Banner of Stars

1. Share poems, songs, and quotes about stars and the night skies with students. Read stories about stars. Have students look at artwork inspired by stargazing, such as Van Gogh's The Starry Night. Discuss with the class about experiences watching the stars and why star-gazing can inspire creative new ideas.
2. Have students create a star banner to inspire their creative thinking. Draw a few large stars on posterboard with Crayola® Metallic FX Crayons. Cut them out with Crayola Scissors.
3. Students trace each star onto black paper with a Crayola Gel Marker. Color stars with metallic crayons. Press hard for a stand-out effect. For cosmic clouds, tape several metallic crayons together and swirl them through the skies.
4. Add rays to the stars by making dots extending away from each point using Crayola Glitter Glue. Dry.
5. Post banners around the classroom. Write poetry and songs in metallic colors. Think of ways to harness the power of shooting stars.

LA: Read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at grade level independently and proficiently.

LA: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

LA: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

SCI: Ask questions about the natural and human-built worlds.

SCI: Construct drawings or diagrams as representations of events or systems.

SS: Describe ways in which language, stories, folktales, music, and artistic creations serve as expressions of culture and influence behavior of people living in a particular culture.

SS: Explore factors that contribute to one's personal identity such as interests, capabilities, and perceptions.

VA: Use art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner.

VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.

VA: Select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning.

Students research the career of an astronomer. What type of education does a person need to become an astronomer? Who are some famous astronomers? What significant discoveries have they made during their careers? Organize your research into a written summary and use Crayola Colored Pencils to sketch a portrait of one of the astronomers studied. Display these in the classroom.

Develop a classroom center focused on the constellations. Provide several books on the topic and appropriate websites. A video, "What is a Constellation?" is located at http://www.videojug.com/film/what-is-a-constellation. Challenge students to investigate the history of a single constellation. Students write a summary of their investigations and create representations of their constellations using Crayola Metallic FX Crayons and black construction paper. Students may also be challenged to write poems about their chosen constellations. Content in the poems should reflect researched facts.

Students interested in history can research The War of 1812 and Francis Scott Key, who wrote The Star-Spangled Banner. In their research, students should uncover Key's inspiration for the lyrics. What is the significance of this song to our nation's history?

Develop a classroom center focused on folk tales about the origins of the constellations. Students compare and contrast explanations provided. Students are challenged to write an original folk tales about the constellations and illustrate them using Crayola Colored Pencils.

The flag of The United States contains 50 stars.In 1861, at the opening of the American Civil War, the same flag had contained only 34 stars.At the close of this same war, there were 36 start on the US flag. Students research what the stars represent on the US flag and why the numbers differ at varying points in the country's history. What 2 states were added during the war? What were the qualifications necessary to become a state in the 1860s? Students use Crayola Colored Pencils to draw an American flag from the 1860s.