Star Stuff Second Grade©*

Note to the Teacher

For thousands of years, people have struggled to explain the mysteries of the night sky. Ancient cultures, without scientific instruments, could only hazard a guess when it came to astronomy. In Virginia, the 2nd grade SOL's in Social Studies focus on the ancient cultures of Egypt and China. Thus, it makes sense to explore the scientific discoveries and beliefs of those cultures at this point in time. The first lesson is this series of 2nd grade lessons, therefore, deals with Egyptian and Chinese contributions to the study of astronomy. The review lesson appears as lesson two.

The Moon has not yet played an integral part in our study of astronomy and it is time to introduce it into the solar scenario. Therefore, the Moon along with interrelationships of Earth/Space on basic types and patterns of weather make up the rest of the second grade lessons.

The second grade is also a perfect time to expose children to telescopes, observatories, sky labs, etc. Many communities are within commuting access to these kinds of facilities and it is not too early to use them. Depending on your location, you might wish to schedule a field trip to the D.C. Wysor Observatory, Dublin Elementary School, Pulaski, Va. where students can see an actual telescope and its place within an observatory. Viewing telescopes and observatories can be done during daylight hours avoiding the problem of nighttime field trips for such young children. In addition, many science museums offer outreach programs dealing with astronomy. Such a program is offered by The Science Museum of Western Virginia in Roanoke. This program is called Skylab. Skylab will provide a portable classroom. set it up in your gymnasium, and have an expert on hand to present astronomy lessons specifically geared to K-5 students or K-2 students. Although this program is not free, the cost may turn out to be cheaper than an actual field trip to the Science Museum for that number of children.

Note: An excellent teacher resource book on the Moon is The Best Book of the Moon by Ian Graham and published by Kingfisher, 1999

Lesson One
Egyptian and Chinese Contributions to Astronomy

Objectives
The student will:
- discuss Egyptian and Chinese contributions to the study of astronomy
- draw images of historical beliefs
- create and understand how a sundial operates

Materials
drawing paper, pencils, crayons, paint, etc.
wood or cardboard for each student
dowel for each student

Procedure
Initiate discussion with the following questions:
1. How would you describe the shape of the Earth?
2. Are the other planets the same shape?
3. How are we able to tell the shape of the planets?
4. Do you think people always believed the Earth was round?
5. Can you remember an historical person who did not believe the Earth was round? (Columbus is a good example as most children will have heard something about the voyages of Columbus' by this time)
6. Why do you think ancient cultures had a different picture of the shape of the Earth? (no scientific instruments-no images from Space).
7. Try to think about being in school way before the time of Columbus, say thousands and thousands of years ago. Can you guess what you might have been taught about the heavenly bodies?

Accept all answers. Discussion can then focus on the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians and the most likely information provided to children. Egyptian children would believe that the world was shaped like a rectangular box. These children would have pictured the sky as the flat ceiling of a box that was supported on four corners by mountains. They would accept that the sun was carried across the sky in a boat and returned at night via the Underworld.

Have students draw an image of the above description on half a page, labeled as "An Ancient Egyptian's View of the World."

Continue the discussion with the Chinese image of the Earth 4,000 years ago. Explain that Chinese children would have been told that the sky was a rounded dome, surrounding a flat, square-shaped Earth that was, in turn, totally surrounded by water. Their beliefs would include the sun traveling in a big tilted circle. Students can use the second half of the page to illustrate this image and title it "An Ancient Chinese View of the World." Display artwork.

Provide additional information to guarantee that students understand that, although these cultures were not correct in their beliefs, they still contributed a great deal to our knowledge of astronomy.

Describe how Egyptians, who lived in fertile valleys with rivers that flooded only certain times of the year, needed to know when the flooding season would occur so they would not be caught by surprise as the rains descended. Therefore, Egyptians began watching the motions of the sun and the moon and from their observations they developed the calendar. This is the calendar we still use today! The Chinese also developed one of the earliest calendars in existence. In addition to developing a calendar, the Chinese watched for new stars in the night sky. They called these "guest stars" and recorded more than fifty of them.

While no one is sure when the first sundial was constructed, the Egyptians constructed a sundial about 1500 BC (3,500 years ago). The purpose of the sundial is the record the passage of time.

