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Stargazing: A Graphic Guide to the Heavens:
How The Sky Works: Teacher’s Guide
Grade Level: 7-12
Curriculum Focus: Space Science
Lesson Duration: Two class periods
Program Description
Stargazing: How The Sky Works is an overview of how the stars, planets, and galaxies are recorded
and tracked. The program covers the reason for the apparent "movement" of the constellations, how the
ecliptic plane affects our view of the sun and moon, the importance of the zodiac star groupings to
astronomers in locating various galactic phenomena, and star map "longitude" and "latitude." Accurate
and colorful images from the VLT, Hubble and other powerful telescopes illustrate the educational
points with clarity and precision.
Discussion Questions
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Why have humans grouped, named, and looked for explanations of the nature of the stars?
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For what purpose have these groupings, names, and explanations been used throughout
history?
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What makes the stars appear to move and change over time?
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What constellations are currently visible in the sky where you live?
Lesson Plan
Student Objectives
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Understand why and where stars “move.”
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Identify the methods by which people view the stars.
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Examine the place of the earth in the solar system, the galaxy, and the universe.
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Present oral reports on lunar and solar eclipses. Write a report on the precession cycle.
Materials
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Stargazing: How the Sky Works video and VCR, or DVD and DVD player, or access to the
program in downloadable or streaming format online
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Copies of a star map of the night sky as currently visible
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A diagram or model of the solar system
Stargazing: A Graphic Guide to the Heavens: How The Sky Works: Teacher’s Guide
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An image of the Milky Way galaxy seen from above, either printed out or projected onto a large
screen
Procedures
1. Project or display the image of the Milky Way galaxy. Have students give brief oral
presentations describing its shape and the location of our solar system within it. Extension:
Display pictures of several other galaxies. Have students compare and contrast them with the
Milky Way, either orally or in writing.
2. In groups or as a class have students look at a copy of the star map and locate Polaris. Ask
them to name and label as many constellations as possible and describe where they are located
in relation to Polaris. Have a student write the information on the board, or have a student from
each group write down their findings, then present them orally. Discuss how these relative
positions change during the seasons and at what rate they change.
3. Using the library, the Web sites below and other available research tools, have two students or
two groups of students research solar and lunar eclipses respectively. Ask them to present an
illustrated oral report to the class on how, when, and where eclipses occur, and when one has
been or will be visible in your area. http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html
http://www.mreclipse.com/MrEclipse.html
http://documents.wolfram.com/applications/astronomer/Notebooks/FamousEclipse.html
http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/why.html
http://www.kidseclipse.com/pages/a1b3c0d0.htm
4. Using a diagram or a model of the solar system, look at and discuss the rotation and orbits of
the planets including the speed and size of each. Clear a large space and place a student or
object in the center, representing the sun. Choose a student to “play” Mercury and “orbit” very
quickly around the “sun.” Choose a second person to play Venus with a slightly slower orbit.
One by one put students into the “solar system” until all the planets and their speed of orbit are
represented. Students representing the outer planets should move as though they were in a
slow-motion film.
5. Have a student, or group of students, research the precession cycle. What does this cycle affect
and in what way? What is “the Age of Aquarius”? More advanced students may research the
mathematical principles that govern the precession cycle and/or relate the cycle to declination
and right ascension lines. http://www.crystalinks.com/precession.html; http://wwwistp.gsfc.nasa.gov/stargaze/Sprecess.htm; http://www.perceptions.couk.com/precess.html
6. When students have completed their initial research, ask them to summarize their findings in a
one-page report or ask students to write a summary of the material covered in class.
7. As an assessment for this lesson, formulate a quiz or worksheet using the support resources
available on the DiscoverySchool.com Web site. Please visit
http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/teachingtools.html
Assessment
Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students' work during this lesson.
Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.
Stargazing: A Graphic Guide to the Heavens: How The Sky Works: Teacher’s Guide
3
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3 points: Students were highly engaged in class discussions; participated fully in research
projects; displayed genuine understanding in their reports and summaries, not just rote
knowledge of facts and principles related to star movement; completed at least 90% of the
quiz or worksheet correctly.
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2 points: Students contributed to class discussions; participated adequately in research
projects; displayed relevant knowledge of facts and principles related to star movement in
reports and summaries; completed at least 75% of the quiz or worksheet correctly.
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1 point: Students contributed little to class discussions; participated poorly or disruptively
in research projects; displayed poor or incorrect knowledge of facts and principles related to
star movement in reports and summaries; completed 60% or less of the quiz or worksheet
correctly.
Vocabulary
constellation
Definition: A group of stars seen as a figure used to locate points and features of the sky, often
given names from mythology
Context: The constellation of Orion, the Hunter, is surrounded by a cloud of space dust called
the Orion Nebula.
ecliptic
Definition: The plane defined by the path of the sun as it appears to move through the
constellations.
Context: When the moon crosses the ecliptic on the light side of the Earth, we experience an
eclipse of the sun.
galaxy
Definition: A group of billions of stars, often round or spiral-shaped, orbiting a center;
astronomers believe that this center is a black hole.
Context: Earth’s home galaxy, the Milky Way, is a spiral galaxy. Our solar system is located
towards the end of one of the spiral arms, about 30,000 light-years from the center.
lines of declination
Definition: On a star map, the lines equivalent to latitude on an Earth map
Context: The lines of declination are measured in degrees north or south from the celestial
equator.
lines of right ascension
Definition: On a star map, the lines equivalent to longitude on an Earth map
Context: The lines of right ascension are measured in hours, minutes and seconds eastward from
the intersection of the celestial equator and the ecliptic.
Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.
Stargazing: A Graphic Guide to the Heavens: How The Sky Works: Teacher’s Guide
4
Polaris
Definition: The northern pole star, which barely “moves” in comparison to the rest of the stars
Context: Polaris is visible from anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere and appears closer to the
horizon the farther south the viewer is located.
precession
Definition: The process by which the position of the pole star and the constellations change over
26,000 years, caused primarily by the effect of the moon’s gravity on Earth’s orbit
Context: Due to precession, the position of the pole star changes and eventually another star
appears in its place. Polaris replaced Thuban as the pole star and someday Alderamain will
replace Polaris.
Academic Standards
National Academy of Sciences
The National Science Education Standards provide guidelines for teaching science as well as a
coherent vision of what it means to be scientifically literate for students in grades K-12. To view the
standards, visit http://books.nap.edu.
This lesson plan addresses the following science standards:
Science—Earth and Space Science: Origin and evolution of the universe
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Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
McREL's Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education
addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit http://www.mcrel.org/.
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:
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Science—Earth and Space Sciences: Understands the composition and structure of the
universe and the Earth's place in it
Support Materials
Develop custom worksheets, educational puzzles, online quizzes, and more with the free teaching tools
offered on the DiscoverySchool.com Web site. Create and print support materials, or save them to a
Custom Classroom account for future use. To learn more, visit
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http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/teachingtools.html
Credit
Sylvia Alloway, education writer and former middle school teacher
Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.