SMILE2340
  • HW 78620
    • Stargazers >
      • Next Night Observation Notes >
        • March 3, 2023 Notes
        • March 10, 2023 Notes
        • March 17, 2023 to be added
      • Frequently Asked Questions >
        • How do you set up your night sky observation sessions?
        • Explain why there are four sunrises/sunsets?
        • What are the fundamental motions of the night sky?
        • Explain magnitude of night sky objects?
        • What is a constellation?
        • Star Enlightenment
        • Moon Enlightenment
        • Have you ever gone into space, Mr. Konichek?
        • Do you have some Earth orbiting the sun stories?
        • Woman's image on Moon?
      • Aniruddh Nayak's Photos
      • Paul's 12" Telescope Photos
      • Kinesthetics >
        • Planets PM or AM h-above
        • Earth/Sun & times of day
        • Moon Proof that it spins on axis
        • Earth / Moon perigee & apogee
        • Sun / Earth Seasons, Zodiac Sign
      • Activities - Hands On >
        • Celestial Sphere with fruit
        • Constellation Puzzles - h-above
        • Outdoor solar system walk
        • Bugs Bunny What's Up Doc
        • Stars on Ceiling Kit
        • 13 constellations on the ecliptic?
    • Field Camera Critters >
      • bobcat
      • Porcupine
      • Two different at same time
      • Coyotes
      • Fox
      • Skunk
      • Racoons
      • Deer
      • Other
  • PHYSICS
    • Year Round Physics Pages >
      • Calendars 2013-2014 >
        • Calendars 2012-2013
      • Physics Textbooks Online
      • How to do a Lab Report
      • How to Graph in Excel
      • GNATS >
        • Infinities
    • Vectortines & Astrotines Day Video - Normal Pre-school morning
    • Physics 1st Quarter 2012-2013 >
      • Unit 1 Motion (1st half) >
        • Sept. 3 Welcome & Intro
        • Sept. 4 Bernoulli >
          • 2013-14 videos
        • Sept 5 Intro to Motion
        • Sept. 6 GREAT RACE
        • Sept. 9 Review Great Race
        • Sept. 10 Physics 500
        • Sept. 11 Graph Your Route
        • Sept. 12 Measurement Lab-Day 1
        • Sept. 13 Measurement Lab-Day 2
        • Sept. 16 Sonic Ranger-Day 1
        • Sept. 17 Acceleration
      • Unit 1 Motion (2nd half) >
        • Sept. 18 Sketch-A-Graph
        • Sept. 19 Fab Five
        • Sept. 20 Rocket Lab
        • Sept. 23 Homework Gravity
        • Sept. 24 Law of Falling Bodies
        • Sept. 25 Freefall Terminal Velocity
        • Sept. 26 Parachutes
        • Sept. 27 Parachute Competition
        • Sept. 30 Review
        • Oct. 1 TEST
        • Oct. 2 Review Awards
      • Unit 2 Acceleration (1st half) >
        • Oct. 3 Factors of Acceleration Lab-Day 1
        • Oct. 4 Factors of Acceleration Lab-Day 2
        • Oct. 7 Donatello, B & B Lab, Prob.
        • Oct. 8 Who Pushed That Speeding Truck? Lab
        • Oct. 9 Inertia Homework
        • Oct. 10 Push That Cart Lab
        • Oct. 11 Push That Cart Lab-Day 2
      • Unit 2 Acceleration (2nd half) >
        • Oct. 14 Tablecloth Videos, Inertia
        • Oct. 15 Friction is Fun Lab-Day 1
        • Oct. 16 Friction is Fun Lab-Day 2
        • Oct. 17 Friction Theories
        • Oct. 18 2013 Hovercraft
        • Oct. 18 2012 Hovercraft 1,2,4,5
        • Oct. 18 2012 Hovercraft 5,7,8
        • Oct. 21 Review
        • Oct. 22 TEST
      • Unit 3 >
        • Oct. 23 Infinities (GNATS2)
        • Oct. 24 Page 1 Action-Reaction
        • Oct. 24 Page 2
        • Oct. 25 Action-Reaction
        • Oct. 28 Vectors- Where Am I?
        • Oct. 29 Addition of Vectors Lab-Day 1
        • Oct. 30 Addition of Vectors Lab-Day 2
