Hobbies And Interests
The Dippers
The Big Dipper and the Little Dipper, also called Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, are two of the easiest constellations to see in the night sky. Show students pictures of the constellations with a digital projector. Then talk about all the things the constellations have represented to various cultures, such as a cart, a bear or a plow. Give the students pictures of these objects and ask them to draw on the stars to show why people imagined those objects in the sky. This teaches the basic concept of how men have given symbolic meaning to constellations based on the images they see in the pattern of the stars.
Research Projects
Most of the major constellations have a great deal of mythology associated with them. These are tied to the mythology of the Greek gods or the signs of the zodiac. Assign a different constellation to each student in the class. Ask them to research the mythology of the star and to prepare a presentation on any of the myths or stories that are associated with that particular grouping of stars.
Skywatching
It is important that students not just learn about the constellations in class, but that they also get a chance to get out and look at the night skies for themselves. Ask students to go outside with a parent after dark and to look at the night sky. Tell them to try and identify as many of the constellations as they can based on the lessons that you have already taught in class.
Field Trip
Observing constellations from the backyard at night and talking about them in the classroom only teaches students so much. If you have an observatory or planetarium in your community, taking a field trip to the facility to give students a more in depth lesson on constellations is helpful. Use this time to talk about the composition of stars and the different types of stars that make up constellations, as well as which specific stars comprise well-known constellations.