Constellations, Constellations
ARCAS (UrsaMinor)
Arcas, Arcas,
You are one,
One of Zeus’s
Many sons!
Arcas, Arcas
You hunt bear!
You found your lost
Mother there!
CALLISTO (Ursa Major)
Callisto, Callisto,
A mighty Bear.
Arcas follows you
Everywhere!
Callisto, Callisto,
Always walking ‘round and ‘round
Our North Star
Without a sound.
ARCAS and the BEAR (Boötes and Ursa Major)
Arcas was a hunter.
He mostly hunted bear.
One day a she bear charged at him,
And gave him quite a scare.
She stood up on her back legs.
Arcas raised his bow.
He was about to shoot.
A loud voice hollered, “NO!”
“Don’t shoot you mother, Arcas.
I know you didn’t know
That Hera made her be a bear.
Your mom loved you so.”
“I am mighty Zeus,
But I cannot change her back.
I’ll put you both up in the sky.
Around Polaris you will track.”
“You’ll walk in a great big circle.
Your Great Bear Mom will lead.
You will walk behind her.
Helping her every need.”
“You will be Bear Driver.
You will stay a man.
You’ll walk behind Ursa Major,
Helping all you can.”
We can see them still,
A mother and her son,
Walking around our North Star,
Their walk is never done.
Ursa Major is the mother.
Boötes is her son.
Always walking, never stopping,
They are never done.
THE MAMA BEAR and THE LITTLE BEAR (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor)
Mama Bear, Mama Bear,
You’re so strong.
Little Bear, Little Bear
Follows along.
Ursa Major,
You’re the Mama!
Ursa Minor,
You’re her son!
You both walk around
Our North star.
We always know
Where you are!
Ursa Major,
You’re the Mama!
Ursa Minor,
You’re her son!
DRACO, A DRAGON (Draco)
Draco was a dragon.
He had 100 heads.
He was very fearsome,
So many people said.
He guarded Hera’s apple trees.
The apples were pure gold!
Heracles wanted three.
“You can’t have them,” he was told.
Heracles took them anyway.
He thought he had a right.
He shot Draco with an arrow,
Took the apples and walked out of sight!
Hera saw her friend
Wrapped dead around the tree.
She lifted him up into the sky.
He’s still there for all to see.
Space Poems
By: Terri McManus
I Am the Sun
I am the sun.
I give you light.
You see me in the day,
But never at night.
I am the sun.
I give you heat.
For keeping you warm,
I can’t be beat!
I AM a Star
I am a star.
You see me at night.
I can be many colors.
Red, blue, yellow, white.
I am a star.
The sun is one too.
We make heat and light,
It’s just what we do!
I AM the MOON
I am the moon.
I reflect light.
You can see me in day
But also at night!
I AM a PLANET
I am a planet.
Earth is one too.
We don’t make light or heat
It’s not what we do.
I am a planet.
I am big or small.
In our solar system,
There are eight in all.
EARTH
I am Earth.
Sun is my star.
I am not too near
And not too far.
I am Earth.
You live on me.
I am the only place
You can be.
I am Earth.
Sun’s light and heat
Helps you see,
Be warm, and eat.
I am Earth.
Moon goes around me.
We travel through space
Together you see.
I am Earth.
I see stars at night.
They light my sky
With colors bright.
I AM A VERY LUCKY EARTH!
I WANT TO BE an ASTRONAUT
I want to be an astronaut,
And go up very high.
I want to be an astronaut.
It would be fun to fly!
Hot and Not!
Blue Star, Red Star,
Blue Star, Red Star,
You are HOT! You are NOT!
Play A Game!
Game – Planets Call and Response
Example: Caller gives the clue; rest of the group gives the response.
Call: Inner Planets
Response: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Call: Outer Planets
Response: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Call: Rocky Planets
Response: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Call: Gas Giants
Response: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Call: Few Moons
Response: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Call: Many Moons
Response: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Call: “Close” to Sol (Our sun)
Response: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Call: “Far” from Sol
Response: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Call: Shorter orbit around Sol
Response: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Call: Longer orbit around Sol
Response: Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Pluto