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
 he chose "Lyra," you would open and close the Star Finder 4 times, once for each letter: L - Y - R -
A.
4. Ask the player again to pick one of the four constellations visible. Open the panel to see the name of
a constellation (highlighted in red) she will try to find in the sky for this month.
For some of the months, not every part of the Star Finder may show a highlighted constellation for
you to find. In this case, just try to find the constellation that is nearest to the part of the sky you
picked. Or, just find any constellation!

Guide Question:
What are constellations anyway?

Activity 4: “Film Viewing”

Objective:
To know more about constellations.

What you need:

Video clip

What to do:
1. Follow the directions that your teacher will be given.
2. Group your self into four.
3. Discuss to your group how to find constellations in the sky.
4. Write on the manila paper what constellations you find in the video.
5. The group present their output.

Guide Questions:
1. How to find constellations in the sky?
2. What are the constellations you saw in the video?

Activity 5: “Poster Making”

Objective:
To create their own constellations

What you need:

Bond paper, pencil, crayons
What to do:
1. Do your favorite star pattern or constellations.
2. The pupils present their output and tell why this was their favorite constellation?

Guide Questions:
1. You learned more about constellation and also you viewed.
2. What is your most favorite star patterns or constellation?

Remember these:

Constellations can help you sort the twinkling dots scattered across the
night sky. Connect the stars to see what deep-sky wonders emerge.
By Glenn Chaple  |  Published: Monday, March 10, 2008

The richness of the summer sky is exemplified by the splendor of the Milky Way. Stretching from the northern horizon in
Perseus, through the cross-shaped constellation Cygnus overhead, and down to Sagittarius in the south, the Milky Way is packed
with riches. These riches include star clusters, nebulae, double stars, and variable stars. Michel Hersen imaged the Milky Way
from Stone Canyon, Utah, in June 2006. Equipment used: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT and Tamron 20-40mm wide-angle lens,
ISO 1600, for a 90-second exposure
Michel Hersen

If you're a newcomer to amateur astronomy, eager to begin exploring the night sky, you'll have to overcome
one of astronomy's biggest hurdles — learning to identify the constellations. After all, you can't find the
Andromeda Galaxy if you can't find Andromeda. Trying to make sense of those myriad stellar specks overhead
might seem intimidating, but making friends with the stars needn't be a "mission impossible."

Remember your first day of school — entering that classroom and finding yourself confronted by a roomful of
unfamiliar faces? Even on that first day, you probably made a few friends. Through them, and with your day-
to-day exposure to the classroom, you gradually became acquainted with all of your classmates. Learning the
constellations is like that. With a little help from your friends (easy-to-find guidepost constellations) and a
willingness to "show up for class" on successive nights, you'll soon feel comfortable in your nighttime
surroundings. So relax. It's time to go to school and meet some new friends!
North circumpolar constellations
We begin in the northern sky, realm of those always-visible star groups known as the north circumpolar
constellations. The most prominent figure is the Big Dipper (Note: The Big Dipper is not a constellation).
These bright stars — four forming the "bowl," three more tracing out the "handle" — create one of the most
recognizable patterns in the night sky, an ideal guide for locating surrounding constellations. 

As any good Boy or Girl Scout will attest, you can find Polaris, the North Star, by tracing a line between the
stars Dubhe and Merak at the end of the bowl of the Big Dipper and extending it about five times the distance
between them. When astronomical newcomers see this celebrated star for the first time, they are astonished
that it isn't much brighter than the stars in the Big Dipper. Polaris is the brightest star inUrsa Minor the Little
Bear, which contains the Little Dipper. Like its big brother, the Little Dipper is made up of seven stars — four
in the bowl, and three in the handle. Because four of its stars are dim, the Little Dipper is hard to see in light-
polluted skies.

If you trace a line from the bowl of the Big Dipper past the North Star and continue it an equal distance
beyond, you'll arrive at an eye-catching group of stars that form a distinct letter M or W. This is Cassiopeia,
Queen of Ethiopia