens did not disappear. The twins looked at the young man and smiled, reassuring him with gestures. He felt that a wave of some warm, soft and kind light was emanating from them.
At this moment, Henri felt ashamed of his bad manners! The aliens brought good news to the king and queen, presented the earthlings with their spaceship, but he did not even invite the aliens to sit down, did not treat them to aromatic coffee, which he always took with him to the tower to drive away sleep.
Henri decided to immediately correct his mistake and invited the young man and girl to have a cup of coffee with delicious cheesecakes, but they refused.
“Understand, dear Henri,” said the young man, “we flew from another world.” We never drink or eat anything like people do. And only light gives us the energy of life.
- Light?! - Henri was surprised.
- Well, yes! The light of the Sun, the light of even the most distant stars nourishes us and gives us strength to live. Now we have taken on the appearance of earthly people in order to become clearer and closer to you. But we can take on any image: a flower, a butterfly, rays of light... Look, look!
The girl spun around so quickly that Henri’s eyes started to blur; shimmering clothes enveloped her from head to toe for a second.
And suddenly Henri saw a beautiful green chrysanthemum instead of a girl. He wanted to touch her fragile petals, extended his hand, but felt nothing.
And the flower spun and disappeared. Instead, a beam of light slid across the floor.
Henri froze, amazed at the miracle he saw.
The young alien hastened to reassure him:
“Sister has turned into a ray of light, now I will also become a ray, and we will leave you.” It's time for us to return to the constellation Gemini. We always travel in space in the form of rays, so we don’t need a starship. It will stay with you.
- Farewell, we wish you good luck and happiness!
The aliens disappeared - two thin rays of light seemed to melt into the blue darkness of the night.
Henri stood silently for several seconds, then looked around and saw that a huge transparent ball, flickering faintly, was hanging in the air near the tower.
“We need to quickly tell the Astrologer about everything,” the young man thought and quickly, jumping over the steps, ran down.
The astrologer was fast asleep. Although Henri was sorry to wake the old man, he still had to disturb his sleep. He lit several bright candles, and the Astrologer reluctantly opened his eyes, then looked at the student in surprise.
“Did something happen, Henri?” - he asked. - What time is it now?
- Three o'clock in the morning, dear teacher. I woke you up because aliens from the constellation Gemini have just visited our tower. They left us their starship!
“I don’t understand anything,” muttered the old man. — What aliens? What starship? Maybe you're sick and delirious? Or am I delusional?
- No no! Dear Stargazer, none of us are delusional! Everything happened in reality, not in a dream. If you could overcome the steps and climb the tower, you would see with your own eyes the huge glowing ball of the starship.
“Okay,” said the Astrologer, finally waking up, “tell me about everything in order.” Just don't rush, don't miss anything! And please make some stronger coffee!
Henri told the Astrologer everything, leaving nothing out. He took a sip of hot, strong coffee and thought for a long time, and then said:
“Once I saw a huge luminous ball. He flew up to the tower. Some vague shadows flashed inside him. The ball hovered near the tower for a while and then disappeared into the darkness. I thought that all this was just my imagination, since I was very tired from sleepless nights and work. But now I understand what's going on! The aliens wanted to convey information specifically to you, Anri! After all, you are young, full of strength, health, and in ten years you will be able to make an interplanetary journey. And I, unfortunately, am already old and sick! And yet I want to see the spaceship with my own eyes - no matter what it costs me, I’ll climb the tower!
Henri did not dissuade the Astrologer, and together they, step by step, began to climb to the top of the tower.
The old Astrologer walked slowly, he was tormented by shortness of breath, his legs did not obey the old man, but he did not give up. Henri supported him as best he could. It took a long time before they reached the top platform of the tower.
The transparent ball of the starship was still hanging near the terrace.
- Yes, this is the same ball that I saw one night.
The astrologer sat down in a chair. He studied the alien aircraft for a long time and carefully, then said to the young man:
- Henri! It's already dawn! I think you should go to the royal palace and tell the king everything. I'll write a note so the guards will let you through.
Early in the morning, Henri came to the palace and asked the guards to let him see the king. He gave the Astrologer's note to the chief of the guard. The young man was immediately taken to the royal chambers, and he told the king about the visit, the aliens, and that the royal couple would soon have children: a boy and a girl - twins.
The king's joy knew no bounds.
