Academy Curricular Exchange
Columbia Education Center
Science

TITLE:    Stories in the Sky

AUTHOR:   Carolyn Creger, Natrona County School District,
          Casper, Wyoming

GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT:  Upper elementary, middle school
     Language arts, science, art

OVERVIEW:  Combining tall tale characters with
constellations.

PURPOSE:  To give students a better understanding of tall
tales and constellations.

OBJECTIVE(s):  To create a story about how a constellation
got in the sky based on a tall tale character(s) accompanied
by a student drawing of the constellation.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:  Paper and pencil; material about tall
tale characters; material about constellations; computer and
paper if stories are to be printed; xerox if stories are to
be made into a class book.

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
(Be sure and state the objective to students first.)

1.   Give students opportunities to read and learn about
     tall tale characters.  Use books, films, filmstrips,
     creative dramatics, pictures, etc.  (Language arts
     activities.)
2.   Students will become familiar with constellations
     through books, magazines, films, filmstrips, charts,
     planetarium visits, personal drawings, night sky
     observations, etc.  (Science activities)
3.   Students should become acquainted with some
     constellation stories.
4.   Students will now create a new adventure for a tall
     tale character(s) which results in the character(s)
     being made into a constellation.  the students usually
     stay true to the character's personality, but this may
     need to be emphasized.
5.   A drawing is to go with the story.
     (Note to teacher: This is the point when the students
     will really examine star charts and pictures to see
     which constellations they want to use.  You may also
     allow them to create new constellations instead of use
     familiar ones.)

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:  Students will share their stories
and pictures.  They could be mounted on the bulletin board,
shared with other classes, or a class book made for class
and others.  To check on their flexibility and originality
the class could list the tall tale characters named and the
constellations names - for a class total.

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