Here is an enjoyable CST activities page celebrating the place of the sun, moon and stars in our lives. It also touches on sci-fi TV shows & movies.
Hope your group enjoys it, please do let me know.
Discussion points:
What do the sun & moon provide us with ... ? (make a list)
Life itself, day & night, weather & seasons, fauna & flora, time & tide, warmth & health (vitamin D), disasters - especially increasing because of manmade global warming.
Who fancies travelling into space? Why or why not?
Round 1. Idioms & Sayings
Complete these sayings together ...
Space, the final FRONTIER
Out of this WORLD
Reach for the STARS
Once in a blue MOON
It's not rocket SCIENCE
A waste of SPACE
Living on another PLANET
Sunny side UP
The sun has got his HAT ON
Over the MOON
Love somebody to the moon and BACK
Many moons AGO
There is nothing new under the SUN
Make hay while the sun SHINES
Stars in their EYES
Everyone has their day in the SUN Little ray of SUNSHINE Somewhere over the RAINBOW
Honeymoon PERIOD
Thank your lucky STARS
Star crossed LOVERS
The eagle has LANDED
Come back down to EARTH
We have lift OFF
Splash DOWN
It's one small step for MAN
May the force be WITH YOU
Live long and PROSPER (Who can make the 'Vulcan Salute'?)
What rhymes do these pictures conjure up? Try and say them together ...
"Red sky at night ..."
"Hey diddle diddle ..."
"Twinkle twinkle ..."
Song break - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtVBCG6ThDk
What was his original name & who is he married to?
Round 2. Quiz
 | Which book of the Bible talks of God creating the earth and the heavens in seven days? Who painted this & where would you find it? |
 | In which galaxy does our sun, earth and moon sit? |
 | What are the names of the nine planets in our solar system? |
 | Who composed 'The Planets Suite'? Here is a clip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isic2Z2e2xs |
 | Which two gasses is the sun made up of? How old is the sun: a. 2.6bn years, b. 3.6bn years or c. 4.6bn? (bearing in mind humankind is 200,000yrs old) |
 | What is the moon mostly made of: a. cheese, b. iron or c. limestone? |
 | What are the four primary phases of the moon? |
 | Which TV advert mentioned them? Are they cakes or biscuits? Here it is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dtmRmOHK78 |
 | What is happening here & how does the phenomenom happen? |
 | What was the name of the first satellite launched into space in 1957? |
 | Who was the first man in space, orbiting the earth in 1961? |
 | The 'Earthrise' photo taken by the crew of 'Apollo 8' in 1966 is said to have kick-started which movement?
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 | Which mission first travelled to the moon & who was the first man to set foot onto it? Here is a clip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOcDftgR5UQ |
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 | What is the name of this type of spacecraft? Six were built for space flight, how many of them can you name? |
 | Name the spacecraft & how many can live on board? |
 | What is the name of the only British astronaut to be part of the 'ISS' crew? |
 | Who jumped from space (the stratosphere) to earth in 2012, from a height of 1.7m & how long did it take for him to fall back down to earth? Here it is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHtvDA0W34I |
 | Who is behind the spacecraft 'Virgin Galactic' & what are his other businesses? |
 | When was the last total eclipse of the sun in the UK & ask members where they saw it? |
 | Who had a hit in 1983 with 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' & where is she from? Here it is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcOxhH8N3Bo |
 | What are the first and last sightings of the sun called each day? Where does the sun rise & set? |
 | What are the four seasons & what is the difference in how Americans describe them? |
 | Who composed 'The Four Seasons' in 1720? Here is Nigel Kennedy playing a part of it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc0rt2wi2ng |
 | What are the shortest days of the year called? |
 | What are the longest days of the year called? |
 | What two time zones do we have in the UK? When do the clocks spring forward and fall back? |
 | Reminiscence. Do members remember the BST experiment between 1968-1971? The clocks didn't go back to GMT so it was dark when we went to school. Flourescent armbands were needed. |
 | What type of clock is this? How many others can you name? |
 | What are lowest low tides and highest high tides called? |
 | Which group had a hit in 1980 with the song 'The Tide Is High'? & Name the lead singer? Here it is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAb8Q9X2xAc |
 | What are the seven colours of a rainbow? |
 | Who sang the song 'I Can Sing A Rainbow' in 1966? & What was her original name? Here it is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXds_mkyuXY |
 | Which mythical being might you find at the end of a rainbow? What is his job & what would he be holding? |
 | What is the proper name for the 'Northern Lights'? |
 | Which group had a hit in 1978 with the song 'Northern Lights'? Here it is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rarW1JycOE |
 | Who presented 'The Sky At Night' for over 40 years? |
 | What is the name of this constellation of stars? |
 | What is the brightest star in the sky (It is part of 'Ursa Minor')? |
 | What is a 'shooting star'? |
 | What is the name of the comet that visits earth every 80 years or so? |
 | Which 1969 musical movie featured the song 'I Was Born Under A Wandering Star' & who sang it? Here it is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTymtAbaG08 |
 | One of the biggest impact craters is Chicxulub in Mexico. What creatures did the nuclear winter that the impact caused 66m years ago make extinct? |
 | What are the twelve signs of the zodiac? What is yours? |
Name these two astrologers? Does anyone follow their horoscope? | |
Who painted 'The Starry Night' in 1889 & who sang a song about him in 1971? Here it is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxHnRfhDmrk | |
 | Where is 'Area 51'? What do the initials 'U.F.O.' stand for? |
Ad break - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBRCZLzn5pM
Factoid. The robot wasn't supposed to fall over onto its back, but it was kept in because it added to the humour.
