Why do the stars come out at night?

Why do the stars come out at night?
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
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Stars in the country vs city

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Why`do`you`think
stars`come`out`at
night?`Why`can’t
you`see`them`during
the`day?

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Search for Big Dipper

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Big Dipper revealed

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day


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the time when the Sun is in the sky
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night


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the time when the Sun is not in the sky
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Moon


3 of 11

a large, round object that you can usually see in the night sky
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star


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a bright light that can be seen in the night sky
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astronomy


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the study of outer space
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constellation


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a group of stars that form a pattern
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observe


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to pay close attention to something
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telescope


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a tool used to make very distant objects look closer, often used to look at outer space
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model


9 of 11

a pretend version of something that scientists use when the real thing is too big, small, or complicated to work with
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sunrise


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when the Sun appears in the morning
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sunset


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when the Sun disappears in the evening
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Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Activity Prep

Print Prep

In this lesson, students use a model to investigate why the stars are visible at night but disappear when the Sun comes out during the day. In the activity, Star Projector, students use paper cups to project stars onto a sky picture, and observe what happens to these stars when a flashlight acts as a model of the Sun.

Preview activity
Number of students:

I have a Mystery Pack

Big Dipper Star Pictures printout 1 per 12 students
Sky Sheet printout 1 per pair
Scissors
1 pair per student
Dot Stickers
We prefer stickers because they are easier to distribute in a classroom. Tape will also work.
Details
1 sticker per student
Paper Cups (8 oz)
1 cup per student
Push Pins
1 pin per student
LED Flashlights
2 flashlights per pair
Prep Instructions

You will need to do part of this activity in the dark with the lights off and curtains drawn.

We suggest students work in pairs. Homeschool students will need two flashlights and a partner to help with a few steps.

Prepare Big Dipper Star Pictures

Each printout has 12 Big Dipper pictures. Cut up enough Big Dipper sheets to provide each student with one star picture.

Set Up Activity Stations

Set up activity stations by posting Sky Sheets on walls that will be dark or dimly lit when you pull the shades and turn out the lights. We recommend that each pair of students works at an activity station. If classroom space is limited, we’ve found that one station can comfortably accommodate up to 8 students taking turns.

Exploration

11 mins

Hands-On Activity

25 mins

Wrap-Up

4 mins

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