constellation research project 5th grade

3D Constellation in a Box

Introduction: 3D Constellation in a Box

Lesson Overview:

To learn about the major stars in constellations students will complete a two-part project. The first part will be to conduct research using free online software to establish a database of the major stars in a chosen constellation. In the second part, students will draw a map of the constellation, then use the coordinates of the stars to create an accurate three dimensional model in a box. They will then see how the stars shift to different positions as they change their viewpoint away from Earth. This lesson should take about five class periods of 90 minutes each, or about 7.5 total hours.

Grade Levels:

6-10 grades in middle school through lower division Earth Science classes. For higher division astronomy students, try my lesson plan titled Discovering Our Stellar Neighborhood: Modeling the Nearby Stars in Three Dimensions in the Summer 2014 edition of The Science Teacher, Pp. 31-37.

Prior Learning:

Students should have an understanding of the differences between stars and planets and the ability to work with proportions and ratios.

NGSS: This lesson helps to fulfill the following Next Generation Science Standards:

Disciplinary Core Ideas for Earth and Space Science and Physical Science

MS-ESS1 and HS-ESS1: Earth’s Place in the Universe ESS1.A – The Universe and Its Stars Patterns of the apparent motion of the sun, the moon, and stars in the sky can be observed, described, predicted, and explained with models (MS-ESS1-1)

MS-PS2-2: Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

Scientific and Engineering Practices: Developing and Using Models (MS-ESS1-2) Analyzing and Interpreting Data (MS-ESS1-3)

Crosscutting Concepts:

Scale, Proportion, and Quantity

Time, space, energy: Phenomena observed at various scales using models to study systems that are too large or too small (MS-ESS1-3 and MS-ESS1-4)

Systems and System Models: Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions (MS-ESS1-2)

Stability and Change

• One cardboard box for each group (ideally the type of box that copy paper comes in or a banker’s box)

• Large sheets of paper (same size as the interior bottom of the box)

• Fin tip colored markers

• Metric rulers

• Masking tape

• Drawing compasses with sharp points

• Canning jar lids (small) – one for each group

• Thin black string or strong embroidery thread, single strand – large spool

• Colored beads: one package each of red, orange, yellow, pale yellow, white, light blue, and purple or lavender.

• Graph paper sheet for each group

• A computer for each group with Stellarium software installed (this is an open-source free program available from SourceForge at: https://sourceforge.net/projects/stellarium/)

Objectives:

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. identify the major stars in chosen constellations including the meaning of their names, their spectral types, and their coordinates;

2. build an accurate scale model of their constellation showing the major stars in their correct positions (distances, right ascension, and declination) and spectral types (OBAFGKM);

3. determine how the constellations will distort as the observer travels different distances in different directions due to the apparent parallax of nearby stars; and

4. identify the distortion of constellations over large time periods due to the proper motions of the stars and our sun.

Teacher Preparation:

Before this lesson begins, the teacher will need to become familiar with Stellarium software, especially how to change the settings to turn on the constellation boarders and asterism lines, to turn off the ground and sky, and to turn up the visibility of stars.

Step 1: Day 1: the Stars and Constellations

I. Introduction/Hook:

Ask the students if they know the names of any constellations or stars. Develop a list on the board under each heading and answer questions. If they have trouble listing constellations, ask them to list their zodiac signs. Explain that the zodiac constellations are the ones located along the sun’s apparent path through the sky, but that they really represent the ecliptic constellations, or the plane of the solar system. You can supply some stars or constellations if they are unfamiliar, such as Betelgeuse, Sirius, Bellatrix, Regulus, or Alpha Centauri for stars and Orion, Draco, and Scorpio for constellations. Explain that some of the constellations listed, such as the Big Dipper, are actually asterisms, or patterns of stars, whereas constellations are areas of the sky. Some asterisms, such as the Summer Triangle, cross over several constellations. The Big Dipper is an asterism contained inside the constellation of Ursa Majoris. Explain that modern astronomers recognize 88 constellations, some larger than others. Point out that the Black family in the Harry Potter series are named after stars and constellations.

