A star frame is a simple device made from a wire coat hanger and plastic wrap. Children can create their own star frame map of the Big Dipper by bending a coat hanger into a square shape with the hook end as a handle. Stretch a piece of clear plastic wrap tightly over the square coat hanger "frame" and secure it with clear adhesive tape. Go outside and find the Big Dipper in the night sky by holding up the star frame and centering the frame around it. Using a black permanent marker, help the child mark each star that makes up the Big Dipper with a large, black dot on the plastic wrap. He will now have a mapped image of the Big Dipper. With the help of his star frame, the child can now find the Big Dipper in the night sky any time he wants.
Help your child learn the names of each star in the Big Dipper by having her create portraits of all the members of the "star family" that make up the Big Dipper. Explain to your child that an asterism is like a family of stars that live next to each other in the sky, forming images like the Big Dipper that you can see when you connect the dots. Have your child draw a picture of what she thinks each member of the Big Dipper's "star family" looks like. For instance, she could decide that "Alkaid" is the daddy of the star family because it is the first star on the Big Dipper's handle. She may envision Alkaid as a tall man with a brown beard and draw him accordingly. Have her draw each family member's portrait on its own sheet of paper and write each star's name underneath its likeness. When all the portraits are completed, help your child hang them on the wall in the proper places to form an image of the Big Dipper family.
Using a picture of the Big Dipper as a guide, your child can create his own "glowing" picture of this star formation. He'll need a sheet of black construction paper or card stock, a pencil, a pin and a flashlight. Referring to a Big Dipper photo or illustration, use a pencil to mark the stars that make up the Big Dipper on a sheet of black paper, forming an outline of the asterism. Next, have your child poke holes through the pencil marks with a pin. This creates seven pinholes that resemble the outline of the Big Dipper. Hold up the paper and shine a flashlight at the back of the page; the light will shine through the pinholes, forming a glowing facsimile of the Big Dipper on the front side of the paper. If there isn't enough light shining through, make the pinholes a little larger.
Many ancient cultures had stories and theories about the Big Dipper, and this star formation has also played its part in history. For instance, Native American legends described the "bowl" of the Big Dipper as a bear and the "handle" as three warriors chasing the bear. During the Civil War, slaves trying to escape through the Underground Railroad were often guided by songs sung by other slaves along the way. Hidden messages in the songs warned slaves of danger and told them which way to go and when to travel. One such song, called "Follow the Drinking Gourd, " instructed slaves to follow the Big Dipper in order to get to freedom. Since the Big Dipper has played such an interesting role in history and folklore, help your child research these subjects. Take her to the library so she can check out books about the Big Dipper, and help her conduct research on the Internet. Have your child present the information she finds in a written report or on a project board, depending on her age. A project board can have photos, drawings and written information detailing what your child has learned about the Big Dipper.
The Big Dipper is commonly mislabeled as a constellation when, in fact, it is a pattern of stars known as an asterism. The Big Dipper is an asterism contained within the constellation Ursa Major and is one of the largest and most famous asterisms, according to information from NASA. Help your child understand this key fact so he can explain it at school when his class learns about the Big Dipper. He may even teach his teacher something she didn't know about the Big Dipper.