        • Oct. 31 Vector Homework
        • Nov. 1 Resolution of a Force Lab
    • Physics 2nd Q >
      • Unit 3 Continued >
        • Nov. 4 Plane Application
        • Nov. 5 Ship application
        • Nov. 6 Weight of the World Lab
        • Nov. 7 Parking on a Hill Lab
        • Nov 8 Vector Bowling 2013 >
          • Nov. 8 Vector Bowling 2012
        • Nov. 12 Fundamental Forces
        • Nov. 13 Review
        • Nov. 14 TEST
      • Unit 4 >
        • Nov. 18 Bull's Eye Lab
        • Nov. 19 Projectile Hunter
        • Nov. 21 Trajectory Lab-Day 1
        • Nov. 22 Trajectory Lab-Day 2
        • Nov. 23 Hot Wheels Jump Through the Burning Ring of Fire
        • Nov. 25 Paper Rockets & Make Up Day 1
        • Nov. 26 Launch Day & Make Up Day 2
        • Dec. 2 Review for Unit 4 Test on Proj. Motion
        • Dec. 3 TEST 2D Motion Unit 4
        • Dec. 4 Early Release Day
      • Unit 5 >
        • Dec. 5 Circular & Harmonic Motion
        • Dec. 6 G on an Egg Lab
        • Dec. 9 Gravitation
        • Dec. 10 Zero G???
        • Dec. 11 Airplanes Airplanes Lab
        • Dec. 12 Circular HW
        • Dec. 13 Pendulum Lab
        • Dec. 16 Hooke's Law Lab-Day 1
        • Dec. 17 Mass on a Spring
        • Dec. 18 Review
        • Dec. 19 TEST
        • Dec. 20 Tops & Spinners
      • Unit 6 >
        • Jan. 2 Egg Design and Building
        • Jan. 3 All-American Egg Drop
        • Jan. 6 no school due to cold 2014 but momentum 2013
        • Jan. 6/7 cold day off 2014/Impulse 2014 Impulse-Momentum 2013
        • Jan. 7 cold day off 2014 but Center of Mass 2013
        • Jan. 8 Impulse 2014 but Center of Mass cont. 2013
        • Jan. 9 Stability 2014 but Conservation of Momentum Lab-Day 1 2013
        • Jan. 10 Center of Mass 2014 but Conservation of Momentum Lab-Day 2 2013
        • Jan. 13 Conservation of Momentum 2014 but Review 2013
        • Jan. 14 Conservation of Momentum 2014 TEST 2013
        • Jan. 15 Scavenger Hunt collection 2014 but OMIT Awards 2013
        • Jan. 16 FINALS (Odd hours)
        • Jan. 17 FINALS (Even hours)
    • Physics 3rd Q >
      • Unit 7 >
        • Jan. 22 Walking on Broken Glass Demo (Pressure, Work)
        • Jan. 23 Energy of Collisions
        • Jan. 24 Laying on a Bed of Nails, PE = mgh
        • Jan. 27 Pile Driver Lab
        • Jan. 28 Joules in a Calorie Lab
        • Jan. 29 How Fast Can You Work? Lab
        • Jan. 30 Power Tube Roll-off
        • Jan. 31 Alka-Bomb Testing
        • Feb. 3 Conservation of Energy
        • Feb. 4 Conservation of Energy
        • Feb. 5 Loop the Loop Lab
        • Feb. 6 Conservation Problems
        • Feb. 7 Dart Gun Lab
        • Feb. 10 Finish home work sheet
        • Feb. 11 Ballistic Pendulum
        • Feb. 12 Review
        • Feb. 13 Test - Energy
        • Feb. 14 Infinities
        • Feb. 14 Mt. Aconcagua
      • Unit 8 >
        • Feb. 18 Magnetism
        • Feb. 19 Magnetism
        • Feb. 20 Electromagnetism
        • Feb. 21 It Can't Work Lab
        • Feb. 24 Electrostatics
        • Feb. 25 Charging/Van de Graff
        • Feb. 26 Static uses
        • Feb. 27 Get a Charge Lab
        • Feb. 28 Coulomb/Millikan Oil Drop
        • Mar. 3 Electrophorus/Wimshirst
        • Mar. 4 Lightning
        • Mar. 5 Leyden Jar
        • Mar. 6 Capacitors
        • Mar. 7 Superconductivity >
          • Capt. Jenkins demo's bottom of Mar. 8
        • Mar. 10 Review
        • Mar. 11 TEST
      • Unit 9 Relativity & Waves >
        • Mar. 12 Relativity
        • Mar. 13 Relativity
        • Mar. 14 Relativity
        • Mar. 17 Waves
        • Mar. 18 Slinnnnnnky Interference