Step 2: II. Using Stellarium

Explain the project they will be working on – to build a scale model of a constellation inside a box. To do this, they need to pick and become familiar with a constellation. They can use a free program called Stellarium that acts like a planetarium on a computer. Explain the procedure/requirements and divide the students up into pre-chosen teams. Have each team choose a different constellation. If they choose an obscure constellation without any prominent stars (such as Cancer or Ares) you can suggest more prominent constellations.

Requirements: The student teams will use Stellarium and the Internet to look up information and prominent stars on their chosen constellation. They will fill out the Star Data Table form, with information on the meaning or mythology behind the constellation and a list of the seven most prominent stars along with their proper name (if any) and the name’s meaning (they will need to look this up. A good website for understanding star name and number systems is: https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-resources/names-of-the-stars/ . A good list for the meanings of Arabic and Greek proper star names along with their Bayer designations is: https://www.naic.edu/~gibson/starnames/ starnames.html. They also need to use Stellarium to zoom in on their constellation and click on the brightest stars. This will bring up a list of data on that star, including alternative names or numbers and the coordinates of the star (Right Ascension, or celestial longitude, Declination, or celestial latitude, and light years distance. Students also need to right down the star’s spectral class using the OBAFGKM classifications. Optionally, advanced students can write down the star’s apparent and absolute magnitudes.

This research will take all of the first day of this lesson and depending on the age of the students and the length of your classes, may take part of a second day.

Step 3: ​Days Two and Three: Constructing the Constellation Box

I. Drawing the Star Map:

Provide each team with a box to use for their constellation model. If you have a free standing projector then the ideal way for students to draw their constellation map is to use the bottom of the box to trace an outline on a large sheet of paper, then cut it out slightly smaller so the paper will fit snuggly into the bottom of the box without wrinkling or leaving too much extra space. With the paper cut, tape it to a wall and move the projector so that it shines directly on the paper and fills it up without overlapping the edges.

Train the students how to use Stellarium, especially how to search for constellations and zoom in, how to go into the settings and turn up the apparent magnitude of stars, turn off the sky, fog, and ground, and turn on the constellation markers such as the asterism lines and constellation art.

Zoom in to the each team’s constellation and turn on the constellation marking lines. Then have the students use a pencil to lightly trace out the lines and draw circles around the stars where the lines intersect or cross over the stars. Have the students use colored markers to fill in the appropriate colors for the stars: Type O is light blue or lavender, Type B is blue, type A is left white, Type F is light yellow, Type G is bright yellow, Type K is orange, and Type M is red. Use a black or gray pen to draw in the asterism lines. The students should also label each star and write down its spectral type and light years distance. They then need to create a nice title text for the name of the constellation. Finally, they should measure off every five centimeters along the edges of their map and draw a grid of horizontal and vertical lines in pencil.

Once the constellation map is complete, tape it to the bottom of the box using masking tape.

Step 4: ​II. Creating the Eyepiece:

To provide an eyepiece of sorts, use a small canning jar lid and tie it in place hanging in the opening at the front of the box, securing it with the black string to the top and both sides of the box to prevent the eyepiece from swaying or moving. Keep the eyepiece as close to the front of the box as possible while still keeping it secure.

Step 5: ​III. Hanging the Stars:

Once the students have the box set up, they will need to get enough of the correct color of beads to match the seven stars they will hang in their model. Advanced students can use beads of different sizes as well as colors to represent the comparative sizes of the stars, with red giants such as Betelgeuse being the largest and red dwarfs the smallest (although Stellarium will not list red dwarfs, unless advanced students want to look them up and their coordinates separately and add them to the model. They could also look up known brown dwarfs and use small brown beads for them).

They will need to cut lengths of string that are as long as their box and tie these lengths to their beads. Monofilament string of moderate thickness is best.

While a student is making the beads, others can begin to measure the locations of the stars in three-dimensional space. Students must create a proportion/scale ratio with which to measure the distance to stars in the model. This is done by finding the star in their Star Table with the greatest light years distance and using that to create the scale. For example, in the constellation Orion, of the major stars Alnilam (the center star in Orion’s Belt) has the greatest distance at 1342 light years. Have the students measure the depth of the box from the knot where the eyepiece hangs to the bottom of the box (about 23 cm in most boxes). Calculate the scale by dividing the greatest star distance by the size of the box, which in this case would be about 58.3 light years per centimeter. Rounding up is a good idea to provide a little space between the farthest star and the bottom of the box, so the scale we will use for Orion is 60 light years per centimeter. To find the distances to hang each star, take the star’s light years distance and divide it by the scale number. So Betelgeuse, with a distance of 427 light years, will be 7.1 cm from the eyepiece knot.

