Summary
For thousands of years, people across the world have looked at the sky, and recognized patterns they used to map out the heavens, navigate their ships, and even try to predict the future! In this BrainPOP astronomy movie on constellations, Tim and Moby tell you everything you need to know about these patterns, from Orion to Ursa Minor. Discover the difference between the modern astronomer’s definition of a constellation and the ancient definition. Learn how constellations move across the sky every night, and why some of them are only visible during certain months. Find out what sets circumpolar constellations apart from seasonal ones, and learn the names of some of the best-known constellations. Finally, learn all about the Zodiac, the series of twelve star patterns that lies within the ecliptic, or the plane of Earth’s orbit. So tear your eyes away from the horoscope section of the newspaper, and click on this movie to get the <i>real</i> truth!
Viewer safety
Our rating is a quick teacher-to-teacher guide — preview before showing.
Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Constellations:
- What is one new thing you learned about constellations?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining constellations.
- Draw or give one example of your own.