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These reading are free with registration on ReadWorks or Newsela:
Why don’t we see stars in the daytime?: All readings include comprehension questions (Grade 1).
Flagstaff, Arizona, is darker at night than other towns: A writing prompt and quiz questions are available for each reading (Grade 2).
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This video from National Geographic shows how the night sky looks from places with different levels of light pollution.
What gets hidden by light pollution? In this video, a professional astronomy photographer takes you out of the city to see the stars.
This news report from The Today Show shows how a small mountain town redesigned its lights to cut down on light pollution.
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Create your own star clock with these instructionsso you can tell the time at night and predict when different constellations will be visible!
Note: This star clock was designed for use in the Northern Hemisphere. It uses Standard Time, so you should subtract 1 hour if you are on Daylight Savings Time. If you live in a country farther north or south than the United States, you may need to adjust the star clock based on your location.
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| Exploration | 11 min |
| Hands-On Activity | 25 min |
| Wrap-Up | 4 min |
In this lesson, students use a model to investigate why the stars are visible at night but disappear when the Sun comes out during the day. In the activity, Star Projector, students use paper cups to project stars onto a sky picture, and observe what happens to these stars when a flashlight acts as a model of the Sun.
| Big Dipper Star Pictures printout | Print 3 copies |
| Sky Sheet printout | Print 15 copies |
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Scissors
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30 pairs |
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Dot Stickers
We prefer stickers because they are easier to distribute in a classroom.
Tape will also work.
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Details
30 stickers
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Paper Cups (8 oz)
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30 cups |
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Push Pins
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30 pins |
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LED Flashlights
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30 flashlights |
You will need to do part of this activity in the dark with the lights off and curtains drawn.
We suggest students work in pairs. Homeschool students will need two flashlights and a partner to help with a few steps.
Each printout has 12 Big Dipper pictures. Cut up enough Big Dipper sheets to provide each student with one star picture.
Set up activity stations by posting Sky Sheets on walls that will be dark or dimly lit when you pull the shades and turn out the lights. We recommend that each pair of students works at an activity station. If classroom space is limited, we’ve found that one station can comfortably accommodate up to 8 students taking turns.
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