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Grade 4 Science · World 2: Star Gazers' Observatory · Level 12
Star or Planet?
Tell stars (make their own light, stay in patterns) from planets (reflect sunlight, wander among the stars).
Warm-up, learn, try it together, practice, then a quick check. About 15 minutes.
What children learn in Level 12
- Stars and planets can both look like bright dots at night. How can you tell them apart?
- Stars make their own light. They're giant balls of hot, glowing gas, far beyond our solar system.
- Planets don't make light. They reflect sunlight, the way the moon does, and they travel around the sun.
- Watch for a few weeks: stars stay in the same patterns, called constellations. Planets slowly wander across those patterns. The word planet comes from a Greek word for wanderer!
- Stars usually twinkle. Planets usually shine with a steadier light.
Georgia Standards of Excellence in Science:
- S4E1.c — Construct an explanation of the differences between stars and planets.