Summer Star Unit - Constellation Activity Cards

Summer, with its warm clear nights, is the perfect time of year to do some star gazing and, subsequently, tackle a space unit! We found two sets of constellation cards that would make a great introduction to the unit. While your little ones probably won't catch onto names like 'Sagittarius the Archer' or 'Cassiopeia the Queen', they'll be amazed to find that, just as they search for shapes in the passing clouds, shapes can be found in the night sky too!

We found the first set of cards at the National Research Council Canada website {via Counting Coconuts}. Eight cards total, each card comes with a brief summary of how the constellation came to be. The second set is a bit more comprehensive {i.e. includes more constellations} with 28 constellation cards, but does not provide a history with each card. We found the second set at Science-Teachers.com.

Constellation Card Applications

• Provide your kiddos with a fun fine motor activity, inviting them to use a jumbo push pin for a little constellation pin punching! Either set will work great for this exercise.
• Print two sets of constellation cards and have your kiddos test their memory/matching skills with a game of concentration. The larger set of cards would probably work better for this activity.
• Using several sets of the cards, invite your kiddos to play a game of constellation 'Go Fish'! This exercise will work best once your students have had some exposure to the different constellations {and their names!}.