This document provides a lesson plan for students to observe stars. The lesson introduces students to basic facts about stars like the sun and their sizes and temperatures. Students will use a workbook to record their observations of stars on a clear night, noting any unusually bright or colored stars. Afterwards, they will answer questions about their observations and discuss how stars' brightness and distance affect their appearance. The lesson encourages an extension where students research constellations and try identifying them in the night sky.

1. By Carla BridgesStar Light, Star Bright

2. Standard Indicator5.3.2 Observe and describe that stars are like the sun, some being smaller some being larger, but they are so far away that they look like points of light. 5.3.3 Observe the stars and identify stars that are unusually bright and those that have unusual colors, such as reddish or bluish. Taken from: http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/StandardSearch.aspx

3. PurposeThe student will observe and describe that stars are like the sun, some are small and some are big. The student will be able to identify stars that are unusually bright and have unusual colors.

4. Materials1 copy of Black Line Master (BML) Star Light, Star BrightPencilCrayons or colored pencils

5. Pre-Activity PreparationCheck weather forecast.Plan for a clear, dark night for the student to observe the stars.

6. Pre-ActivityThe student will answer the following questions:What do you know about the sun?Did you know that the sun is a star?At night we can see thousands of stars, but during the day we can only see the sun. Why?What is the closest star to Earth?Why can we see stars at night?Have you ever seen different colored stars?

7. Pre-Activity AnswersDiscuss this answer with the teacher.The sun is a star.The sun is so close that its brightness keeps us from seeing other stars.The sun is the closest star to Earth.At night Earth has rotated away from the sun. We are facing away from the sun so we can see the other direction.Stars are different colors and sizes.

8. DefinitionsStar- any of the heavenly bodies, except the moon, appearing as fixed luminous points in the sky at night.Sun-the star that is the central body of the solar system, around which the planets revolve and from which they receive light and heat: its mean distance from the earth is about 93 million miles (150 million km), its diameter about 864,000 miles (1.4 million km), and its mass about 330,000 times that of the earth; its period of surface rotation is about 26 days at its equator but longer at higher latitudes.Diameter-a straight line passing from side to side of any figure or body, through its center.http://dictionary.reference.com/

9. Star Temperatures

10. Student ActivityDistribute a copy of BLM Journal.Complete the workbook and return the next day.

11. Post-ActivityAsk the following questions:What were your observations?Did you notice any stars that were unusually bright?Why do you think stars appear to have different colors?What two things does a stars brightness depend on?The distance of a star is important because it affects the visual image, why?Does temperature affect the color of a star?

12. ExtensionHave the student research and map out some constellations. Have the student observe the night sky a second night and attempt to identify the constellations they researched.

13. ConnectionsRead How the Stars Fell into the Sky: A Navajo Legend by JerrieOughton.Write their own legend, describing the stars.

14. Standard LinksLanguage Arts 5.3.1 Identify and analyze the characteristics of poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction and explain the appropriateness of the literary forms chosen by an author for a specific purpose.5.5.3 Research Application:Write or deliver a research report that has been developed using a systematic research process (defines the topic, gathers information, determines credibility, reports findings) and that: • uses information from a variety of sources (books, technology, multimedia) and documents sources (titles and authors). • demonstrates that information that has been gathered has been summarized. • organizes information by categorizing and sequencing. 5.5.6 Write for different purposes (information, persuasion, description) and to a specific audience or person, adjusting tone and style as appropriate.

15. ResourcesStandard Indicators: Activity:http://www.indianastandardsresources.org/files/sci/sci_5_3_starlight.pdfhttp://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/StandardSearch.aspxDictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/Pictures courtesy of: http://spaceinfo.com.au/keplergoldilocks550.jpghttp://www.clarkplanetarium.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/star-colors_4502.jpg