Science Activities for Stars
Students of all ages can be taught about stars, constellations and astronomy. Stars are a visible part of our daily lives, so even preschoolers are aware that stars exist and should be interested in learning more. A variety of hands-on activities in varying degrees of difficulty can be used to introduce, explain and expand upon the topic.
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Preschool and Kindergarten
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Each student will need a Styrofoam plate (preferably black, but white will work), a toothpick, a small clean paintbrush, seven jelly dots or other candies, frosting and a photocopied pattern of the Big Dipper (see Resources). Instruct students to place the Big Dipper pattern on their plate. Use the toothpick to poke holes through the paper and into the plate underneath each star. Remove the paper, and stick the candies over the toothpick holes with frosting. Using the paintbrush, draw lines of frosting between the stars to form the outline of the Big Dipper, using the pattern as a guide.
Elementary School
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Introduce children to constellations by studying the patterns of some of the more well-known ones, such as Orion and Ursa Major. Give children black poster board and glow-in-the-dark stars. Instruct children to create their own constellations in any pattern they choose, by sticking the stars to the poster board. Children should use white chalk to illustrate the star patterns within their constellation and present their constellation to the class. Students can keep a star journal by observing and recording the stars at their home on a nightly basis (at the same time each night). Children map the relative positions of constellations in the sky, then identify the constellations in class using star maps. Encourage the children to note any characteristics of the stars they observe, for general class discussion.
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Middle School
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Students create a shoe box planetarium to practice identifying and classifying stars. First trace around a penny in the middle of one end of the shoe box and cut out a circular hole for the viewer. Cut out a large rectangle from the other end of the shoe box. Cut a piece of black construction paper that will cover the rectangular hole. Next, students should trace the constellation of their choice and lay the tracing over the black paper. Poke holes in each star through the tracing paper and black paper with the point of a compass. Make larger holes for bigger stars. Tape the paper over the rectangular hole, put the lid on the box and look through the circle to view. Middle school students may also research the life cycle of a star on the computer through an interactive web quest.
High School
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Students learn the uses and functions of a telescope during class time. After school, students attend a star party (parents are also invited). Children will use the telescope and a star map to observe, identify and record various constellations. Students expand upon this activity by visiting an observatory. Students have an opportunity to observe stars with much more powerful equipment and compare and contrast the difference between what can be viewed at an amateur level and what is observed by professionals. Students speak with a professional astronomer. If there is no observatory available for students to visit, children can achieve the same experience by accessing a virtual observatory on the Internet (see Resources).
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit reach image by Adrian Hillman from Fotolia.com
