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Twinkle, twinkle . . . billions of stars! We can see the stars only at night, but they are there all the time.
We can see the stars only at night. But they are there all the time.
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The Stars Above Us
You’re going to read a story about stars. Here are four facts you should know first.
From the October/November 2021 Issue
1) Billions of stars are in the sky.
1) Billions of stars are in the sky.
2) A telescope helps us see stars and planets.
2) A telescope helps us see stars and planets.
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A telescope helps us see things that are far away. It makes things seem bigger. People use telescopes to look at the stars and planets.
A telescope helps us see things that are far away. It makes things seem bigger.
3) It is hard to see stars in the city.
3) It is hard to see stars in the city.
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When you look up into the sky in the city, you don’t see many stars. Why?
Cities have many people and buildings. Everything is lit up at night.
All that light is really bright. It’s so bright that it blocks the stars out!
The light from the city is really bright at night. It’s so bright that it blocks the stars out!
4) It is easier to see stars in the country.
4) It is easier to see stars in the country.
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Not as many people live in the country. There are not as many lights at night. It is dark. When you look up into the sky, you see so many stars!
There are not as many lights at night in the country. It is darker than the city. When you look up into the sky, you see so many stars!
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Activities
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Skills Activities
About the Article
Science Focus
Night Sky
Social Studies
Types of communities
Vocabulary
telescope
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
BUILDING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
This article gives kids background knowledge that will help them better understand this issue’s Fiction story, “The Stars Below Me.”
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
The big question of this issue of Storyworks 2 is: What surprising things happen in the dark?
- Reading and discussing “The Stars Above Us,” along with the other nighttime-themed texts in the magazine (the Big Read, “A Creature in the Dark”; the Paired Texts, “The Secrets of Sleep/Six Sleepy Animals”; the Fiction, “The Stars Below Me”; and the Poem, “Crash! Bang! Boom!”), should give kids insight into what makes nighttime so special and surprising.
- Through the above stories, students will discuss: What interesting things happen after dark? Why does the dark sometimes feel scary? What happens after dark that you don’t expect?
1. BEFORE READING
Show “The Big Question” Video (10 minutes)
Watch “The Big Question: What Surprising Things Happen in the Dark?”
- Before your students watch, ask them to think about the question: “What surprising things happen in the dark?”
- Watch the video.
- After watching, ask the question again. Write students’ ideas on chart paper.
Preview Vocabulary (5-10 minutes)
- Play the online vocabulary slideshow. This article’s featured word is telescope.
2. READ THE ARTICLE (10 MINUTES)
- This article works well with whole-class instruction. Call on different students to read each numbered section aloud. The numbers make the text easy to navigate.
- As you read, stop to analyze the photos. What do students notice in the picture next to number 1? (There are so many stars!)
- Point out the photo of the city at night with no stars. (the photo by number 3) Explain that bright city lights can make it hard to see stars.
3. AFTER READING (3 MINUTES)
ELA Focus: Quiz (10 minutes)
- Pass out the quiz for a quick comprehension check.
- We offer both multiple-choice and written-answer formats for the quiz.
ELA Focus: Writing From Personal Experience (20 minutes)
- Kids can write a letter to Nosey about what type of community they live in and whether or not they can see stars at night. If they send their work to Nosey at [email protected], they will get a response back!
Enrich the Learning: Paired Text (20 minutes)
- After reading this short article, students will have background knowledge for the Fiction story, “The Stars Below Me.”
- Two Different Texts Use this printable to help your students compare and contrast this article with the Fiction.
Text-to-Speech