        • Mar. 19 Wave Machine
        • Mar. 20 Hot Sounds
        • Mar. 21 Resonance
    • Physics 4th Q >
      • Unit 9 Continued >
        • Mar. 31 Speed of Sound Lab
        • Apr. 1 Sound of Music
        • Apr. 2 Sound of Music
        • Apr. 3 Doppler Polarization
        • Apr. 4 Laser
        • Apr. 7 Holography
        • Apr. 8 Review
        • Apr. 9 TEST
      • Unit 10 Reflection Unit >
        • Apr. 10 TCOB Awards
        • Apr. 11 Reflection
        • Apr. 14 Draw Your Face Lab
        • continue >
          • Apr. 28 Illusions/Review
          • Apr. 28 Review/Illusions Cont.
          • Apr. 29 TEST
          • April 30 Pre-Great America
          • May 1 Physics Great America
          • May 2 Review PGA
        • Apr. 15 Parallax Blue Skies Scattering
        • Apr. 16 Reflection Lab parts 1 &2
        • Apr. 17 Part 3 of Reflection of Light Lab and Magic Cylinder
        • Apr. 21 Light Bulbs/LUX/LM/Blue Moon
        • Apr. 22 Concave Mirrors
        • Apr. 23 Convex Mirrors
        • Apr. 24 Ripple Tank Lab-Day 1
        • Apr. 25 Ripple Tank Lab-Day 2
      • Unit 11 Refraction Unit >
        • May 5 Refraction Unit Day 1
        • May 6 Refraction Effects - The Eye
        • May 7 Refraction Lab Day 1
        • May 8 Refraction Lab Day 2
        • May 9 Ray Diagrams
        • May 12 2 WAY MIRROR & HMWK
        • May 13 Lens Lab
        • May 14 Total Internal Reflection (TIR)
        • May 15 Rainbows/Mirages
        • May 16 3-D & Refraction Effects
        • May 19 Review
        • May 20 Test
        • May 21 Go Over Test
        • May 22 Senior's Last Day
      • Final Stuff >
        • May 23 Rocket Project Physics
        • May 27 Rocket Project Physics
        • May 28 Rocket Project Physics
        • May 29/30 Rocket Project Physics
        • June 2/3/4 Launch!
      • Videos 2011-2012 >
        • Period 1
        • Period 2
        • Vector Bowling
        • Period 4
        • Period 6
        • Period 7
        • Period 8
        • Pole Vault Practice W=KE=PE=Q
      • Rocket Launches 6/02/14 >
        • period 1
        • period 2
        • period 3
        • period 4
        • period 7
        • period 8
      • Rocket Launches 6/3/13 >
        • Periods 1,4 pictures 5,7,8
      • Rocket Launches 6/01/2012 >
        • Period 1
        • Period 2
        • Period 4
        • Period 6
        • Period 7
        • Period 8
        • Physics memories...
        • Physics 4th Q 2011-2012 >
          • Unit 8: Electrostatics, Magnetism, and Superconductors
          • Unit 9: Waves, sound, polarization, holograms
          • Unit 10 reflection of light and ripple tank
          • Unit 11 Refraction of Light
    • AP PHYSICS B >
      • Post Test options
      • Grading Plan till year end
      • Answers to text book Questions >
        • Chapters 1-8 >
          • Chapter 1
          • Chapter 2
          • Chapter 3
          • Chapter 4
          • Chapter 5
          • Chapter 6
          • Chapter 7
          • Chapter 8
        • Chapters 9-16 >
          • Chapter 9
          • Chapter 10
          • Chapter 11
          • Chapter 12
          • Chapter 13
          • Chapter 14
          • Chapter 15
          • Chapter 16
        • Chapters 17-24 >
          • Chapter 17
          • Chapter 18
          • Chapter 19
          • Chapter 20
          • Chapter 21
          • Chapter 22
          • Chapter 23
          • Chapter 24
        • Chapters 25-31
      • Period 3 videos
      • Calendar
      • Mechanics >
        • Sept 10 Dimensional Analysis
      • Chapter 9 Fluid Dynamics
      • Chap 13 Simple Harmonic Motion, Waves
