TEACHERS TAKE NOTE

Under the Night Sky

Amy Lundebrek

Illustrated by Anna Rich

Hardcover, $16.95

ISBN 978-0-88448-297-0

9 x 10, 32 pages, color illustrations

Children / Nature; Grades 3-6

Under The Night Sky can be used as part of a curriculum that encourages children and families to spend time outdoors experiencing nature and discovering its mysteries. In addition, Under The Night Sky can be used as a part of a curriculum that seeks to promote discussion about communities and the different experiences that can help bring people together.

Under The Night Sky will help inspire classroom conversations about:

  • The sky, the aurora borealis;
  • The importance of the natural environment in children's daily lives;
  • Different types of family traditions and celebrations;
  • Neighborhood gathering spots;
  • Storytelling traditions in families;
  • Changes in daily routines, experiencing excitement and confusion; and
  • Single-parent families.

Additional Books

I Got Community by Melrose Cooper (Henry Holt, 1995).

A young girl describes, in rhyming verse, how members of her community make her feel loved.

Abuela by Arthur Dorros (Dutton, 1991).

While riding on a bus with her grandmother, a little girl imagines that they are carried up into the sky and fly over the sights of New York City. (Reading Rainbow)

My House Has Stars by Megan McDonald (Orchard Books, 1996).

Young people describe the different kinds of homes they live in around the world and how they see the stars.

Northern Lights: The Soccer Trails by Michael Kusugak (Annik Press, 1993).

The grieving Inuit girl named Kataujaq finds some happiness when she and her grandmother watch the northern lights.

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost (Dutton Juvenile, 1978).

Robert Frost's well-known poem evokes the beauty of winter in a forest. This story is a thoughtful book to read in contrast to Under the Night Sky.

Activity: Weather Collage Exploration

  • Make a collage depicting different kinds of weather. Magazine stories and pictures of dramatic weather are commonplace.
  • Why do this activity? Discussing weather events can build awareness of the natural environment, and invite discussions about climate change and it's causes.
  • Ask students to bring in magazines and newspapers and have each student cut out the images, words, advertisements, and titles that have weather themes.
  • Have the kids create collages combining both the winter weather events and the summer weather events.
  • Encourage questions, thoughts, and feelings about different types of weather, and discuss the impact of weather on their lives.

Internet Resources

Children and Nature Network

The motto of this group is: Leave No Child Inside. The vision and mission of the Children & Nature Network is to give every child in every community a wide range of opportunities to experience nature directly, reconnecting our children with nature's joys and lessons, its profound physical and mental bounty. The Children & Nature Network (C&NN) was created to encourage and support the people and organizations working to reconnect children with nature. C&NN provides access to the latest news and research in the field and a peer-to-peer network of researchers and individuals, educators, and organizations dedicated to children's health and well-being.
www.cnaturenet.org

The Milky Way Galaxy

This website for kids shows that everything in our solar system is on the move, even the Sun—it's just one of over 100 billion stars swirling around our Milky Way galaxy. Tour this spinning pinwheel in space.
www.amnh.org/explore/ology/astronomy/%28button%29/29541#

Auroras: Paintings in the Sky

Self-guided color-illustrated tutorial for older kids that shows what an aurora looks like from the earth and from space, what makes them happen, where you can see them, and why they are different colors
www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/auroras/selfguide1.html

Auroras: The Mysterious Lights in the Sky

A website for young kids that explores where northern lights can be seen. This is a good site for younger children.
ds9.ssl.berkeley.edu/auroras/story.html

The Green Hour

The goal of this group is to give parents and caregivers the information, tools, and inspiration to get their kids—and themselves—outside. The National Wildlife Federation has created GREENHOUR.ORG, a website rich in family friendly content. It hosts a supportive virtual community where families can learn, explore, and share their outdoor experiences and backyard adventures.
www.greenhour.org

National Wildlife Federation

The National Wildlife Federation inspires Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future. They also have a selection of award-winning nature magazines for children: Ranger Rick™, Your Big Backyard™, and Wild Animal Baby™
www.nwf.org