To hang the stars, look through the center of the eyepiece to the star you want to hang and visualize a line going vertically up from that star to the top of the box. Make a small mark on the top side of the box next to the far wall. Then measure in a straight line from the eyepiece top knot to that mark, marking off the distance you calculated for the scale distance to the star. The poke a hole in the top side of the box with the pointed end of a drawing compass or other sharp object. Thread the loose end of the star’s string through the hole from the bottom while another student looks through the center of the eyepiece. When the star’s bead lines up with the star on the map, take a piece of masking tape and securely tape down the string on the top side of the box. You may want to use two pieces of tape in a cross shape.

Repeat this process for the other stars until all seven are hung. It this is down correctly, the stars should line up with the background constellation map just as we would see them from Earth if you look through the center of the eyepiece.

Step 6: ​Day Four: Traveling Through Space

I. Charting Constellation Distortions

The constellations are merely the positions of the stars as we see them from Earth, but as our Sun travels through space, or ifwe could travel through space, we would see the constellations distort as the closer stars appeared to move more than the distant stars.

To lead into this discussion, ask the students to visualize themselves riding in a car down a freeway with billboards next to the road and distant mountains in the background several miles away. As they travel, the nearby objects (billboards) appear to move backward at a rapid rate but the distant mountains hardly seem to move at all except over long periods of time. This isn’t because either the billboards or the mountains are moving but because we are. This is called parallax, and this concept can actually be used to measure the distances to stars. As the Earth orbits around the Sun each year, the nearby stars will seem to wiggle back and forth against the backdrop of the distant stars. By measuring the angle of this parallax and applying a little bit of trigonometry, the distance to the stars can be calculated. (Note: For advanced or higher division students, they could try my lesson plan on how to use parallax to measure stellar distances. It is online at the MIT BLOSSOMS project at: https://blossoms.mit.edu/videos/lessons/ parallax_activity_measuring_distances_nearby_stars )

To demonstrate this distortion of the constellation, have the students use a piece of graph paper and draw out the constellation using a black or dark pen, aligning their drawing with the grid they created on the constellation map. Then have a student look at the constellation from a viewpoint five centimeters to the right of the center of the eyepiece, drawing them on their graph paper in a different color relative to the constellation map star positions. Then have them repeat this by moving their eye eight centimeters to the left of the eyepiece’s center and five centimeters above the eyepiece’s center. Each position should be done in a different color.

Step 7: ​II. Final Questions:

Complete this lesson by asking the students the following questions:

1. Which stars seem to move the most – the nearby stars, or the distant stars? Why?

2. Why are the constellations that we see not really permanent? (Stars do move through space in their own directions. Over tens of thousands of years, the constellations will distort and become unrecognizable. Our Sun is also moving through space and carrying the Earth with it, so that over time we will leave our local stars behind.)

3. Using the scale the students use, have them calculate the size of our Milky Way galaxy using the same scale. The Milky Way is approximately 100,000 light years in diameter, so at the scale we used for Orion, our galaxy would be 1666.7 cm across, or 16.7 meters and would contain around 200-300 billion stars. Student answers will vary depending on the scale of their models.

Step 8: ​Further Lessons/Extensions:

This lesson is designed for 6th grade students up to about tenth grade but can be modified and extended for higher division or advanced students. One follow-up would be to teach students the parallax lesson linked above to learn more about measuring stellar distances. Advanced students could add more to their Star Tables, such as including Deep Sky Objects such as galaxies and nebulas using the Messier and NGC catalogs. These could be added to their maps before taping them into the box.

Another extension is to teach students about the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and how it is central to our understanding of the stars and their sizes, temperatures, formation, and evolution.

