Download Greek Word Element Astro Aster

Perry D. Stokes, 2011
Astro/Aster, Greek Word Element
Objective: Students will identify the Greek word element, astro, within the words
astronomy, asteroid and astrology. Students will state the meaning of the word element,
read with the word element and employ the word element in a writing activity.
Teacher: “We are going to do three activities. All three activities are connected by a
simple, everyday word. At the end of the activities, I want you to tell me what that word
is.” (Stars)
Activity 1 – Keyword, Astronomy
Materials: Large Paperclips & a Picture of Constellations
Give each student a large paperclip. Tell them to reshape the paperclip into a shape of
their choosing.
Teacher: “Pick up a paper clip and reshape in a shape of your choice. The new shape of
the paperclip could resemble a shape seen in the stars. (Show the students pictures of
some constellations.) There is one fancy word that we can use to replace the simple
words ‘in the stars,’ astronomy. The paperclip might resemble shape seen in astronomy.”
Perry D. Stokes, 2011
Activity 2 – Keyword, Asteroid
Materials: Hole Punchers and Lined Paper
Give each student a hole punch and a piece of notebook paper. Tell the students to punch
at least fifty holes in their paper. Next, students will dump out the punches on their
desktops and spread them across their desk.
Teacher: “Take a piece of paper and punch fifty holes in it. Dump the punches out on the
table-top and spread them out. Just as your desktop is covered with paper punches, just
past the earth’s atmosphere, there is a covering of dust and debris, ancient people once
thought this was dust and debris was from pieces of stars; some pieces no bigger than
these punches we made. There is one fancy word to replace the words ‘pieces of dust
believed to be from stars,’ asteroids. The size of these punches could be the same size as
some of the asteroid dust around the earth.”
Activity 3 – Keyword, Astrology
Materials: Lined Paper, Pens/Pencils and Foil Stars
Give each student a piece of notebook paper, a pen or pencil and some foil stars. Tell the
students to write down a wish or a goal on their paper. Have them place some foil stars
over their writing. Encourage some of the students to share their wishes/goals.
Teacher: “Take a piece of paper and a pencil and write a goal or a wish on it. Place
some foil stars over your wish. Some people consult the stars to see if their goals or
wishes will ever come true. There is one word that we can use to replace the common
words ‘consult the stars.’ It is a less common word, astrology. People consult astrology to
see what will happen to them.”
Perry D. Stokes, 2011
Discovery of Astro/Aster
Teacher: “Shapes in the stars, dust from stars and consult the stars - What was the simple,
everyday theme of our three activities?”
Students: “Stars”
Teacher: Teacher will write astronomy, asteroids and astrology on the board and ask,
“What do you see that is the same in the three fancy words: astronomy, asteroids, and
astrology?”
Students: “I see a-s-t-r-o or a-s-t-e-r.”
Teacher: “Now connect the stars theme of our three activities to the fancy words and tell
me a simple, everyday word for ‘astro/aster’?”
Students: “‘astro/aster’ means stars.”
Teacher: “Good, ‘astro/aster’ is a less common (fancy) way to say the common word
‘stars’. Our everyday words like stars are some of our oldest words, they are called Old
English words, but our fancy English words often come from Latin or Greek. Astro
comes from Greek.”
Perry D. Stokes, 2011
Defining the Astro/Aster Discovery Words
Teacher: “Remembering the word ‘stars’ helped us to define our three fancy words. The
word astronomy means to study space and ___ .” Pause to prompt the students to
complete this basic definition by saying ‘stars.’
Students: “Stars”
Teacher: “Yes, astronomy means to study space and the stars. The word asteroids means
chunks and pieces believed to be from the ___.” Pause to prompt the students to complete
this basic definition by saying ‘stars.’
Students: “Stars”
Teacher: “Yes, asteroids means pieces of rocks, dust and debris believed to be like the
stars. The word astrology means to consult the ____ .” Pause to prompt the students to
complete this basic definition by saying ‘stars.’
Students: “Stars”
Teacher: “Yes, astrology means to consult the stars.”
Astro/Aster Derivative List - astrolabe, astrology, astronomer, astronomy, astrologist,
astrophysics, asteroid, aster, astronomical, astronaut, astronomical
Perry D. Stokes, 2011
Reading Activity
A - Reading Words
astrolabe
astrology
astronomer astronomy
astrologist
astrophysics
aster
asteroid
astronaut
astronomical
astrologer
astrophysical
B - Reading Phrases
1. travel by using an astrolabe
2. read about astrology
3. an astronomer watches
4. an astronomy book
5. astrologist at the fair
6. vase full of asters
C – Reading Sentences
1. The ships of the past made use of the astrolabe to travel.
2. An astronomer watches the constellations under the night sky.
3. An astronomy book uses a lot of math terms dealing with large numbers.
4. The astrologist at the fair said that I’d soon meet a new friend.
Perry D. Stokes, 2011
Written Activity
Please copy and complete the following sentence stems on a piece of notebook paper:
1.) If I have the job of an astronomer, this means that _____.
2.) That flower is called an aster because _____.
3.) An astronaut dreams of her next _____.
4.) A ship’s captain once needed an astrolabe to _____.
5.) The astrologer tries to tell you your future by _____.
6.) People once thought that asteroids were _____.