Have students create their own sundials. This is an easy and fun project but does take time, as the sundials have to be marked on the hour. The project is, however, well worth the time and effort. Instructions for making sundials are as follows:
1. Give each child a piece of wood or thick cardboard and a length of dowel. Make a hole near the edge of the wood or cardboard for the dowel.
2. Place the dowel into the hole and secure it in place if necessary.
3. Have students decorate their wood or cardboard.
4. Place the sundial outside on a sunny morning. The dowel will cast a shadow (this is a good time to recall that an object blocking the sun casts a shadow). Have each student paint a line along the shadow cast by the dowel. Paint the time above or next to the shadow.
5. Do this every hour, having students continue to paint in the line and the time of day.

Following completion of individual sundials, solicit ideas from students as to how the sundial works (stick blocks and sun and casts a shadow; shadow's position changes as the Earth spins around and the sun appears to move across the sky). Ask students why we no longer use sundials (they have been replaced by watches).

Lesson Two
Seasons

Objectives
The student will:
- recognize that the Earth's tilt determines season
- predict the outcome of an experiment
- demonstrate how direct sun rays are absorbed by objects

Materials
basketball or globe
three juice or soup can lids
black paint
clay or playdoh
lamp with 100-watt bulb

Procedure
Students must be taught that the Earth is tilted on its axis. Using a basketball or a globe to represent Earth, shine a light (the Sun) directly on the ball or globe as it stands in a completely upright position. Ask for student observations-one side of the Earth is experiencing daylight while the other side is experiencing night. This is a correct observation. Now, you want to explain that the Earth does not stand straight up but rather is tilted on an imaginary line called its axis. Demonstrate the tilt. Now shine the light again and suggest to the students that the fact that the Earth is tilted as it moves and spins causes something else very important to happen. Hints can be provided but, ultimately, students must understand that the tilt of the Earth causes the Earth to have seasons. Ask, with the light shining, and the globe or ball tilted, which area of the world they believe to be having summer (the area which is directly hit by the rays of the light) and which area is having winter. If you shine the light directly on North America, Australia and South America are experiencing winter. In other words, through the year, the Southern and the Northern hemispheres have opposite seasons; while the Northern Hemisphere has winter, the Southern Hemisphere has summer.

Brainstorm with students why seasons are so important to life on Earth. Have them come to the conclusion that seasons affect everything on Earth and cause all kinds of weather.

To further clarify the idea of the Earth's tilt causing seasons, have the students observe the following experiment:

Get three juice or soup can lids and paint them black. Stick the lids into small pieces of clay or playdoh. Make sure one lid is straight up, one lid is on an angle, and one lid lies flat. Use a lamp with a 100-watt bulb and turn it on directly over the top of the lids (12 cm. above the lids). Wait for two to three minutes. Explain that the flat lid represents the angle of the Sun in summer (rays shining directly on it), the tilted lid demonstrates the sun's angle during the spring (where the light is slightly diverted) and the lid that is straight up represents the angle of the Sun in winter. Have students predict (as well as explain their reasoning) which lid will be the hottest. After the three-minute time limit has elapsed, have students touch each lid to determine which is hot, which is warm, and which is cold? This activity will help demonstrate that when the Sun's rays hit an object straight on, that object absorbs the most heat. Thus, when the Sun's rays shine directly on the part of the Earth tilted toward the Sun, we are experiencing summer and when we are tilted away, our seasons change.

Lesson Three
All Kinds of Weather

Objectives
The student will:
- appreciate how the Sun affects our weather
- participate in an experiment to "capture wind"
- determine how the Sun produces wind
- create a water cycle

Materials
Two clear plastic bags and twist ties for each child
Sun Up, Sun Down by Gail Gibbons

Procedure
Briefly review how the tilt of the Earth causes seasons. Have students list the effects of the Sun on the Earth (keeps us warm, helps things grow, provides light, sustains life, etc.). To broaden student knowledge of additional effects of the sun, ask students what they know about the wind and record responses on the chalkboard. Take students outside to "capture the wind."

Once outside have students open their bags as wide as possible (it would be nice if it's a windy day). Have them wave their bags in the air until they are inflated with "wind". They should then twist and tie the opening. Bring inflated bags back into the classroom and record additional ideas about the wind. Ask students if they believe they have captured air or wind in their bags. Discuss responses. If necessary, explain that wind is no longer wind unless it is moving. Once it has been captured, it ceases to be wind and is simply air.

