Full Moon Night / Star Chart Constellation Viewers
Star Chart Constellation Viewers
Children learn star patterns from charts and make constellation viewers by poking holes in cups to shine a torch through.
How to run it
- Look at star charts and identify a few constellations, including the Southern Cross.
- Draw a constellation on the bottom of a paper cup.
- An educator helps poke holes with a pencil into a ball of playdough underneath.
- Shine a torch through the cup onto the ceiling in a dim room.
You will need
- star charts
- paper cups
- pencils
- playdough
- torches
Make it easier or harderUse bright sticker stars for younger children; older children can research star stories, using local First Nations resources respectfully.
SafetySupervise hole poking.
My Time Our Place · Outcome 4Children explore space science through making and observing.
Fits these theme days
More like this
After School Quick STEM · Science Week · Science Day +3
Cup Tower Book Challenge
Children engineer a tower from cups and card strong enough to hold a book, testing ideas about balance, load and stable bases.
After School Quick STEM · Science Week · Science Day +2Twisted Paper Loop Magic
Children make a twisted paper loop, predict what will happen when they cut it, then discover the surprising one-sided shape that results.
After School Quick STEM · Science Week · Science Day +3Spaghetti and Tape Tower
Small teams build the tallest free-standing tower they can from dry spaghetti and tape, learning about triangles, bracing and teamwork.
Ancient Egypt · Science Week · Science Day +2Salt Mummy Apple Experiment
Children preserve apple slices in salt and compare them with uncovered slices over several days, discovering how drying helped ancient mummification.