Star Watching

Synopsis:
This activity can be used as a 3-12 Science activity to introduce students to the fun of Astronomy.

Materials:
Earth & Sky homepage
http://www.earthsky.com

Procedure:

1. Visit the Tonight's Sky feature before class.
2. Look over the current happenings and talk about them to your class.
3. If you have access to projection equipment or computer lab have the students keep a daily star chart.
4. The star charts can be kept in a folder and turned in for a grade or just given to students for their own enjoyment.
5. As a bonus, I have a star watching party where the kids bring snacks and we all go out and find the constellations they have drawn.
   

• Teacher Comment:
  I may have generated more interest in Science, with this one activity, than anything else I did in 17 years of teaching.

  Give this activity a chance, it can provide some wonderful teaching moments.

  As an extension activity, I would hold a star watching party at school once a semester. The kids would bring snacks, I would show them a couple of new astronomy sites and then we would all go outside for a "celestial scavenger hunt".