Step 9: ​Differentiation:

For English Language Learners and to provide a global aware- ness option to the lesson, have students find the mythology of constellations from multiple cultures other than Greco=Roman names/patterns. For students with accommodations or learnng disabilities, you can provide a pre-made constellation box and focus on the use of Stellarium to create a Data Table on the stars, but without the coordinates. Have them find the other data: star names and meanings, alternate names, and color/stellar types.

Step 10: ​Evaluation:

Depending on the different extensions you teach, your evaluation rubric will need to contain the following:

A – The quality of the student constellation boxes, including aesthetics (neatness, artistry), accuracy, and thoroughness.

B – Thoroughness of their Star Data Table, to include stellar types, coordinates, names and their meanings, alternative names, and constellation mythology.

C – The accuracy of their graphs showing the parallax of the stars as the observer moves away from Earth’s position.

D – The thoroughness, insight, and depth shown by their answers to the final questions.

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Constellation Worksheets & Lesson for Kids

Long ago, people looked up to the night sky and gazed at the stars. Instinctively, they searched for patterns. And they saw them. Groups of stars looked like animals or people or ordinary things that people used in their day-to-day lives. They saw a swan and a harp and a hunter. Some groups of stars looked like a dog, while others looked like a queen. These constellation worksheets will help children learn about stars and the history of how these celestial ‘drawings’ came to be.

What are Constellations?

So constellations are groups of stars that resemble a person, animal, or thing. Sort of. If you imagine that stars are dots that you connect to make pictures.

Constellations can represent different things to different people. For example, the native people of Australia look at a group of stars and see a canoe. When we look at those same stars here in the United States, we call them Orion, the Hunter. And children in Japan call them tsuzumi boshi, a type of Japanese drum.

Most of the constellations we recognize today, though, were named by ancient Greeks who named many of them after characters in Greek mythology, such as Pegasus, Perseus, and Cassiopeia. Others were named by European explorers who used the stars to navigate their boats.

Northern Sky or Southern Sky?

If you were to stand at the geographic North Pole and look up, you would be able to see all the constellations in the Northern Sky quite easily all year long. And likewise, if you were to stand at the geographic South Pole, you’d see all the constellations in the Southern Sky.

Usually, the constellations in the Northern Sky are easily visible to people who live in the northern hemisphere. That is the entire area between the equator and the North Pole. And the same is true for the Southern Sky – it’s visible to those living in the southern hemisphere.

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The closer you get to the equator, the easier it is to see constellations in both hemispheres. But the closer you get to the poles, the harder it becomes to see the constellations in the opposite hemisphere. In fact, there are certain ones you cannot see from the poles.

Pi3.124 / CC BY-SA

What are Dark Constellations?

Some cultures looked up to the sky and also saw patches of dark space in between the stars. They called them dark constellations. And they also were named after objects with which the people were familiar. For example, the native people of Australia – Aborigines – looked up to the Milky Way and saw an emu in the dark spaces. But, as you can see from the picture above, the Inca from South America saw a llama and serpent in those same spots.

However, most of the time when people refer to constellations, they are talking about star clusters. Here are the five major constellations that can be easily found in the Northern Sky.

The Big Dipper

The big dipper is one of the easiest star patterns to find. It’s actually called an asterism, which means that it is a small group of stars easily seen in the sky and with a popular name but smaller than a constellation. In fact, the Big Dipper is actually the seven brightest stars of a much larger constellation, Ursa Major, which is also known as the Big Bear. The “handle” of the dipper makes up the bear’s tail, and the “cup” is the bear’s flank or hip area.

Because it is so easy to locate in the sky, the Big Dipper was actually used by the Underground Railroad during the U.S. Civil War. Southern slaves escaping to the North were told to follow the “drinking gourd” in the sky.

The Little Dipper

It probably comes as no surprise to you that the Little Dipper is also an asterism. And, yes, you guessed it! They are part of Ursa Minor, otherwise known as the Little Bear constellation. The Little Dipper is famous for one of its stars.

Polaris, also known as the North Star, happens to be the one stationary star in the sky. The stars in the sky don’t actually move. It is the Earth’s rotation that makes them appear to move across the sky. However, if you were to draw an imaginary line that went through the center of the Earth and out each pole (this line is called the axis), Polaris would be found on (or very near!) this line that comes out of the North Pole. So for that reason, as the Earth spins along its axis, it looks like Polaris isn’t moving. This has made it very valuable for sailors and explorers throughout history.

