Learning kitGrades 4-5

Science: astronomy

Space investigator: the Sun, stars and beyond

Build a scale model of the Solar System, watch the night sky change as Earth circles the Sun, find bright stars and read their colors in Night Sky Lab, and use sky tools and real ones to explore. Ages 9 to 11 or grades 4 to 5.

Time
About 2 hours, in two sittings, plus a clear night 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 Big Dipper drawn in gold low in the north, with a dashed pointer line leading up to the circled North Star.

The 5 steps

  1. 1Model the Solar SystemBuild itThe Solar System is so big that pictures in books squeeze it. Build a model where the distances are to scale, and see how empty space really is.
  2. 2Circle the SunIn Night Sky LabEarth takes a year to circle the Sun. As it moves, the night side of Earth faces different stars, so the night sky changes with the seasons. Watch it happen in Night Sky Lab.
  3. 3Discover the starsIn Night Sky LabStars are suns, so far away they look like dots. Find three bright ones and read what their colors say.
  4. 4Use the tools to explore: star mapsIn Night Sky LabAstronomers use star maps and pointer stars to find their way. Use the Big Dipper to find the North Star, the way sailors did.
  5. 5Use tools to explore: the real skyGo outsideNow use real tools. Binoculars, a star chart and your own eyes are enough to start.
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 Solar System model, your star notes and your observing plan

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 Space investigator: the Sun, stars and beyond?

It has 5 steps: 1. Model the Solar System; 2. Circle the Sun; 3. Discover the stars; 4. Use the tools to explore: star maps; 5. Use tools to explore: the real sky. Build a scale model of the Solar System, watch the night sky change as Earth circles the Sun, find bright stars and read their colors in Night Sky Lab, and use sky tools and real ones to explore. Ages 9 to 11 or grades 4 to 5.

What age is it for?

Grades 4-5. About 2 hours, in two sittings, plus a clear night 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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