MINDS ON – ROUND TABLE ACTIVITY

• Using one white board and one marker per group

• Each person takes a turn writing something then passing on board and marker

• TOPIC: What do you know about stars and/or constellations?

• Anything goes!

PATTERNS IN THE NIGHT SKY

LEARNING GOALS

• I will be able to identify constellations in the sky.

• I will be able to locate constellations using a star map in the night sky.

CONSTELLATIONS

• Two Definitions: • Astronomical – a region in the sky • Traditional - A group of stars observed from Earth

often forming shapes. • There are 88 constellations!

THE STARS ARE A MOVIN’

• We are still able to see the same constellations as the ancient people, however the stars are not in the exact same location as they once were.

• This is because the stars are moving away from each other.

STAR MAPS

• Show the relative positions of the stars in a particular part of the sky.

• There’s an app for that!• SkyView Free

STAR CHART QS

• You try it …

THE CELESTIAL SPHERE

• the imaginary sphere that rotates around Earth, onto which all celestial objects are projected.

NAVIGATION USING STARS

• Celestial navigation – use of positions of stars to determine location and direction when travelling.

CALENDARS BASED ON SKY• Mayans – built a pyramid (El Castillo) and on the equinoxes at

sunset the shadow formed looks like a snake

• Stonehenge – may have been used to predict the motions of the Sun (an astronomical calendar)

• Aboriginal – have many legends relating to astronomy (stars formed because the Sun spit sparks, lunar eclipses because monsters swallowed the Moon, the Sun goes to sleep so its brother the Moon rises in the east to give light during the night)

YOUR TURN …

• Constellation activity

• Text work p333 #2 and 4

LEARNING GOALS REVISITED

• I will be able to identify constellations.

• I will be able to locate constellations using a star map in the night sky