Activity 1: Book and Discussion
Start by reading the chapter titled "An Introduction to Star
Gazing" in the Constellations book included in the lab package.
Expand upon this reading by discussing the paths the starts appear
to travel in the course of an evening. Since Earth is spinning
along its axis, stars near the North Pole will look like they
are traveling in a circle around the North Star. Therefore, if
you pointed your camera at the right spot (Polaris) and took a
time-lapse photo it would look like the ones below.
© the observers, AlltheSky.com
Activity 2: Making a Star Clock
Pass out an Instruction sheet to each student. Have the girls
cut out both circles and attach them as shown on the instruction
sheet.
Activity 3: Using the Star Clock
Indoors
Since the lab is most likely down during the daytime, girls will
learn how to read their star clocks using the poster included
in the kit. The star clock using the orientation of three constellations:
the big and little dipper and Cassiopeia (the W) as the basis
for determining the time.
- First, using the constellation book, show the girls what
these three constellations look like.
- Hang up the poster in the 7 PM position.
- Have the students hold their star clocks so that the current
month is at top. Now have them turn the inner circle until the
constellations look just like the ones on the poster.
- Read the time by looking in the "THE TIME IS" window.
Make sure everyone is reading the correct time to within an
hour.
Remind the students about the starts traveling in circles.
- Rotate the star poster and ask the students to read the time.
Repeat this until all students have the correct concept.
- The Star Clocks can also be used as alarm clocks. Slowly
rotate the star poster and have the students say ‘buzz’
when it reads 6 am.
- Encourage the students to use the star clocks at home. Remind
them to add an hour if it is daylight savings time.
Activity 4: Using the Star Clock Outside
- Find the Big Dipper and the North Star, as shown on the
face of your Star Clock.
- Face the North Star, as shown on the front of the clock.
- Find the current month around the outside circle of the
Star Clock. Put your thumb over the current month. Hold your
Star Clock so the current month, marked by your thumb is AT
THE TOP.
- Holding the large disc firmly with the current month at
the top, turn the smaller disc until its stars line up with
those in the sky.
- Read the time in the window.
- If you are on Daylight Savings Time, add one hour.
Acknowledgement:
This activity is taken from the Earth Moon and Stars GEM book from
Lawrence hall of Science, U. C. Berkeley. An interactive on-line
version of this activity is available at http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/StarClock/starclock.html |
