Constellation Box Activity

By Jennifer L. SmithMountainview Elementary

You will need two boxes for this activity. One box should represent a winter sky and one should represent a summer sky. (If you prefer, boxes could represent fall and spring skies.)1. Turn one box so that the open end faces up.2. Use packing tape to tape down any flaps that are on the inside of the box.3. Paint the inside of the box black. Allow to dry.4. Turn the box over so that the bottom is facing up.5. Draw dots in the form of the constellation on the bottom of the box. Using an

enlarged star chart from a book will help. (If you are using a star chart from a book, don’t forget to reverse the pattern so it will be correct from the inside.)

6. Use the hammer and nails to punch out the dots through the bottom of the box. The holes should vary in size to match the relative brightness of the stars.

7. Turn the box over and cut a “doghouse door” opening in one side of the box that is large enough for a child’s midsection to fit through.

8. Attach black cloth over the opening so that no light can enter the box. It should be long enough so that it will drape over a child’s midsection and out onto the floor.

9. When both boxes are completed, place them in a sunny or well-lit area of the classroom.

1. The student will lie down with his/her head and upper part of the torso inside one of the constellation boxes to observe the sky and record observations. Be sure to set a time limit for observing before the student enters the box. Optional: While lying in the box, student can listen to the cassette tape of “space” music through the headphones.

2. The student will lie down in the second constellation box to observe the sky. He/she will make and record observations.

3. After the student has had an opportunity to observe both constellation boxes, he/she will use their observations plus other additional resources to compare and contrast the visible stars and complete the question sheet.

4. Assign each student a constellation to research. Have them tell the names of the stars in that constellation, how the constellation was named, etc.

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