      • Chap 15 Electric Forces and Electric Fields
      • Chap 16 Electrical Energy and Capacitance
      • Chap 17 Current and Resistance
      • Chapter 18 DC Circuits
      • Chapter 19 Magnetism
      • Chapter 20.1-20.3 Induced Voltages and Inductance
      • Chapter 27 Quantum Physics
    • AP PHYSICS C >
      • College Credit for AP
      • Princeton Exam 1 Free Response
      • Bull's Eye Lab the AP Way
      • Plover Water System Videos
      • 3rd Q >
        • Jan. 29 - Dot Product, Cross Product, Magnetic Flux
        • Jan. 30 - Faraday's Law
        • Jan. 31 - Motor Demos and CH 20 review
        • Feb. 1 - Practice Mech Exam
        • Feb. 4 - Review Practice Mech #1
        • Feb. 5 - Generators, RL Circuits
        • Feb. 6 - Demos with AP-B
        • Feb. 7 - Chapter 20 Hmwk and Practice Exam Work Day
        • Feb. 8 - Practice Exam Problems
        • Feb. 11 - What is AP Looking For?
        • Feb. 12 - Coulomb's Law
        • Feb. 13 - Short Day
        • Feb. 14 - Practice Problem #3 and 15.4-15.6
        • Feb. 15
        • Feb. 18
    • Physics Sharing >
      • writing references
      • Forces on an Incline Plane
      • Resolution of a Force
  • Astronomy
    • 5 MUST SEE VIDEOS
    • Learn Constellations & Stars/Star Trails explained
    • Astronomy Text Condensed
    • Comets & Asteroids >
      • Comets (Halley's Comet, Keiper Belt, Oort Cloud (four short videos)
      • Asteroids (1 short video) Keiper Belt
    • UFO UNIT
    • VENUS TRANSIT VIDEOS >
      • Venus Transit 1st dozen videos taken
      • Venus Transit next 16 videos
      • Two more videos & a picture
      • Mr. Bill Jenkins Transit Day Pictures
      • My SMART PHONE pictures
      • Learning the Sky
    • 3rd quarter 2014 >
      • Jan 22 GNATS 1 FUN MOTIONS of THE SKY
      • Jan 23 GNATS 2 IMPROVED CALENDAR
      • Jan 23 GNATS 3 TIME ZONES
      • Feb 3rd
      • Feb 4th
      • Feb 5th
      • Feb 6th
      • Feb 7th
      • Feb 10th Chap. 3 Copernican Rev
      • Feb 13th Finish Chap 4 Going There
      • Feb 14th TOSA (Top of South America Expedition) Aconcagua
      • Feb 19th Area of a Sphere -
      • March 3rd Chapter 6 The Earth Lecture
      • Teacher Planning
    • 4th quarter 2014
  • Pythagorean Triplets
    • Pythagorean Triplets
    • MATH 111 >
      • The Class Songs
      • Course Info.
      • Homework & my solutions
      • Class Notes & Extra Problems
      • Quizzes & Exams & my solutions
      • Extra Credit & GNATS
      • Solutions to Hmwk
      • Getting Hooked on Math
    • Dr. George Kung
  • Rubics Cube
    • Photo Solution >
      • Vocabulary of Solution
      • Step 1 of 7
      • Step 2 of 7
      • Step 3 of 7
      • Step 4 of 7
      • Step 5 of 7
      • Step 6 of 7
      • Step 7 of 7
    • Abbreviated Solution
    • Original Solution
  • Ancestry
    • My DNA Results Explained
    • My Grandparents ///////////////// 9 Generations >
      • My Paternal Grandfather's Side
      • My Paternal Grandmother's Side
      • My Maternal Grandfather's Side
      • My Maternal Grandmother's Side
    • Ava & Emmett's Grandparents 1st - 9th >
      • 10th Grandparents
    • Ancestry of Grandchildren (actual immigration papers!)
    • Grandchildren to Adam Ancestry on BOTH Ava's mom & dad's sides
    • Ancestry & Inventions
    • Moms Clark Photo Album
    • My Dads Paternal Side >
      • 1 John & Elizabeth Konichek
      • 2 Joseph & Mary Konichek >
        • 3 William J Konichek
        • 3 John Konichek
        • 3 Kate Konichek
        • 3 Fred Konichek
      • 3 Frank & Anna Konichek
      • 4 Edward & Mary Konichek >
