Chapter 4 – The Stars
Lesson 9 - Patterns of Stars (Constellation)
Duration: 5 days
Activity 1: “Connecting Dots”
Objective:
To form star patterns by connecting dots
What you need:
Bond paper, pen
What to do:
1. The pupils will connect dots to form star patterns.
Guide Question:
1. What shapes can you form from the dots?
Activity 2: “Do You Know Me?”
Objective:
To be familiar with the different star patterns.
What you need:
You should be able to set up this project quickly. Before the project starts, print out enough
copies of the dove handout for half your students, and the horse handout for the other half.
Print out a copy of the constellation grid for each student. Before students arrive in the
computer lab, on each computer. You should also spend a few minutes practicing using the
Navigation tool, so you can help students who have problems.
What to do:
Begin by checking student knowledge about constellations. They have most likely heard of a
few of the most famous constellations, like Orion or the Big Dipper. (The Big Dipper is not
strictly a constellation. Students may have misconceptions that constellations are real
, astronomical groups of stars, or that all stars in constellations are the same. Explain that
this activity will show students what constellations are, and that they will find their own
constellations.
Give half the students the "Dove Constellation" handout, and the other half the "Horse
Constellation." Give the students a moment to study their handouts, but do not tell them
that the other half of the class has a different handout. Then, show the star pattern on the
web page or on a transparency. Ask a student to describe what he or she sees. The student
will say a dove (or a horse). A student from the other half of the class should disagree, and
the students should begin arguing.
Guide Questions:
Encourage the students to point out specific parts of the constellation (the dove's beak, the
horse's hooves, etc.), and eventually the students should realize what was happening. Tell
the students that they were like two ancient cultures seeing two different shapes in the
same pattern of stars. This is the main point of the project. (It's also a small moral lesson -
students should see that just because someone else sees something different, that doesn't
mean that the other is wrong!).
Activity 3: “Star Gazer Puzzle”
Objective:
To find the star puzzle
What you need:
Bond paper
What to do:
Play the Star Finder game:
1. Stick your thumbs and first two fingers into the four pockets on the bottom of the
Star Finder.
2. Ask another person to choose one of the top four squares. Then, depending on the
number on the square she chose, open and close the Star Finder that many times
(open up and down, close, open side to side, close, etc.). For example, if she
chose number 6, open and close the Star Finder 6 times.
3. Then, ask the person to look inside the Star Finder and pick one of the four visible constellations.
This time, open and close the Star Finder once for each letter to spell out his choice. For example, if
Lesson 9 - Patterns of Stars (Constellation)
Duration: 5 days
Activity 1: “Connecting Dots”
Objective:
To form star patterns by connecting dots
What you need:
Bond paper, pen
What to do:
1. The pupils will connect dots to form star patterns.
Guide Question:
1. What shapes can you form from the dots?
Activity 2: “Do You Know Me?”
Objective:
To be familiar with the different star patterns.
What you need:
You should be able to set up this project quickly. Before the project starts, print out enough
copies of the dove handout for half your students, and the horse handout for the other half.
Print out a copy of the constellation grid for each student. Before students arrive in the
computer lab, on each computer. You should also spend a few minutes practicing using the
Navigation tool, so you can help students who have problems.
What to do:
Begin by checking student knowledge about constellations. They have most likely heard of a
few of the most famous constellations, like Orion or the Big Dipper. (The Big Dipper is not
strictly a constellation. Students may have misconceptions that constellations are real
, astronomical groups of stars, or that all stars in constellations are the same. Explain that
this activity will show students what constellations are, and that they will find their own
constellations.
Give half the students the "Dove Constellation" handout, and the other half the "Horse
Constellation." Give the students a moment to study their handouts, but do not tell them
that the other half of the class has a different handout. Then, show the star pattern on the
web page or on a transparency. Ask a student to describe what he or she sees. The student
will say a dove (or a horse). A student from the other half of the class should disagree, and
the students should begin arguing.
Guide Questions:
Encourage the students to point out specific parts of the constellation (the dove's beak, the
horse's hooves, etc.), and eventually the students should realize what was happening. Tell
the students that they were like two ancient cultures seeing two different shapes in the
same pattern of stars. This is the main point of the project. (It's also a small moral lesson -
students should see that just because someone else sees something different, that doesn't
mean that the other is wrong!).
Activity 3: “Star Gazer Puzzle”
Objective:
To find the star puzzle
What you need:
Bond paper
What to do:
Play the Star Finder game:
1. Stick your thumbs and first two fingers into the four pockets on the bottom of the
Star Finder.
2. Ask another person to choose one of the top four squares. Then, depending on the
number on the square she chose, open and close the Star Finder that many times
(open up and down, close, open side to side, close, etc.). For example, if she
chose number 6, open and close the Star Finder 6 times.
3. Then, ask the person to look inside the Star Finder and pick one of the four visible constellations.
This time, open and close the Star Finder once for each letter to spell out his choice. For example, if