Johannes Hevelius (28 January 1611 – 28 January 1687) Scanned by Torsten Bronger, 4 April 2003. / Public domain

Orion, The Hunter

Orion, the Hunter, is named after a character in Greek mythology. It is easily found when you look for his “belt,” which is made up of three stars in a row. This constellation is fascinating because most of the stars that make up the constellation are bright young blue giants or supergiants.

Except for one. Betelgeuse, the star that marks the hunter’s right shoulder, is a red giant. It is also one of the largest stars on record.

Blue stars are usually young, hot stars that get their color from the large amount of hydrogen they burn. Red stars tend to be dying stars that have used up all their hydrogen and are in the final phase of a star’s life cycle.

The word gemini is a Latin word meaning “twins.” And this constellation is recognized around the world as being a set of twins…but just what type of twins sometimes differs. To the Egyptians, for example, they are twin goats. But for most Europeans and Americans, they represent the twin brothers in Greek mythology. In fact, the two brightest stars in this constellation are named after those Greek characters, Castor and Pollux.

Each year, as the Earth travels around the sun, it passes near an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon. This asteroid is shedding particles, which enter our atmosphere and burn up. This meteor shower is called the Geminids because it just so happens that the point in the sky where the meteors seem to come from is in the area of the Gemini constellation. It happens every year around mid-December.

Taurus, the Bull, is easy to find in the night sky. It sits just to the right (or northwest) of Orion. In fact, the brightest star in the Taurus constellation (a red giant star called Aldebaran) is believed to be the bull’s eye glaring at the hunter!

Activities for learning and constellation worksheets

Here are some of our printable resources for challenging your young students to learn about stars in the sky.

Language Arts Early astronomers kept track of new discoveries by writing them down in journals. Keeping written records helped them to remember important events and new ideas. And many of them kept star maps inside those journals.

Activity: Download our constellation log and have your kids keep a running record of the constellations that their family observes in the night sky. Just print the pages and cut along the solid lines. The first page has the title page for the log. Be sure to keep it on the outside of your log. Print the second page on the other side of the paper. And then print the second page as many times as needed (double-sided!) to create the inner pages of the log.  Take time to stargaze as a family and record the names of the constellations you see, the date that you saw it, and which member(s) of the family saw it. Then use the bottom of the page to draw the constellation.

©Can Stock Photo – Marcopolo

History It’s hard to know who specifically named many of the constellations. But we do know about one person who observed over 10,000 stars and named 14 out of the 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union. Together the boundaries for each of the 88 constellations cover the entire sky visible from Earth and every point in the sky belonged to one constellation.

Activity: Download our storyboard for Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille and have your students research and fill in the surrounding spaces with those things most closely related to the French astronomer. They can use drawings or write in the information. Click here to see examples of other storyboards .

Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille Storyboard

Science Constellations are made up of stars. But what are stars made of? And are they all the same?

Activity: Print our star life cycle coloring page and reading passages. After reading about them, challenge your kids to create their own star life cycle using clay, pipe cleaners, and other craft items.

Constellation Star Chart Printables

You might also like this article with supporting printables: Learn About the 2020 Mars Mission for Kids .

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Monica Olivera is a homeschooling mother of two and a freelance education writer. Her site, Mommy Maestra, helps Hispanic parents get more involved in their children's education by providing resources, tips, and opportunities.

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35 Creative Constellation Activities 

February 23, 2023 //  by  Laura Spry

Kids are fascinated with the night sky and various constellations. Oftentimes, they can’t get enough of the mythical stories and legends surrounding these enchanting groups of stars. Learning about constellations opens up possibilities for discussions about science, history, religion, and even math. Recognizing patterns and shapes is also a key part of developing early math skills in little ones. By adding some of these creative constellation activities to your lesson plans you are not only guaranteeing fun in your classroom but also gold-star learning!

1. Watercolor Night Sky Painting

These free tutorials show you how to create gorgeous paintings. You will need some watercolor paints, watercolor paper, a brush, and some Dr. Ph Martin’s Bleedproof white paint for the stars. These make great greeting cards!

