Name _____________________________________________________________

Constellations WebQuest Worksheet

This WebQuest addresses the following Utah 6th Grade Science Standards:
STANDARD IV: Students will understand the scale of size, distance between objects, movement,
and apparent motion (due to Earths rotation) of objects in the universe and how cultures have
understood, related to and used these objects in the night sky.
Objective 2: Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the night sky relative to
Earth and how various cultures have understood and used them.
a. Locate and identify stars that are grouped in patterns in the night sky.
b. Identify ways people have historically grouped stars in the night sky.
d. Relate the seasonal change in the appearance of the night sky to Earths position.
e. Describe ways that familiar groups of stars may be used for navigation and calendars.

1. Read What is a Constellation? After you have read that section, define
constellation.
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2. Read Where Do Constellations Come From? After you have read that section,
explain how we got constellations.
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pg. 1

3. In the boxes, sketch the constellation.

Ursa Major, the Great Bear

Orion, the Hunter

Canis Major, the Big Dog

Scorpius, the Scorpion

Draco, the Dragon

Lyra, the Lyre

The Myths
4. In your own words (must be at least 5-7 sentences long), tell the story of Coma
Berenices.
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pg. 2

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5. In your own words (must be at least 5-7 sentences long), tell the story of Draco.
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(Note: On
the web page, select the constellation from the list. To find the
brightest star, go to the Named Star List. The first star on this
list is the brightest star [listed as Alpha ]. Month Best Seen is
found under Position in the Sky.)
6. Using the Alphabetical Listing of Constellations, complete the table.

pg. 3

Constellation

Translation

Brightest Star

Month Best Seen

Aquila
Botes
Cygnus
Gemini
Hercules
Lyra
Ophiuchus
Scorpius
Ursa Minor
Virgo
Using the star charts on the WebQuest page, answer the next four questions.
7. List the names of four constellations you can see during winter.

1.

3.

2.

4.

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

1.

3.

2.

4.

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

1.

3.

2.

4.

pg. 4

10. List the names of four constellations you can see during fall

1.

3.

2.

4.
I must go down to the sea again
To the lonely sea and sky
And all I ask is a tall ship
And a star to steer her by.

-Sea Fever by John Masefield

Latitude and the North Star - Part 1

Latitude tells you how far north or south of the equator you are. The North Star can
also help you find your latitude. For example, Kansas City, Missouri is at 39o N latitude.
That means it is 39o north of the equator. To find the North Star, would look north,
39o from the Horizon. Using the Key Latitudes, complete the table.
Location

Latitude ( N or S)

Location

North Pole

Tropic of Cancer

Equator

Arctic Circle

London, England

Washington, D.C.

Helsinki, Finland

Ottawa, Canada

Latitude ( N or S)

When you are courting a nice girl, an hour seems like a second. When you sit
on a red-hot cinder, a second seems like an hour. That's relativity.
~Albert Einstein
pg. 5

Latitude and the North Star Part 2

Knowing that the North Star can identify your latitude, identify the latitude of the ship
in each diagram.

Latitude of Ship

The North Star

Horizon

_________

Clipart from DiscoverySchool.com

Latitude of Ship

_________

The North Star

Clipart from DiscoverySchool.com

Horizon

pg. 6

Latitude of Ship

_________

Horizon

The North Star

Explain what happened to the North Star as it approaches 0 (The Equator).

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If your boat sailed to 20 S (below the Equator), would you be able to see the North
Star? Why?
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pg. 7

Ancient Time
Answer the following questions as you learn about time! Start with the Aztecs.
1. How long was an Aztec year?
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2. What was an unlucky day?
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3. What do the two snakes represent?
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4. What did the Aztecs use to determine the time of day?
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Go to the bottom of the page and click on Chinese.
3. The Chinese calendar aligns perfectly with the cycle of the ________________.
4. List your birthday (month/year), your Chinese Zodiac sign, & Chinese year you were
born.
a. Birthday - ___________________________________________________
b. Sign - ______________________________________________________
c. Year ______________________________________________________
Go to the bottom of the page and click on Egypt.
5. What star did the Egyptians use to tell them the Nile was going to flood?
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pg. 8

6. The Egyptians most accurate calendar was based on the ______________.

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

pg. 9

Constellations WebQuest Worksheet- Key

1. Read What is a Constellation? After you have read that section, define
constellation.

Example - The constellations are totally imaginary things

that poets, farmers, and astronomers have made up over the
past 6,000 years (and probably even more!).
2. Read Where Do Constellations Come From? After you have read that section,
explain how we got constellations.

Example - Around the world, farmers know that for most

crops, you plant in the spring and harvest in the fall. But in
some regions, there is not much differentiation between the
seasons. Since different constellations are visible at different
times of the year, you can use them to tell what month it is.
3. In the boxes, sketch the constellation.

Ursa Major, the Great Bear

Orion, the Hunter

Draco, the Dragon

pg. 10

Canis Major, the Big Dog

Scorpius, the Scorpion

Lyra, the Lyre

The Myths
4. In your own words (must be at least 5-7 sentences long), tell the story of Coma
Berenices.

