Learning kitGrades 9-10

Science: sky and atmosphere

Read the sky, day and night

Plan and log a season of sky watching in Night Sky Lab, investigate why the sky looks the way it does, explore people and flight, measure light pollution and what fixes it, and invent a constellation with its own story. Ages 14 to 16 or grades 9 to 10.

Time
About 2 hours, plus several evenings outside
Steps
5 steps, 3 of them in Night Sky Lab
You need
A computer, Chromebook or tablet. A clear night and a grown-up for the outdoor parts. Printing is optional: every step works on screen. No account needed.
Unlock the kit, $5 I have a code

$5 for one learner: every step, the Night Sky Lab activities that check the work, the printable lesson, and the certificate with a page of the learner's own work.

The night sky split in two: only a few stars show over a big city on the left, while a dark park on the right is full of stars.

The 5 steps

  1. 1Watch the skiesIn Night Sky LabWatch the sky over several evenings, plan what to look for, and keep a log like an observer.
  2. 2Investigate the science of the skiesRead and quizThe sky's colors and clouds have physical causes.
  3. 3Explore the connection between people and flightExploreFrom kites to jets to satellites, people have always reached for the sky.
  4. 4Help clear sky pollutionIn Night Sky LabLight pollution and haze hide the sky. Measure the difference, then plan a fix.
  5. 5Create sky artIn Night Sky LabEvery culture has drawn pictures in the stars. Invent your own constellation and its story.
Night Sky Lab: the evening sky facing north, with the place and time at the top, the time strip at the bottom, and zoom buttons.
Each step shows how Night Sky Lab works, then opens it with a checklist that ticks as the work gets done.

Work on a computer. The apps need a keyboard and a bigger screen than a phone: a laptop, desktop or Chromebook. You can pay here and open the emailed link on the computer.

One learner

Unlock the kit, $5

  • All 5 steps, worked on screen, with a lesson you can print if you like paper
  • Night Sky Lab activities that check the work as it is done
  • A numbered certificate with a page of the learner's own work: your observing log, your science notes and your constellation

We email a link that opens the kit on any computer. No account needed. We keep the email only to send the kit and certificate links: privacy.

Have a discount code?
Co-ops and classes: unlock it for a group

One payment and one code. Each learner types the code to unlock the kit on their own computer, and gets their own certificate at the end. Your pack page shows who has started and finished.

See a sample certificate (PDF) · Already paid? Find your link

Questions

What does the learner do in Read the sky, day and night?

It has 5 steps: 1. Watch the skies; 2. Investigate the science of the skies; 3. Explore the connection between people and flight; 4. Help clear sky pollution; 5. Create sky art. Plan and log a season of sky watching in Night Sky Lab, investigate why the sky looks the way it does, explore people and flight, measure light pollution and what fixes it, and invent a constellation with its own story. Ages 14 to 16 or grades 9 to 10.

What age is it for?

Grades 9-10. About 2 hours, plus several evenings outside.

What is needed?

A computer, Chromebook or tablet. A clear night and a grown-up for the outdoor parts. Printing is optional: every step works on screen. No account needed.

Is there a certificate?

Yes. A numbered certificate with a page of the learner's own work, for your records or a portfolio. It is not course credit.

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