Learn More: Clementine Creative

2. Constellation Drawing Activity

This activity requires no prep and is perfect for kids from pre-k to 4th grade. These worksheets provide 28 different constellation drawing activities from across the Northern and Southern hemispheres!

Learn More: Kindergarten Worksheets and Games

3. Glowing Starry Night

Paint an art canvas with black paint and leave it to dry overnight. Then, mix some glow-in-the-dark paint with PVA glue to make your starry scene. Use sequins and stickers to add extra details if you wish.

Learn More: Sun Hats and Wellie Boots

4. Make a Star Finder

Print off the appropriate star finder for the month. Then, have your learners use markers to color it in. Following the instructions, cut it out on the solid lines, and then fold it as shown. 

Learn More: Space Place NASA

5. Night Sky Journal

One of the best ways to learn about constellations is to get outside at night and stargaze. By keeping a journal, kids can log what they view on different days. A perfect activity for a fun family night! 

Learn More: Creative Family Fun

6. Dot-to-Dot Printables

Teaching about constellations is a great way to get kids to recognize shapes and patterns. These dot-to-dot printables can be printed as many times as needed and make a great activity for kids.

Learn More: The Moments at Home

7. Marshmallow Constellations

For this fun constellation craft, have your students construct their favorite constellation from marshmallows! You will need marshmallows, toothpicks, and a diagram of constellations for reference. Challenge your kids to see how many constellations they can make!

Learn More: KC Edventures

8. Night Sky Painting

For this, you will need watercolor paints and paper, oil pastels, a star and circle-shaped hole punch, and some colored cards. Using the circle and star shapes as stencils, you color in with oil pastels and pop your watercolors over the top for a super effective starry picture!

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9. DIY Night Sky Canvas

For this, you will need a canvas, led lights, a glue gun, a safety pin, and a brush and paints. Have your students paint their canvas black and dry it overnight. They can then glue the lights to the back of the canvas and use the pin to slightly pull the lights through. The finished piece looks super effective in a sensory area and is a ton of fun to create!

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10. Constellation Play-Doh Activity

Print off some diagrams of constellations or use a book for reference. Provide dark-colored playdough and some glass beads and have your students copy the constellation shapes by pressing the beads into the dough. 

Learn More: Raising Up Wild Things

11. Name in the Night Sky

Using a white wax crayon have your kids write their names and constellation shapes on some white paper. Then, they can color over the top in black watercolor paint to create this creative constellation artwork.

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12. Sensory Writing Tray

Using these free constellation cards for reference, have your kids trace letters and numbers in a mixture of black sand and gold glitter. This is a  super sensory activity that kids will keep coming back to! Once they have mastered single letters, have them level up to create their name! 

Learn More: Fun Learning For Kids

13. Sensory Bin

For this sensory activity, you will first need to dye some rice blue using food coloring. Once this is done, add some star-shaped pasta, different-shaped bottle caps, and scoops to the mixture to keep little hands busy! Mix it up by changing the scoops and colors of the rice regularly to keep little learners interested.

Learn More: Preschool Inspirations

14. Constellation Cards

This includes the seven major constellations seen in the Northern hemisphere and describes how to find them. These cards are a great resource for teachers and homeschooling parents, and even include a checklist for a night sky scavenger hunt!

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15. Night Sky Wreath

To complete this fun hands-on activity you will need a paper plate, circle and star cutters, black watercolor paint, glue, glitter, and gold and silver card. These look great hanging in a classroom on some clear thread and kids will love making them!

16. Make a Star Wheel

Simply print both constellation discs and follow the instructions to print and fold your star wheel. Once made, by turning the wheel to the correct time of year and direction that you’re facing, your learners can see what constellations are above them in the sky.

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17. Constellation Pin Punching Cards

Using these printable constellation cards for reference, use a children’s pin pusher to poke holes through the stars in the constellation. Kids will love to see the light coming through the holes and the exercise is great for fine motor skills!

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18. Color by Number

These color-by-number sheets provide awesome practice for preschoolers learning number recognition and pencil control. Kids love anything to do with stars and galaxies so these activity sheets are sure to keep them engaged!

