Constellations and Pleiades Worksheet for Middle School Science

Instructions

Read the information carefully in each section. Complete the questions and activities that follow.

Part 1: Understanding Constellations

For thousands of years, people have looked up at the night sky and connected the dots between stars to imagine pictures. These patterns of stars are called constellations. Constellations are often named after animals, objects, or important figures from myths and legends. Astronomers have officially recognized 88 constellations that cover the entire sky. A famous example is Ursa Major (the Great Bear), which contains the well-known Big Dipper pattern.

1. A pattern of stars in the sky, often named after a mythological figure, is called a _______________.


2. Which of the following is the number of officially recognized constellations?
   a) 44
   b) 88
   c) 122


3. Ursa Major is an example of a constellation that is named after what?
   a) An object
   b) A plant
   c) An animal

Part 2: Spotlight on the Pleiades

The Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters, is a beautiful and easily seen object in the night sky. While it looks like a tiny, misty dipper, it is not a constellation itself. It is actually an open star cluster—a group of over a thousand young, hot, and very bright blue stars that were all born from the same giant gas cloud. The Pleiades star cluster is located within the boundaries of the constellation Taurus, the Bull. With just your eyes, you can usually see six or seven of its brightest stars, which is why it earned the nickname "Seven Sisters."

Answer the following questions as True (T) or False (F).

1. The Pleiades is one of the 88 official constellations. _____
2. The Pleiades is a star cluster located inside the constellation Taurus. _____
3. The nickname for the Pleiades is the "Seven Sisters." _____
4. A star cluster contains only a few stars. _____

Part 3: Matching

Match the term on the left with its correct definition on the right. Write the letter of the correct definition in the blank.

Part 4: Create a Constellation

Use the star field below to create your own constellation. Connect the dots to make a picture, then give your constellation a name and write a short description of what it is or the story behind it.

My Constellation's Name: ____________________________________________

Its Story or Description:

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Answer Key

Part 1: Understanding Constellations

1. Constellation
2. b) 88
3. c) An animal

Part 2: Spotlight on the Pleiades

1. F (False)
2. T (True)
3. T (True)
4. F (False - The Pleiades cluster has over a thousand stars)

Part 3: Matching

1. B
2. D
3. A
4. C

Part 4: Create a Constellation

Answers will vary based on the student's creativity.