Students can learn about stars, their distance and magnitude by researching constellations. In groups or individually, students choose a constellation to study, identifying the location of the constellation, its major stars and their characteristics. Then, students share their discoveries with the class. Constellations can be diagrammed by piercing holes in black construction paper and shining a flashlight through it. For a larger project, the class can make a star chart based on current astronomical information.
To explore the effects of gravity and the conditions on other planets in the solar system, students can do a variety of experiments involving balls of various sizes. By dropping balls ranging from tiny, dense superballs to basketballs from a variety of heights, students can explore the ways in which differences in gravity on planets such as Jupiter or Mars would affect the speed and height of the balls. Students can also write up their findings or orally report to the class.
To practice skills in researching and synthesizing information, students can explore the birth and life cycle of stars. Using the Internet and a list of terms such as "black hole," "red giant" and "neutron star," students work in groups to learn about the behavior of stars ranging from those near our sun's size to those over 50 times its mass. Students can then draw diagrams or create presentations showing the life cycle of their chosen star.
Combining research, writing skills and imagination, students can work with scenarios requiring them to be planetary travel agents, creating travel guides and maps for tourists visiting planets such as Mars or Saturn. Incorporating astronomical facts such as temperature, atmospheric conditions and distance from Earth, students work together to write or orally report on the results of their research and creativity.