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19. Paper Tube Telescope

A great way for kids to learn about constellations during daylight hours! You will need a paper tube, scissors, dark paint, glitter, a straight pin, and the free constellation card template. Have your students paint and decorate their tubes and then secure the card template to the end. Next, poke through the holes with the pins, and hold up to a window to view your starry scene!

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20. Constellation Playlists

These playlists cover the myths and science behind the different constellations. They’re great for slightly older students who are ready for more in-depth learning about constellations.

Learn More: Learning Online Blog

21. DIY Galaxy Soap

This activity does require some planning and time (roughly 3 hours) but is totally worth it! It creates lots of opportunities for discussion about the night sky and is a hands-on constellation activity that kids will love! Simply mix your soap base following the instructions; leaving it to set in-between layers to create different layers of sparkly soap. 

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22. Galaxy Dough

This dough is super smooth, stretchy, and hard to put down; making it a huge hit with kids! It requires no cooking and just a few ingredients; flour, salt, boiling water, baby oil, cream of tartar, and food coloring.

Learn More: Growing a Jeweled Rose

23. Night Sky Cup Craft

For this cute craft, you need a foam cup, a small glowstick, black paint, a toothpick, and star stickers. Have your learners paint their cups and leave them to dry. They can then decorate them with stickers and poke constellation-patterned holes in them. Lastly, have them insert the glow stick and secure it with tape for this incredible effect!

Learn More: Creative Little Explorers

24. Puffy Paint Night Sky

To make this puffy paint activity you will need;  flour, baking soda, salt, water, dark paint, and a squeezy bottle. Using black paper and a white crayon, your students can draw their constellations. Then, they can squeeze puffy paint over the top and leave it to dry!

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25. Night Sky Felt Activity

This is a simple activity requiring only black and yellow felt. Littles can cut out star shapes from the yellow felt and use these to make constellation patterns. You could also add this to your math planning by sorting various sizes or for counting activities!

Learn More: Fantastic Fun and Learning

26. Star Tube Craft

This requires a cardboard tube, pin, black paper, and elastic bands. Learners can cut out circles of black paper that are big enough to cover the end of the tube. They can then draw dots for the constellations on their paper circle. Lastly, they need to poke holes through the circle with a pin and secure the paper with an elastic band.

Learn More: Bubba Blue and Me

27. Pipe Cleaner Constellations

This is a perfect space STEM activity for little hands. You will need beads, scissors, and pipe cleaners. Using a constellation diagram for reference, students can bend the pipe cleaner to the shape of the constellation and add the beads to represent stars!

Learn More: School Time Snippets

28. Constellation Cards

Mini astronomers will love these constellation cards! They make the perfect extension activity and can also be used to recap space knowledge. The cards each feature a different constellation and are clearly labeled.

Learn More: Mama Teaches

29. Constellation Lacing Cards

Lacing is a perfect activity to work on fine motor skills and keeps kids engaged. All you will need is some colored string and these simple lacing cards. Ask your kids to carefully thread their string through the holes to make the different constellations.

Learn More: Living Life and Learning

30. Constellation Cookies

These constellation cookies will be a huge hit at home or in the classroom! The chocolate drops can be placed in patterns; depicting the different constellations. You will need to organize some diagrams for reference! 

Learn More: No Time For Flashcards

31. Constellation Word Search

Word searches are fantastic for kids who need to practice tracking text left to right, and for kids who find reading difficult. More advanced puzzlers will be able to look diagonally for words.

Learn More: Monster Wordsearch

32. Constellations Geoboard

This activity requires a geoboard (follow the instructions to make your own if you require one), loom bands, and constellation cards. Learners can pick a constellation for reference, count how many stars there are, and then stretch their loom bands to make the pattern. 

Learn More: Schooltime Snippets

33. DIY Constellation Magnets

This neat activity requires magnets, glow-in-the-dark stars, embroidery floss, a baking sheet, and constellation cards. Have your learners stick the magnets to the back of the stars- carefully following the pattern of the constellation, looping the floss behind the magnet, and securing it to the tray. Voila! Their very own magnetic constellation!

Learn More: Laly Mom

34. Constellation Coloring Page

Your kids will love these fun coloring pages. They’re perfect when discussing constellations and star signs as each child can find their star sign on a chart and color it in! 