Hopefully, the above activity will spike interest in the movement of air. To avoid confusion, explain that the Sun actually causes the wind. Begin with what they already know-in sunny places on Earth, the Sun's rays warm the air. The idea that warm air is lighter than cold air must now be set forth. Explain that warm air is lighter than cold air so it rises. As warm air rises, cooler air rushes in and this movement of air is called the wind.

Expand the discussion to include that when warm air rises, clouds form. All air has tiny bits of water in it. This water is called water vapor. As warm air rises and begins to cool, it can't hold all these little bits of water (or water vapor), so all the tiny bits of water join together and form a cloud. As more air rises, more water droplets form and join to make big drops of water. When the clouds get too heavy, raindrops fall. Therefore, without the sun, there would be no wind and no rain.

Try the following activity with the class to demonstrate the above information. It might be fun for each child to have his own water cycle to observe.

Put two or three teaspoons of water in a small plastic bag. Blow air into the bag and seal it tightly. Put this bag of water on a sunny windowsill and let students observe what happens. Connect this experiment to what they have heard about the effect of the Sun on weather. The heat from the Sun will evaporate water from the bag (make sure they understand that the water in their plastic bags represents the Earth's water supply meaning lakes, streams, rivers, and oceans) and turn it into water vapor. As the water vapor cools, it will condense and form tiny droplets in clouds. The "clouds" in our bag will meet the colder air and will fall back down as precipitation, rain, sleet, or snow.

Read Sun Up, Sun Down by Gail Gibbons. This book will review all the information on the Sun which has been studied thus far and is appropriate reading for children at the 2nd grade level.

Lesson Four
The Moon in Motion

Objectives
The student will:
- review the spinning of the Earth and the Earth's orbit around the Sun
- incorporate the Moon into the solar scenario
- discuss Moon exploration
- observe and sketch the Moon

Materials
hand-held signs reading Earth, Sun, and Moon (or varying size balloons of different colors clearly marked as Earth, Sun, Moon)
large, open area such as playground or gymnasium

Procedure
Using the hand held signs or balloons, have the students repeat the activity done in lst grade to establish that the Earth spins on its axis every twenty-four hours creating day and night and that, in addition, the Earth orbits or rotates around the Sun which takes approximately one year. Repeat this exercise several times to make sure this concept has been remembered.

Ask students if they can guess what the extra and smallest ball represents-the missing part of our solar simulation. Ascertain that our Moon is also in motion and that the Moon circles the Earth approximately every 29-1/2 days. Have an additional student enter the simulation and as the Earth spins and rotates around the Sun, have the Moon circle the Earth. Repeat the activity so that each child has some part in the simulation. If using balloons, make sure that the Moon is smaller than the Earth and the Earth smaller than the Sun.

Once back in the classroom, continue discussion of the Moon. Explain that the Moon is our closest neighbor in space, but is still very far, far away (between 225,250 miles and 252,700 miles). We can tell that it is our closest neighbor because we can learn a lot about it by observing it with the naked eye. Ask whether students have ever observed the moon during the day. Explain that the Moon rises and sets like the Sun but the Moon is more difficult to see during the day because the light from the Sun makes the sky very bright and, like stars, the moon seems to vanish.
Most of the students are probably aware that astronauts have traveled to the Moon. This will help attest to the fact that the Moon is our closest neighbor. Otherwise, why have humans visited the Moon and failed to visit Mars, Venus, or any of the other planets? Simply, because they are too far away.

Manned Moon explorations are a fascinating topic for children of this age and we would encourage allowing them to discuss what they know about this topic at this time.

Try to plan this lesson on the Moon at a time when there is a full Moon. As a home assignment, request student go outside, not long after sunset, and observe the Moon. Have them sketch what they see and return the sketches for discussion. If time permits, they can also observe the daytime moon and sketch same the following day.

