Hidden Stars

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Recognize that a variety of factors affect the appearance of stars in the night sky.
  

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Materials

For the whole group:

• Tape

For each student:

• Star shapes (see attached PDF file)
• Blunt-edge scissors
• Crayons or markers
• (Optional) Craft materials, such as felt strips and chenille stems

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Star Shapes

Preparation

• Read through and familiarize yourself with the entire activity.
• Download and print copies of the Star Shapes PDF file.
• Note that at least 2 leaders are needed to complete the activity. One leader must occupy the children’s attention for a few minutes while the second leader prepares the star display in the classroom.

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Activity Steps

1. Tell children that today’s activity is called Hidden Stars. The activity begins with children decorating pictures of stars.
2. Distribute 1 copy of the page of stars to each child, as well as crayons and markers and craft materials if desired. Tell children that they may decorate each star on the page in whichever way they like. However, suggest that they color some stars very brightly in yellow, orange, or light green and other stars more darkly in blue or purple.
3. When children are ready, have them cut out their stars using the blunt-edge scissors. Assist the children as needed, but explain that they do not need to cut out the stars exactly. Then they should write their name or initials on the back of each star.
4. Collect all of the stars, and then have 1 of the leaders escort the children out of the classroom.
5. While the children are away, tape their stars to a variety of locations along the board or front wall of the room, on desks and tables, and along the side walls. You may also tape some stars on the ceiling, if it’s convenient to do so. All of the stars should face toward the back of the room where children later will try to observe them.
6. Close the blinds and dim the lights in the room, although do not make the room completely dark. Ideally, some stars should be relatively easy to see from the back of the room, some stars should be difficult to see, and some stars should be very well hidden or obscured.
7. Lead the children back into the classroom, and have them gather against the back wall. Then tell them to scan the room and try to identify the stars they decorated and to observe all the stars they see.
8. After a few minutes, or whenever the children are ready to complete their searches, turn on the lights and invite children into the main part of the room. Have them find their stars on the walls or ceiling, but they should not remove the stars at this time.
9. Lead a discussion about the meaning of this activity. Ask:
   • Which stars were the easiest to see from the back of the room? (These stars usually were the largest stars, the stars that were colored brightly and the stars that were closest to us.)
   • What do you think this activity shows about the stars in the night sky? (Like the paper stars, the real stars come in many different sizes and colors, and some are close to us while others are much farther away. We see the stars that are large, bright, and close, while the other stars are not as easy to see.)
   • Do you remember the name of this activity? What is the name, and why do you think it has that name? (The name of the activity is Hidden Stars. This is a useful name because some of the stars we made were hidden in the room, just like some stars in the night sky are hidden.)
10. Encourage children to claim their stars, take them home, and share the steps and results of the activity with their families.

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Variations

1. For a briefer version of the activity, spread commercial glow-in-the-dark stars about the classroom, and invite children to find them at the beginning of the session.

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