Learn More: Stevie Doodles

35. Crayon Constellations

Create these fun constellation pictures by using black construction paper, white crayons, and star stickers. Peeling the stickers and using crayons is great for developing those fine motor skills in little fingers! Just use diagrams of your favorite constellations for reference, and count how many stars you need!

Learn More: Teachers Mag

Astronomy for Kids

Constellations.

• Capricornus
• Sagittarius
• The largest constellation by area is Hydra which is 3.16% of the sky.
• The smallest is Crux which only takes up 0.17 percent of the sky.
• Small patterns of stars within a constellation are called asterisms. These include the Big Dipper and Little Dipper.
• The word "constellation" comes from a Latin term meaning "set with stars."
• Twenty two different constellation names start with the letter "C."
• Take a ten question quiz about this page.
• Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

5th Grade Space and Astronomy

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Is Teaching Self-Regulation the Key to Fewer Classroom Issues?

This free research project will pay you to try it out with your students.

Oregon Research Institute is an independent nonprofit behavioral sciences research center. The We Have Choices program was designed to help students develop self-reflection and self-management skills to be successful in the classroom.

Self-regulation is a struggle for everyone lately. All the distractions we face each day make finding time to reflect or focus feel almost impossible. And our students are no exception. Behaviors in our classrooms are getting worse, but we know that isn’t the only problem. What problems are we seeing our students struggle with the most?

• Staying motivated
• Focusing on what’s being taught
• Keeping their materials organized
• Making a plan to get work done
• Seeing plans through to completion

In other words, they don’t know how to self-regulate.

If we want to improve students’ behavior, focus, and ability to complete tasks, we need to begin explicitly teaching our students self-regulation skills. We Have Choices is a free, research-based program that helps 4th and 5th grade teachers do just that. And the results teachers are reporting are pretty encouraging.

Say hello to We Have Choices

We Have Choices, an innovative 4th and 5th grade program, is the focus of a study about teaching students self-management skills by giving teachers the following resources:

• A 9-week curriculum of quick, fun lessons to fit into your weekly schedule
• Videos, posters, and daily student trackers that reinforce self-regulation concepts
• Easy-to-follow instructions on how to teach the lessons
• Tools to help you monitor your students’ improvement

Why this program is good for you and your students

The program focuses on teaching students critical classroom skills like following expectations, focusing on tasks, managing feelings, asking for help, and doing their best work. If you think your 4th or 5th grade students would benefit from practice on any of these skills, this program is for you.

Here’s why teachers have signed up their classrooms:

How the lessons fit into your daily routine

The We Have Choices curriculum can be done at any point during the week, making it totally flexible for your schedule. It was designed with a teacher’s busy schedule in mind, often taking no more than 30 to 60 minutes a week. Video lessons present an entertaining game show that demonstrates skills and engages students. And the  My Daily Tracker  student booklets support self-management routines that are easily incorporated into regular classroom activities.

Take a look at how these teachers made the lessons work with their schedules:

Why students love these lessons

We know a program works best if students enjoy and look forward to the lessons and activities. We Have Choices is successful because it really helps students see how their actions affect their emotions and behaviors. It teaches them the tools they need to follow instructions and learn during the school day. As students learn to see the patterns in their own behaviors, they see for themselves how powerful self-regulation can be. By learning to check in with themselves each day, they begin to take responsibility for the way they act and behave in class and in their own lives.

What do students who’ve been through the program like the most?

Sounds great, but does it really work?

It can be scary to try out a new program when your schedule is already chock-full as is, but we know what we’re currently doing just isn’t working. Student behavior is getting worse and more and more students struggle with basic skills like organization and time management. We Have Choices is looking for solutions to these problems. By taking the time to explicitly teach our students these skills, we’re going to get that time back (and more!) when they are able to self-regulate more effectively during class time. Participating in research helps create new knowledge that can change the way we teach and help students learn. And creating that knowledge takes a community.

Here’s what teachers who completed the program observed in their own classrooms:

Here’s how to get started

If this program sounds like something that you might want to try out in your classroom, fill out the We Have Choices Research Study Inquiry form . You’ll hear back from our partners at the We Have Choices program within a day or two.

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