Lesson Five
The Moon in Space

Objectives
The student will:
- review the orbits of the Earth and Moon
- compare the size of the Moon, the Earth, and the Sun
- discuss Moon observations
- experiment with "craters"

Materials
Balls-one extremely large ball (similar to those children bounce upon, a basketball, a baseball)
paper, styrofoam, or plastic cups
enough flour to fill cups half full
marbles of differing sizes

Procedure
Begin the class by displaying three different sized balls as noted above. Request volunteers come up and identify one ball as the Earth, one as the Sun, and one as the Moon. Ask how they were able to identify the three different bodies without any other information. Ascertain that they could determine which was which simply by size. Once correctly identified, have three more students perform the orbits (the Earth around the Sun while spinning) and the Moon around the Earth. Allow classmates to comment about the correctness of student performance. Write three numbers on the board-365, 29 1/2, and 24. Have students determine what the numbers represent (365 - the time the Earth takes to orbit the Sun), (29 1/2 - the Moon's orbit around the Earth), and (24 - time it takes for the Earth to spin around causing day and night). This activity should give you an opportunity to assess the students who have grasped this concept.

Have students display and discuss their moon observations. Use the following questions to lead discussion:

Last night the Moon was a certain shape. What was that shape? When the moon is completely round what is it called? (a full Moon)
Is the Moon always the same shape? (mention quarter moon, half moon, crescent moon, etc.)
Did anyone see the "Man in the Moon?"
Did anyone see any other shapes or markings on the Moon?
Could you observe shadows created by the Moon? What creates those shadows?
As discussion proceeds, explain that the "shapes" that appear on the Moon are really mountains, hills, valleys, and craters. (Meteoroids, comets and asteroids that crashed into the Moon millions of years ago caused most of the craters.)

Perform the following experiment:

Distribute a paper cup to each child or have two children share one cup. Each cup should be half filled with flour (representing the surface of the Moon). Have students hold a marble about two inches above the cup. The marble is dropped into the cup. Students observe their "craters." After removing the first marble, students should be asked to predict what they believe will happen when a heavier marble is dropped into the flour. After predictions are discussed, students should attempt the experiment with the heavier marble. Conversations involving results of the experiment should follow.

This experiment will fix the concept of craters firmly in the minds of the children.

There are countless images of the Moon on the internet. Here are a few which children can get a close-up view of the Moon.

The Moon (http://www.fys.ruu.nl/~zagers/maan/eng/vlekken.html)
Includes pictures of the Moon with the naked eye, with binoculars, and with a telescope

Apollo Manned Space Missions(http://www.lnasa.edu/apollo/ASO8)
Click on images and choose from a multitude of Moon images.

Leicester University Guide to Space and Astronomy (http://www.star.le.ac.uk/edu/index.html)
Search gallery for pictures of the Moon

Phases of the Moon will be addressed in the third-grade curriculum as it continues to spiral upward.

Note: A wonderful conclusion to any introduction of the Moon is the reading of the fiction book, Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen. It is the story of mans' relationship to nature and perfect for 2nd graders. In addition, shadows make up a huge portion of the story, enabling it to fit into our study of astronomy.

SOL's Addressed in 2nd Grade Unit

Science
Scientific Investigation, Reasoning and Logic
2.l The student will plan and conduct investigations in which
- observation is differentiated from personal observation, and conclusions are drawn from personal observations
- conditions that influence a change are defined

Matter
2.3 The student will investigate and understand basic properties of solids, liquids and gases
- mass and volume
- processes involved with changes of matter from one state to another (condensation, evaporation)

Living Systems
2.4 The student will investigate and understand that living things are a part of a system
- living organisms are interdependent with their living and non-living surroundings

Interrelationships in Earth/Space Systems
2.5 The student will investigate and understand basic types and patterns of weather
- wind, precipitation, condensation,

Earth's Patterns, Cycles and Change
2.6 The student will understand that weather and season changes affect plants, animals and their surroundings

Math
Geometry
2.21 The student will identify and create figures, symmetrical along a line, using various concrete materials

History
2.1 The student will study the contributions of ancient Egypt and China which have had an impact on world history, with emphasis on written language, laws, calendars, etc.

English
Oral Language
2.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding or oral language structure
- use increasingly complex sentence structures in oral communication

2.2 The student will continue to expand listening and speaking vocabulary
- use words that express a growing range of interest and knowledge
- clarify and explains words and ideas orally

Reading/Literature
2.7 The student will demonstrate comprehension of fiction and non-fiction selections

Research
2.11 The student will locate information in reference materials

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/97/stars/chart/index.html

http://www.skypub.com/resources/links/links.shtml#charts