Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

January 8, 2010 by KellyH.

Chapter 10 (Volume 1) has us studying the stars. In Bible lesson 4 we talked about how stars differ, and it was suggested that we study constellations. I pulled out my Handbook of Nature Study, by Anna Botsford Comstock. Part IV covers “Earth and Sky.” I highly recommend this book for anyone with children. It’s good reading, even for adults!

After studying the charts of constellations in the Handbook of Nature Study, I assigned the following for Creative Writing: “Create a constellation. Plot it, name it & sketch it.”

Of course, my daughter created an animal constellation–a bunny. Her older brother offered to work with her, and created a stick constellation that is actually attached to the bunny constellation (gotta give them credit for teamwork, at least). These two constellations were completely made-up, and not based on any existing stars.

My younger son decided that he was going to “find” something within the existing stars. After studying the charts a little longer, he created an acorn located between Pegasus and Cygnus.

I’ve always loved star-gazing, and it’s something my children have grown up doing as well. Once the weather gets a little warmer, we’ll be turning our eyes heavenward at night once again, looking for some of the new constellations we learned about this week, as well as finding new ones… like an acorn… or a bunny, holding a stick.

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