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Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD)

Each day, APOD features a different photograph of the universe, along with a short explanation by an astronomer. There's also a searchable APOD Archive.

Here are a few photos to get you started:

• Look for Orion here — and then search for the bright stars of his belt in this snapshot from the International Space Station
• Your students may have heard of the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper, but have they seen them in the sky? Move your mouse onto the photo to see the connecting lines.

Adopt a Constellation

Have each student adopt a constellation and write about it.

The NASA Starchild website tells four stories from different cultures inspired by constellations.

You can find a list of books that tell Native American and African star myths here.

A list of constellations that the ancient Greeks saw can be found here. You can search these constellations alphabetically or by season for more information.

• Sky Heroes — Students work in groups to identify a hero and to create a constellation to honor that person. Activity created by PBS is here and sky maps are here.

• Finding Your Way to Mars, Pennsylvania — Students search the atlas for towns and natural landmarks with astronomical names.