Learning Activities
THE GREAT "T" Constellation
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What is your favourite constellation?
SPECTRAL TYPES:
Astronomers have a special way to classify stars using temperature and colour. They call these spectral types. Print out a copy of my Spectral Types Worksheet and together as a family research to find the answers.
For a great book that explains spectral types and much more about stars check out: Stars, Galaxies, and the Milky Way, by Clive Gifford, Crabtree Publishing Company, 2015.
Matching Animal Constellations:
Print out this Matching Animal Constellations Puzzle and see if you can work together to match the constellation's name with its animal.
Click here for the answer key: Animal Matching KEY
Stars and Constellations
Favourite Constellations:
Print out this Favourite Constellations Chart and as your family reads about the various constellations draw and name your favourite. You could print out a page for each member of your family to fill in or just pick your family’s four favourites!
Family Fun with Sky Watching
THE CONSTELLATIONS:
A constellation is any of various groups of stars to which definite names have been given. Some examples are Ursa Major, Uras Minor, Orion, Cassiopeia…
Have your little astronomer check out these videos:
MAKE YOUR OWN CONSTELLATION:
Materials: black paper or paper painted black, star stickers, white or yellow paint.
Step 1: Ask your child what kind of constellation he/she would like to create? An animal, a favourite character from a book or movie, a superhero? Have your child sketch a basic shape on a piece of paper to use as a guide.
Step 2: Have your child place the star stickers on the black paper in a pattern that will create the basic shape of your child’s constellation, basically creating a connect the dots picture. You can do this yourself for younger kids.
Step 3: (Optional) Your child can now “connect the dots/stars” using a thin line of paint, making the outline of the constellation visible. My son liked it just the way it was.
Step 4: (Optional) Write or paint the name of the constellation on the paper and once it has dried you can display the picture or glue it in your Family Theme Day Scrapbook.
Fun Facts About Stars:
Print out my Fun Facts about Stars Worksheet and together as a family as you read and research about stars write out any interesting or fun facts that you like!
A star is a luminous (glowing) sphere of plasma held together by its own gravity. Plasma is one of the four fundamental states of matter, along with solid, liquid and gas. A star is created with the gravitational collapse of a gaseous nebula (an interstellar could of dust, hydrogen and other ionized gases). When the stellar core becomes dense the hydrogen converts to helium through nuclear fusion, releasing energy. Still confused? Check out this video below…
WHAT IS A STAR?
WEBSITES TO CHECK OUT:
PIN HOLE CONSTELLATIONS:
Use a small piece of hard construction paper and lay a piece on a stack of newspapers or on top of an old thick magazine or catalogue. Draw the basic design of a favourite constellation on light paper (lined looseleaf or art tracing paper) and use a pushpin to make holes along the design. Put it up against a window and you will see the stars appear.
Learn more about Astronomy Day here: Astronomy Day Fact Sheet - Astronomical League (astroleague.org)
Photo: Microsoft Clipart