Rochester City School District / Overview



Name: ________________________________________________ Period: _______

Constellations Webquest Worksheet

Go to lrickerson. Click on Space Science link, scroll to chapter 1. There you will see a series of links to questions under the title Constellations Webquest

Go outside some clear evening.  Bring along a blanket.  Spread out the blanket and lie down.  Look at all the stars you can see.  Quite a beautiful sight isn’t it! Stars spread out across the sky.  But, did you know that there are patterns to be seen?  We call these patterns “constellations.”  You are going to learn about constellations.  As you learn about constellations, you will be given assignments to do. These will help you learn all about constellations. When you have finished this WebQuest, you will know all about constellations.  And, you will never look at the stars in quite the same way!

Use the links to help you answer the following questions.

Click on Question #1 Link—

1. What is a Constellation? When we talk about constellations, do you know what they are?  Your first assignment is to find a definition of constellations. After you read the section, define constellation.

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Click on Question #2 link-

2. Where Did Constellations Come From? Knowing what a constellation is great!  How did they get there?  Visit this site for a history of constellations. After reading this section, explain how we got constellations in a minimum of two sentences.

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Click on Question #3 Link-

3. Constellations and Their Stars –You are now at the interactive star menu. Click on the constellation that you wish to draw and draw it in the box. Draw the stars and connect the dots.

Click on the Question #4 Link-

4. This website has many myths associated with the constellations. Pick three that are interesting to you and summarize them on the lines below. (Minimum of 2 sentences each)

Constellation: _________________________

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Constellation: _________________________

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Constellation: _________________________

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Click on the Question #5 link--

5. You have been given some constellations. You need to provide the following information: the abbreviation for the constellation, the name of the brightest star in the constellation (the brightest star in the constellation is always the star that is listed first in the star list), and when the constellation is best seen (what month).

|Constellation |Abbreviation |Brightest Star (see above) |Month Best Seen |

|Cygnus | | | |

|Hercules | | | |

|Lyra | | | |

|Scorpius | | | |

|Ursa Minor | | | |

|Virgo | | | |

Constellations by Seasons

If you go outside different times of the year, you will see different constellations.  Why?  Because the Earth revolves around the Sun. Use these four star charts to help you answer Questions #7 - #10.

Click on Question #6 Link--

6. List the names of four constellations that you can see during winter.

|1. |3. |

|2. |4. |

Click on the Questions #7 link--

7. List the names of four constellations that you can see during spring.

|1. |3. |

|2. |4. |

Click on the Question #8 link--

8. List the names of four constellations that you can see during summer.

|1. |3. |

|2. |4. |

Click on the Question #9 link--

9. List the names of four constellations that you can see during summer.

|1. |3. |

|2. |4. |

Ancient Times

Click on the Question #11 link and answer the following questions as your learn about time. Start with the Aztec link. ---



Have you ever wondered how people knew what time of day it was without a clock or wristwatch? How did people know when to plant crops or gather food for the cold seasons if they did not have a calendar like we do today? How did we get to the accurate time we have today? Find out about other cultures over the past 6,000 years! Study Egypt, the Aztec Indians', or Chinese timekeeping just by clicking the link.

11. A. How long was the Aztec year? ________________________________________________

B. What was an “unlucky day”? _______________________________________________________

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C. Navigate back to the site and then click on the Chinese link.

The Chinese calendar aligns perfectly with the cycle of the ____________________.

D. List your birthday (month/year), your Chinese Zodiac Animal Sign, your element and the Chinese year you were born

-- Birthday

--Zodiac Animal Sign

--Element

--Chinese Year

Navigate back to the Ancient Times site and click on Egypt.

E. What star did the Egyptians use to tell them the Nile was going to flood?

F. The Egyptians most accurate calendar was based on the _________________________________

G. The ancient Egyptians learned to keep track of time at night using an instrument called a _________________________.

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Cassiopeia

Orion

Ursa Major

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