If you’re thinking of taking a tour of our solar system, consider picking up a travel brochure from second graders at Montgomery School in Chester Springs, PA. In Julie Dattilo’s science class, you’ll find out why Venus is the ultimate honeymoon destination; how to lose weight on the Winter Mercury Tour (gravity gets the credit); and watch methane gas turn into diamonds on a Journey to Neptune.

As part of this hands-on, creative project, students pick their favorite solar body and put together a travel brochure and display that will entice potential future travelers. Their research helps abstract concepts become more familiar, and comes from a variety of sources: books, DVDs, music videos, and a visiting StarLab mobile planetarium.

They also create a three-dimensional representation of their chosen destination, and a shoe-box diorama showing what clothing and accommodations may be required to make the journey a success. Putting their engineering skills to good use, students dangle their creations—constructed of everything from Styrofoam balls and wreath frames to Legos and papier mâché—from music stands, plant hangers, and skewer sticks, making sure all the moons and rings are included.

The project, says Mrs. Dattilo, is just one example of Montgomery School’s experiential approach to education for all Prekindergarten through eighth grade classes and across all subject areas. “The more hands-on the approach, the more students become both more engaged and more self-directed learners.”