        • 5 Mamie Konichek
        • 5 Elsie Konichek
      • 5 Leo & Dorothy Konichek
      • 6 Paul & Judith Konichek >
        • Judy's m, p,, p, maternal side
        • Judy's m, m, paternal
        • Judy's m, m, maternal
        • Judy's maternal paternal, maternal
        • Judy's paternal side
    • My Dads Maternal Side >
      • 1 Tomas & Rosalie Mezera
      • 2 Mathias & Josephine Mezera
      • 3 Frank Mezera & Anna Chvatal
      • 4 Mary Mezera & Edward Konichek
      • 5 Leo & Dorothy Konichek
      • 6 Paul & Judith Koniichek
    • Leo & Dorothy Konichek Genealogy >
      • Clarence & Carolyn Bierman
      • Floyd & Sue Konichek
      • Steve & Donna Metzger
      • Paul & Judy Konichek >
        • Alissa & Fred's Published Articles
        • Drew & Sam >
          • Church Entrance
          • The Vows
          • Reception
      • Greg & Mary Mandigo >
        • Greg and Jamie
    • Family Birthdays >
      • Birthdays by Month
      • Birthdays by Family
      • Birthdays by Age
      • Konichek family by generation
  • Infinities
  • Other
    • Space Foundation Teacher Liaisons >
      • Workshop Presentation 2019 >
        • Lights Off Learning
        • Astronomy Five Must See Videos
        • Mental Multiplying
        • To Infinity & Beyond
        • NIM (a game opening ones first door to learning about bases)
      • The 2015 Space Foundation Teacher Liaison
      • How to Become a Space Foundation Teacher Liaison
      • 31st National Space Symposium
      • What is the Space Foundation?
      • 29th Space Symposium >
        • Pre and Start of Opening Ceremony
        • Opening Ceremony (cont.)
        • Workshops Tuesday
        • Other
    • Christianity/Math/Science >
      • No Volume in Heaven
      • Rational Man cooping with Irrational #'s
      • My Second Sermon Story
      • Variety in Religions & People?
      • Math Proof of Christianity
      • Matter is the exception
      • Jesus Stories of My Life
    • Scouts >
      • Bernoulli's Principle
    • Homecoming >
      • Mr. SPASH BACKWARDS 2nd Half
      • Mr. SPASH 1ST HALF
      • Parade
      • Pep Rally
      • Prom
    • Barbershop
    • Newspaper >
      • Astronomy (40 articles) empty
      • Untitled
      • Math (evolves into math) >
        • All the number systems...
        • The next 13 (empty)
        • The final 13 (empty)
      • Physics (evolves into Physics)
    • Comp Prog >
      • First Half >
        • Arrays
        • Projects
        • Graphics
        • Integer Programs
      • Second Half >
        • Logic Programs
        • Math and Science Programs
        • Statistics and Finance Programs
        • Two Easy Programs
        • $ Programs
        • Cool Bible Facts
  • Mountains
    • HISTORY OF MTS. CLIMBED
    • COLORADO 14er's Summitted
    • Wetterhorn 2015
    • Future Mts. of 2016 >
      • Culebra Peak 7/22/2016
      • Mount Sneffels 7/24/16
      • Grizzly Peak 7/27/2016
    • 50 for Tibet >
      • Itinerary 2013
      • Mt. Pico Videos
      • Andorra Videos
      • Gibraltar Videos
  • Ava & Emmett's Grandparents 1st - 9th
  • Gibraltar Videos
  • Ancestry of Grandchildren (actual immigration papers!)
  • Grandchildren to Adam Ancestry on BOTH Ava's mom & dad's sides
2022 Message:  Currently I hold a weekly night sky observation session for the neighbors in my Headwaters Subdivision.   So, if you go to the HW 78620 tab above and Stargazers; you discover FAQ's, Kinesthetics, Activities, and the notes for future and/or recent night observation sessions.   The FAQ's, Kinesthetics & Activities are well worth you checking out.