Example - Coma Berenices is associated with the story of

a historical figure, Queen Berenice II of Egypt.
Berenice was married to Ptolemy III Euergetes (fl. 246
BC-221 BC), who went on a dangerous mission against the
Seleucids, who had killed his sister, in 243 BC, during the
Third Syrian War.
Worried for her husbands life, the queen swore to
Aphrodite that she would cut off her beautiful long, blonde
hair if the goddess brought Ptolemy back home safely.
Once her husband returned, Berence fulfilled her promise
to the goddess. She cut off her hair and placed it in
Aphrodites temple. The hair disappeared the next day. This
made the king furious. To appease him, the court astronomer
Conon said that Aphrodite was so pleased with Berenices
offering that she had placed it in the sky, pointing to the
group of stars that have since been known as Berenices Hair.
pg. 11

5. In your own words (must be at least 5-7 sentences long), tell the story of Draco.

Example - The constellation Draco is associated with

several myths, most frequently with the one about the 12
labours of Heracles, represented by the neighbouring
constellation Hercules. In the myth, Draco represents Ladon,
the dragon that guarded the golden apples in the gardens of
the Hesperides.
The golden apple tree was a wedding present to Hera
when she married Zeus. She planted the tree in her garden on
Mount Atlas and tasked Atlas daughters, the Hesperides,
with guarding it. She also placed the dragon Ladon around the
tree so that the Hesperides would not pick any apples from it.
In some versions of the myth, Ladon had a hundred heads and
was the child of the monster Typhon and Echidna, who was
half woman and half serpent. In others, he was the offspring
of two sea deities, Ceto and Phorcys, and there is no mention
of the number of heads he had.
As part of his 12 labours, Heracles was asked to steal
some golden apples from the tree. He killed Ladon with his
poisoned arrows and took the apples. Saddened by the
dragons death, Hera placed its image in the sky among the
constellations. Draco is usually depicted coiled around the
North Pole, with one foot of Heracles on its head.
In Roman mythology, Draco was one of the Giant Titans
who warred with the Olympian gods for ten years. He was
killed in battle by the goddess Minerva and thrown into the
sky, where it froze around the North Pole.

pg. 12

(Note: On
the web page, select the constellation from the list. To find the
brightest star, go to the Named Star List. The first star on this
list is the brightest star [listed as Alpha ]. Month Best Seen is
found under Position in the Sky.)
6. Using the Alphabetical Listing of Constellations, complete the table.

Constellation

Translation

Brightest Star

Month Best Seen

Aquila

Eagle

Altair (Flying
one)

September

Botes

Bear Driver

Arcturus
(Bear-Guard)

June

Cygnus

Swan

Deneb (Tail of
the Hen)

September

Gemini

Twins

Castor
(Beaver)

February

Hercules

Rasalgethi
(Head of the
Kneeling One)

July

Lyre

Vega (The
swooping
[eagle])

August

Ophiuchus

Serpent
Holder

Rasalhague
(Head of the
Snake)

July

Scorpius

Scorpion

Antares (Rival
of Mars)

July

Lesser Bear

Polaris (Pole
Star)

June

Hercules

Lyra

Ursa Minor

pg. 13

Maiden

Virgo

Spica (Ear of
Wheat)

May

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

Answers will vary

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

Answers will vary

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

Answers will vary

10. List the names of four constellations you can see during fall

Answers will vary

Latitude and the North Star Part 1

Location

Latitude ( N or S)

Location

Latitude ( N or S)

23.5o N

North Pole

90 N

Tropic of Cancer

Equator

0o N/S

Article Circle

66o N

London, England

51o N

Washington, D.C.

38o N

Helsinki, Finland

60o N

Ottawa, Canada

45o N

pg. 14

Latitude and the North Star Part 2

Knowing that the North Star can identify your latitude, identify the latitude of the ship
in each diagram.

The North Star

Horizon

Latitude of Ship - 90 N

Clipart from DiscoverySchool.com

Latitude of Ship - 40 N

The North Star

Clipart from DiscoverySchool.com

Horizon

pg. 15

Latitude of Ship - 0 N/S

Horizon

The North Star

Explain what happened to the North Star as it approaches 0 (The Equator).

Example - The North Star moves closer to the horizon

until it is on the horizon at the equator.
If your boat sailed to 20 S (below the Equator), would you be able to see the North
Star? Why?

Example - No. The North Star moves below the horizon

when you go south of the equator.

Ancient Time
1. How long was an Aztec year?

18 months.

pg. 16

2. What was an unlucky day?

Example The five days added at the end of the 360

days of the year. The extra days were sacrificial days known
as Nemontemi.
3. What do the two snakes represent?

Example The snakes bodies are divided into sections,

recording the 52 year cycles. The date 13 Acatl is placed
between the snakes. This corresponds to 1479, the year the
calendar was completed.
4. What did the Aztecs use to determine the time of day?

Example Eight holes appear on the edge of the

calendar. The Aztec placed sticks into the holes letting
shadows fall on the figures of the calendar to determine the
time of day.
3. The Chinese calendar aligns perfectly with the cycle of the

Moon.

4. List your birthday (month/year), your Chinese Zodiac sign, & Chinese year you were
born.
a. Birthday b. Sign Answers

will vary

c. Year
5. What star did the Egyptians use to tell them the Nile was going to flood?

Sirius
pg. 17

6. The Egyptians most accurate calendar was based on the

Stars.

7. The ancient Egyptians learned to keep track of time at night us an instrument called
a

merkhet.

pg. 18