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Big Dipper Star Clock

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Participants create a "star clock" that they can take home and use to tell the time from the posisiton of the Big Dipper in the night sky.

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  • Participants Enjoyed the Activity 
    Participants Learned from This Activity 
    Activity Instructions Were Clear and Easy to Follow 
    Would Recommend 

Related Programming Resources

Add a Tech Twist Optional: app for learning more about the constellations, such as Star Walk or Sky Map (here)
Related Links Super Stars (Constellations): Crash Course Kids
Constellation Location: Crash Course Kids
Big Dipper
Skylight: The Big Dipper Through Time
Star Stories: The Never-ending Bear Hunt
Ursa Major facts for kids
Big Dipper over Pyramid Mountain
https://viewspace.org/interactives/unveiling_invisible_universe/star_formation/eagle_nebula
Originating Source Permission is granted for individual educators to copy and use the Star Clocks activity from Astro Adventures II by Dennis Schatz and Paul Allan, Pacific Science Center, 1996. More information about Astro Adventures II and astronomy activities by Dennis Schatz are at www.dennisschatz.org. Other use of the Star Clocks activity requires separate permission from Pacific Science Center.
Related Books
[Suggest a book]
Find the Constellation by H.A. Rey
The Stars by H.A. Rey
The Great Canoes in the Sky by Stephen Robert Chadwick and Martin Paviour-Smith
The Seven Sisters of the Pleiades
Exploring Constellations by Sara Latta
See It with a Small Telescope: 101 Cosmic Wonders Including Planets, Moons, Comets, Galaxies, Nebulae, Star Clusters and More by Will Kalif
The Secret Galaxy. by Fran Hodgkins and Mike Taylor
Night Sky Watcher by Raman Prinja

Reviews

 
Rating 
Participants Enjoyed the Activity 
Participants Learned from This Activity 
Activity Instructions Were Clear and Easy to Follow 
Would Recommend 
06/24/2019

Star Clocks Passive Programming

I used this activity as a passive program for summer reading at a public library. It worked great! My teens weren't great at reading the directions on their own, but with some gentle guidance they enjoyed this activity. I also stuck star stickers on our window in the shape of the big and little dippers so they could test out their clock during the day. Thank you for such an easy and ready-made activity!

Rating 
Participants Enjoyed the Activity 
Participants Learned from This Activity 
Activity Instructions Were Clear and Easy to Follow 
Would Recommend 
05/15/2019

Star clock - fun for all ages

This is such an easy, fun, and educational activity that I used at a large event with kids as young as 3 and their adult caregivers. I was a little apprehensive that younger kiddos may have had a hard time cutting out the circles and the little cutout that shows the time, but even with some interpretive cuts, most kids were able to do it! Due to the nature of my event, I wasn’t able to go into too much depth about the science behind telling time with the stars, but I was able to facilitate discussions with kids about the passage of time. Some had experiences making sundials, but none of them had used a star clock before, and they were excited to do so. All of the parents were excited to do additional learning at home. Having the instructions written on the actual clock helped clear up any confusion on how to use it, and I would happily do this again and again!

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Big Dipper Star Clock

Big Dipper Star Clock

Participants create a "star clock" that they can take home and use to tell the time from the posisiton of the Big Dipper in the night sky.