Welcome to SPASH Astronomy

History of SPASH ASTRONOMY, Unique Grading Rubric, Expectations is a must read, etc.

Don't miss out on the GNATS.

History:  The Star Hustler (Jack Horkheimer)  would end each PBS TV episode (at the end of the broadcast day) with "Keep Looking Up" and Dr. Laura (on the radio) after giving advice would say, "Now, Go Do the Right Thing." so for years I thought about what I could say after an inspirational teaching moment and when running on day in the woods, it hit me, GNATS (Go Now and Teach Someone).  There is truly, no better way, to learn something than to teach it to someone else so my students would be awarded class points toward their rubric if they turned around and became teachers of what was just taught them.  GNATS is truly a WIN, WIN, WIN situation as students listen with a great desire to understand the concept if they realize they have to turn around and become the teacher of the Key Idea.  WIN situation because they retain the lesson learned for life once they continue teaching it to others.  WIN because it becomes a chain letter in that whoever they teach it to, turns around and teaches it to others, until the whole Earth knows.

Note:  Capt. Jenkins had one of my Pre-Calc. students notice the goats on his belt (Navy mascot) when he was teaching Astronomy for two years so suggested he use GOATS (Go Out and Teach Someone) instead so Capt. Jenkins did so.

What's Up Docs! 

Note:  The GNATS are life changing when it comes to understanding the essentials of Astronomy but then again so are the What's Up Docs!

After having taught Astronomy for several semesters, I realized our textbook was meant for a whole year course but we only had a semester to work with the students.  Then it came to me one day; when greeted in the hallways someone may ask an Astronomy student, "What's Up?"  If I taught them what is all up there in the Universe they would have a great reply to reveal (a teaching moment so to say).
Then I thought, "Who is famous for saying, "What's Up Doc?" and thus every What's Up Doc? includes a Bugs Bunny Cartoon.   I play the cartoon until Bugs Bunny says his famous line, then pause the cartoon while I share in just a few minutes something in the Universe (from what there is the most of - to what there is the least of, in the Universe, then within our galaxy, then within our solar system) and finally complete the cartoon.
I tell you honestly, when I ask the students to recall all the What's Up Docs  up to the current one, they can recite them without hesitation.  What a Great Learning Tool!!!

Learning the Stars and Constellations

The first few semesters I did not teach the names of the stars and constellations as I had not learned them in my Astronomy courses at the university back in the 1970's through 1980's.  BUT I will never regret having listened to the students wisdom when they begged me to teach them the star/constellation names.  Learning these not only adds a whole new exciting dimension to the class but I appreciate knowing the sky like the back of my hand (probably better than the back of my hand) as I live my personal life.