Henri told the king about the wonderful spaceship, and talked about the journey that would take place when the twins turned 10 years old. After all, in 10 years a “parade of planets” is expected, when the planets, as if on command, will line up in one row. Henri did not forget to tell the king about the illness of the old Astrologer.
The alarmed king immediately ordered his best healers to go to the Astrologer and start treating him.
Time passed, and in due course the queen gave birth to twins - a lovely boy and a girl. The girl was named Marie, and the boy Alexander.
In honor of the birth of the children, the king threw a magnificent ball in the palace, which was attended by kings from neighboring states. The king did not forget to invite the old Astrologer, who faithfully served him all his life, and Henri, who brought the good news to the king. He rewarded them both generously. The astrologer was awarded an order in the form of a star studded with large diamonds. And so that the old Astrologer would not get bored in his cozy house at the foot of the tower, the king gave him a cheerful funny monkey named Mickey.
The monkey soon got used to the old man, loved to ride on his shoulder and feast on roasted chestnuts in sugar. In Mickey's garden there were swings, carousels, colorful balls and toys so that the little one wouldn't get bored when the Stargazer wrote his book about the starry sky.
Henri received a precious ring as a gift from the king.
All the court ladies dreamed of dancing at a ball with a young man and hearing first-hand an amazing story about aliens and their spaceship.
Cheerful music sounded in the streets and squares of the cities. The musicians tried their best: fiery melodies replaced one another. People danced and had fun with all their hearts. And the tables placed everywhere were laden with food.
The holiday was a great success!
Several years flew by unnoticed. Marie and Alexander have grown up. They often came to visit the old Astrologer and listened to his fascinating stories about the starry sky, looked at maps that depicted constellations.
The royal children also became friends with Henri. They climbed the tower with him, looked at the magical transparent ball with curiosity and looked forward to the day when they would fly on it.
Finally the twins turned 10 years old.
In the evening, Henri, Marie and Alexander, accompanied by the king, queen and a retinue of courtiers, climbed the tower. Even the Astrologer, who by this time had become a decrepit old man, was carried by servants on a stretcher to the very top of the tower. Ahead of them, Mickey the monkey was jumping up the steps. During this time, she managed to become friends with the royal children, especially with Marie, who always brought her treats in a golden bag.
When it got dark and the stars sparkled in the sky, and the full moon looked out through the window between the clouds, the spaceship lit up from the inside with emerald blue light. This meant that he was ready to fly.
The king and queen kissed the children.
Henri walked up to the spaceship and opened the door, inviting them inside. Marie and Alexander sat down on soft seats located next to each other.
Henri took a place in front of the control panel. The old Stargazer was about to slam the door, but at that moment Mickey jumped off his shoulder and jumped onto Marie’s lap, hugged her with her paws and pressed herself against the girl.
- Mickey wants to fly with us too! - Marie exclaimed.
“Henri, dear, don’t send her away, please.” Let her fly with us too. “I will hold her on my lap,” the girl asked.
Henri looked questioningly at the Astrologer, but he just waved his hand and slammed the door of the starship.
- Bon Voyage! - The mourners just had time to shout when a slight crackling sound was heard and the luminous ball swayed and flew at first slowly, and then faster and faster and soon disappeared into the darkness.
As soon as the spaceship set off, pleasant music began to sound, and then a gentle female voice, already familiar to Henri, was heard. It was the voice of a golden-haired alien.
- Dear friends! Henri, Alexander and Marie! The most unforgettable night of your life has come! Today you will see the entire solar system. In its center is a luminous star - the Sun, closest to planet Earth. The sun gives the Earth light and warmth, so life is possible on Earth! The Earth revolves around the Sun, but in addition to the Earth, eight more planets revolve around this luminary, each with its own orbit. Where would you like to fly first?
- Perhaps to the moon. After all, it is a satellite of the Earth and is closest to the Earth,” Alexander suggested.
- Well, to the Moon, then to the Moon! - Henri agreed and pressed the appropriate button.
Soon the spaceship flew up to the Moon and the children saw dark spots on its surface.
“These are depressions, their bottom is dark and flat. They are called “seas,” although there is not a drop of water in them,” the female voice continued the story.
- Wow! There are so many high mountains here,” Alexander exclaimed.
- Yes! Most of the surface of the Moon is occupied by mountain ranges, they are very high. Most are ring ramparts surrounding large circular plains. These are craters.
“Let’s fly around the Moon, because from the Earth we always see only one side of it,” suggested Marie.
