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Patricia NewmanPatricia Newman
Sibert Honor Children's Book Author & Environmentalist
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"Hubble-Gazes-at-a-Dazzling-Star-Cluster"-by-NASA-Hubble-is-licensed-under-CC-BY-2.0.

LitLinks: Connect the wonder of the stars to writing

October 2, 2024 LitLinks, LitLinks-Grade 3-5, LitLinks-Grade K-2 No Comments
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GUEST BLOGGER ROXANNE TROUP


Humans have been fascinated with space exploration for centuries—first through observation of the stars and storytelling; then through telescopes and more recently via space travel, probes, and satellites.

stars
This 10.5-billion-year-old globular cluster, NGC 6496, resides at about 35 000 light-years away in the southern constellation of Scorpius (The Scorpion).

REACHING FOR THE STARS: A MISSION TO SPACE (Schiffer Kids, 2024) taps into that fascination by introducing young readers to the wonders of space (with real space photos collaged into the art!) while celebrating NASA’s Artemis mission and the future of space exploration.

Exploring our world through story

But we don’t have to blast-off in a rocket to explore our amazing world. We can read!

Reaching-for-the-Stars-cover

Read REACHING FOR THE STARS with your students paying special attention to the constellations depicted in the book. (Note: The word “constellation” does not appear in the story text. Instead, individual constellations are named. The word “constellation” only appears in the glossary so be sure to help your students make that connection.)

Define constellation for your students as a group of stars that appear to form a picture. Explain that ancient cultures used these star-pictures to navigate, and ask your students how they think travelers learned which stars to look for/pay attention to in the night sky.

Answer: They told stories.

The power of story

Orion
The Orion constellation

Choose one of the constellations represented in REACHING FOR THE STARS to illustrate this point. Research the mythology behind your chosen constellation and briefly share its story with the class. Explain that every major constellation has a story (or mythology) attached to it, and discuss why ancient cultures may have chosen story as the vehicle to transmit important information like knowing how to navigate using the stars.

Next, direct students to choose another major constellation and research the mythology behind it (you can find several options pictured on the constellation cards at the back of my teacher guide for REACHING FOR THE STARS, or a list of officially recognized constellations on NASA’s website). Here are a few kid-friendly sites to direct them towards:

  • US VAO: Kid-friendly Constellation Stories
  • Learn Bright: Constellations for Kids
  • Twinkl: What Are Constellations?
  • Free School: Constellation Myths
  • Our Universe for Kids: Constellations

Creating our own stories

Ask your students to share the story of their constellation in a creative way. They might write a song or poem, create a digital flipbook, work with a partner to perform an original skit, or develop a video game script.

Variation: After the whole-class portion of this activity, direct students to create their own stories connected to their chosen constellation without researching it first. Then compare the actual mythology to their own stories. Do both stories have clear take-away value (the thing people will remember)? Which story best presents the “take-away” in a clear, easily remembered way?

That’s the power of story!

Featured image credit: “Hubble Gazes at a Dazzling Star Cluster” by NASA Hubble is licensed under CC BY 2.0.


RoxanneTroup-author photo

Award-winning children’s author, Roxanne Troup writes kid’s books that inspire wonder and celebrate family. With a background in education, she also writes engaging nonfiction for all ages. Roxanne lives in the mountains of Colorado and enjoys hiking with her family, gazing at stars, and exploring our amazing world through stories. She loves to visit schools to water seeds of literacy and inspire the next generation of explorers, scientists, and storytellers. Learn more about her books or connect with her online at:

  • www.roxannetroup.com
  • on Twitter, Bluesky and Pinterest @roxannetroup

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Tags: STEM+LiteracySTEM+Literacy Physical Science
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  • Home
  • Books
    • Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger
    • Giant Rays of Hope: Protecting Manta Rays to Safeguard the Sea
    • A River’s Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn
    • Planet Ocean
    • Eavesdropping on Elephants
    • Neema’s Reason To Smile
    • Zoo Scientists to the Rescue
    • Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem
    • Plastic, Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
    • Ebola: Fears and Facts
    • Jingle the Brass
    • Nugget on the Flight Deck
    • Surviving Animal Attacks
    • Elite Operations series
    • Energy Lab series
    • QuickReads Fluency Library
    • Books for English language-learners
    • Writers write all kinds of things
  • Author Visit Programs
    • FAQs
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  • Educator Resources
    • STEM + Literacy Activities
    • Teacher Guides
    • Earth Day Every Day newsletter archive
    • LitLinks
    • KidLit creators who make kids want to read
  • Writer Resources
    • Writing Classes
    • Manuscript or Proposal Critiques
    • How I got my start
  • Who is Patricia Newman?
  • Contact
    • Stay In Touch
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