There are several ways to do this but here are some unique ideas you may wish to try that are inexpensive and fun.
1.  Pet Constellations:  I have each student pick a different pet constellation and research them to the extend that they become the most knowledgeable about their region than almost anyone else.  Sometimes I have the class brainstorm what they can look for about their region.  Most classes come up with at least 26 different categories but I remember one class that came up with at least 65 unique ideas. 
Some ideas included:  Mythology, of course.  What makes their region unique compared to the other 87 constellations (largest, smallest, looking toward the center of our Milky Way or looking perpendicular to the plane of our Milky Way).  What objects are in our region or pass through it (Meisier Objects, NGC objects, planets, Asteroids, Comets, Hubble Space Telescope, Hubble Deep Field or other Hubble pictures).  How one can use my pet constellation to find other objects in the sky (much like the Big Dipper is used to locate other stars and places).  Size comparisons to the other constellations, when one can see it (time of year), right ascension/declination places, where is it seasonally, star names and meanings, types of stars in it, make a 3D model, pumpkin model every Halloween, neighbors of my pet constellation, movies with my pet constellation in it, songs, Bible mentions, make a riddle with, etc., etc., etc.    The students are unbelievable when it comes to brainstorming their pet constellation and researching it.  This is one activity, if done right, students will have with them the rest of their life.

2.  Stars of sky on ceiling stencil so stars can be learned using a black light and laser pen as the class looks at the ceiling (I have the summer sky on my daughters bedroom ceiling and the winter sky on my sons bedroom ceiling and have used this same stencil on four classrooms in our building).

I found the stencils on the internet at a company called Ursa Major stencils. 
Here is the website

The first day students look at the ceiling, it looks like someone just tossed paint drops on the ceiling that glow; but by the end of a semester course, they can name all the major stars and constellations and tell you which constellation any one of the stars is in.

How I teach them:   I spend the first session just getting them excited about learning the sky and do it the last few minutes of the first or second day of class usually.   The second day I hand out the lesson 1 sheet and just teach them a handful (Dubhe and Merek [the pointer stars] then Polaris, Kochab, and Pherkad in Ursa Minor).  The third lesson is reviewing the above and learning the rest of the bowl of the Big Dipper, the muzzle, and the four in the handle of the Big Dipper.  The next lesson is Draco, Cepheus, and Cassiopia.
Now I tell them that the reason we learned so many stars in these five constellations is that they are circumpolar meaning we can see them year round in Stevens Point.  Now we'll learn fewer stars per constellation usually but more constellations.
After the first lesson outside the major five constellations I had out one laser pointer per group, each with a different shape projected on the ceiling, and at first I quiz them on what was learned so far on the ceiling as they take turns with the laser pointer and then call on a student to take over calling out what to find while I see if anyone can beat me to it with my shaped projection.  The student calling them out is usually the most knowledgeable until everyone is proficient at finding all the stars and constellations on the ceiling and for real in the night sky during sky observation sessions.
Search this website Astronomy tab for many more handouts and extended ideas on this subject.
3.  Constellation Puzzles:
Our seniors graduate on Memorial Day Weekend and the underclassmen have another half dozen days or more of class to go yet.  So, since most of my students are seniors, if have the remaining students help me make cool materials for future classes.
One such year, I had the underclassmen help me make a North Declination Constellation Puzzle and a South Declination Constellation Puzzle.  I found shapes of all the constellation proportional in size on a poster/map and copied onto card stock paper so the constellations could be cut out along their boundaries and each of the puzzles could be made.  While we were at it, we made 35 puzzles, 7 envelopes per puzzle with pieces numbered one the back as to which envelope, of the seven, they went back in.  Then these 7 envelopes went into a Inter-school mail larger envelope (also numbered 1 thru 35) and keep in an empty 8.5 " X 11" empty paper box.
One the day chosen to do a puzzle, I usually let the class break into any size group and have them start at the same time; the first group done all get 50 pts. toward the grade rubric, the 2nd done 40 pts., the 3rd 30 pts. and any group that finishes get 20 pts. and any group that tried but didn't finish gets 10 pts.
Constellation Names 1  and Constellation Names 2 and the Real Zodiac and Pronouncing Star Names and

Future North Stars  and so much more as the course continues this semester.

I am running out of time to continue this now but watch for future great teaching tips this semester (2nd sem 2013-2014 Jan. 22 to June 8th 2014) like:  kin esthetics; Neutral Buoyancy Lab in full scuba gear; Stars vs Sand in the Universe; Modeling the Solar System by walking it off for two class periods; and so very much more.   Also, note I've written monthly newspaper articles for over a decade now that I have a tab for only I have not had the time to get all 100 plus articles on this website yet.  Hope to get them all there by next year this time after retirement in June.