“Let’s do it,” Henri agreed and directed the spaceship to the opposite side of the Earth’s satellite.
- Maybe there are little sleepwalking people living on the moon? - asked Marie. - It would be nice to see them!
A few moments later, the luminous ball flew up to Venus. The planet was surrounded by clouds that reflected sunlight and seemed incredibly beautiful.
- Oh, what beauty! - Marie admired.
- Yes! Venus is the closest planet to Earth and is clearly visible in the sky after sunset or sunrise. But the clouds surrounding her are made of acid and are very poisonous,” the female voice explained, “so it’s better not to fly close to her.”
— Is there an atmosphere on Venus? - Henri asked.
— There is an atmosphere on Venus, but it consists of carbon dioxide, which is not suitable for human breathing. And the atmospheric pressure on this planet is so great that if we were on its surface, it would crush us. In addition, Venus receives so much sunlight that it is incredibly hot, even hotter than Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun.
— I would really like to look at the rings of Saturn. The astrologer said that this planet is surrounded by rings.
Henri pressed the button, and soon the travelers saw a huge bright yellow planet surrounded by rings.
- Yes, a beautiful planet! - Alexander exclaimed.
— Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun. It belongs to the very large planets - giant planets, just like Jupiter and Uranus. Its surface consists of liquid gas. Saturn is surrounded by countless rings. They consist of pieces of ice and stones. Saturn's flat rings are several kilometers thick!
- How interesting! - the children exclaimed in unison. They listened attentively to the alien’s story and at the same time looked around.
At this time, the monkey Mickey got tired of sitting on Marie’s lap, and she jumped over to Alexander. The boy treated the mischievous girl with a treat - sweet dried fruits, she played with him a little, and then began to jump, tumble and end up next to Anri’s chair. For some time the monkey examined the shiny buttons of the control panel. What she liked most was the round red button. The sweet-toothed monkey thought it was a delicious candy and grabbed it with his small, furry brown paw. But the “candy” didn’t give in, so the monkey pressed the button with all his might!
Exactly what the aliens warned Henri about happened: the spaceship rushed through interplanetary space at great speed. Greenish Uranus flashed, and the dark blue handsome Neptune remained behind.
At that moment, Henri realized what Mickey had done. She pressed exactly the button that the aliens warned him about.
But Henri was not at a loss; he deftly grabbed the monkey and handed it to Marie.
“Hold her tight and don’t let go!”
And he pressed the blue emergency button.
The aliens who were monitoring the flight immediately received a signal, and, without wasting a second, two powerful beams of rays rushed towards the starship. It had to be intercepted at all costs before the ship left the solar system.
A few seconds later, the rays of light reached the ship, which was already level with Pluto. The rays touched the spaceship, it glowed pink-red and turned back.
- It's time for you to return to Earth! — a calm female voice was heard.
The spaceship flew towards Earth.
- How beautiful our Earth is from space! - Marie exclaimed. - From here you can see that she is a ball.
- Do you see that bright stripe, painted with all the colors of the rainbow? It separates the Earth from the black sky. “This is the horizon,” a female voice explained.
Pleasant music began to sound in the spaceship again and the fragrance of flowers spread.
- We are approaching Earth! - Henri exclaimed.
- Look, the ocean waves are already splashing and mountain peaks are visible. It seems as if the Earth is surrounded by a halo of soft blue color, which imperceptibly turns into turquoise, and then into blue and violet...” Henri did not have time to finish the sentence as the interplanetary ship smoothly flew up to the Astrologer’s tower.
The door opened, and Marie, Alexander, Henri with Mickey in their arms went out onto the terrace, where the excited king, queen, old Astrologer and the entire retinue were waiting for them.
- It was so interesting! - the children exclaimed in unison. - Now we know how the solar system is built, we have seen many planets close up.
“And yet the best, dearest planet is our blue beauty Earth!” - Marie exclaimed.
The king and queen hugged and kissed the children.
And Mickey immediately climbed onto the old Stargazer’s shoulder and put her paw into the pocket of his jacket in search of sweets.
Of course, you can’t wait to find out what happened next?
The luminous ball disappeared, as if it had dissolved in the endless space of space.
Henri continued his observations of the starry sky.
Marie and Alexander grew up and began to help the king govern the country.
And the old Astrologer wrote a fascinating book about the stars, constellations and planets of the solar system. The stories of young travelers helped him a lot in this.