Song break - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teBV0EoJJY8
So, who believes in U.F.O.s and aliens? What are the chances that we are not alone?
Discuss.
Round 3. TV & Movies
Simply name the TV show or movie?
Plus, here are some extra questions if members would like to try them ...
TV round
Can you name the puppets?
Can you name the characters?
What did the dragon like to eat?
Which island did 'Blue Peter' encourage us to make?
Who made most of these puppet based space shows?
What were the enemies called?
What was the name of the robot?
What was the name of the droid?
What planet was he from?
How much would he be worth today?
What are the detectives' names?
What was the answer to "life, the universe and everything" & the name of the robot? Name the characters & their spaceship?
Name the actors?
Name as many of the doctors as you can & what is the name of his time travelling maching?
Movie round
What was the name of the pub?
What was the relationship in real life of the actors?
Who wrote the book & what was the name of the detective?
Name the actors?
What was his catchphrase?
Can you make the five note alien call?
Name the characters?
What was his mortal name & where did he work?
Who wrote the book & how did they get killed in the end?
Name the actor? (I bet it really hurt!)
Where did they get the dino DNA from?
Name the characters?
Who wrote the book?
What was the name of the computer?
Name the James Bond actor?
Name the actors & what statue was on the beach at the end of the movie?
Name the actor & who was he was chasing?
Name the actor?
What date was this film set on?
What killed them in the end?
Who is narrating at the start of this song? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9DISbQKTTM
Music break - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYTYqs-ytSk
Name the characters?
Round 4. Sun, Moon & Stars Photos
Asm members to choose their favourite & to guess at where the photo was taken.
Here are a few of my favourites ...
Round 5. Name That Tune
Play the first few bars of each song randomly and ask members to identify the single and artist/group then tick them off. Play full songs as members request them. Or you could just play the songs whilst members complete the practical activity below.
Here is your Spotify playlist ... https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Dx4BcilYyT2EvrzZ9vecR?si=3916c5c00b544b1f
Round 6. Practical Activity
You could use paper plates to make sun and moon mobiles and hang them to display, or how about paint rainbows or stars?
Or you could have a game of 'Space Invaders', available in app stores.
Refreshments
Red sky at night, shepherds' delight.
Red sky in the morning, shepherds' warning.
*
Hey, diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed
To see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
*
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Then the trav'ller in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.
In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often thro' my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.
'Tis your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the trav'ller in the dark:
Tho' I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
*
'The Book Of Genesis' / 'The Creation Of Adam' by Michelangelo can be found in The Sistine Chapel in Vatican City
The Milky Way
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Pluto, which until recently was considered to be the farthest planet, is now classified as a dwarf planet.
Gustav Holst
Hydrogen & Helium / 4.6bn years
Iron
New moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter and waning crescent
'Jaffa Cakes' / With a sponge layer they are definitely cakes
Lunar eclipse / The moon moves into the earth's shadow, causing the moon to be darkened
Sputnik 1
Uri Gagarin
The 'Blue Marble' photo launched the environmentalism movement
'Apollo 11' / Neil Armstrong - the others were Buzz Aldrin & Michael Collins
'Dark Side Of The Moon' by Pink Floyd
Space Shuttle / 'Enterprise' (this was a test spacecraft, which never went into space), 'Columbia' (destroyed during re-entry to earth in 2003 - it's 28th flight), 'Challenger' (detroyed during launch on its 10th mission in 1986), 'Discovery' (39 successful missions since its debut in 1984), 'Atlantis' (the first to dock with a space station - Russian 'Mir' in 1995. It also delivered a lab to the 'International Space Station' in 2008), 'Endeavour' (launched in 1992, completed 25 missions, decommissioned in 2011)
'International Space Station' / 7 people / travels at 17,500mph, orbits the earth every 90 mins
Tim Peake / 6 month mission to 'ISS' in December 2015, whilst there he was the first Brit to undertake a spacewalk
Felix Baumgartner / He fell for 4 minutes and 19 seconds
Richard Branson / 'Virgin Rail', 'Virgin Atlantic' (airline), 'Virgin Voyages' (cruiseline), 'Virgin Wines', 'Virgin Records', 'Virgin Radio' etc
The last total eclipse of the sun in the UK was 1999 with totality starting at 11 mins past 11 on August 11th. The next is September 23rd 2090
Bonnie Tyler / The Mumbles in Swansea
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Sunrise is often referred to as dawn; sunset if often called dusk
Spring, summer, autumn & winter. Americans call autumn "the fall"
Antonio Vivaldi
Equinoxes - 20th March & 22nd September this year
Solstices - 20th June & 21st December this year (Mention the 'Just Stop Oil' attack on Stonehenge. Do members support their actions?)
Clocks go forward and hour in spring on 31st March this year to 'British Summer Time' / Clocks go back an hour on 27th October this year to 'Greenwich Mean Time'
Sundial / Grandfather clock, carriage clock, cuckoo clock, alarm clock, digital clock, atomic clock, wrist watch, fob watch, egg timer, dandelion clock etc
Neap tides & Spring tides
'Blondie' / Debbie Harry
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet
Cilla Black / Priscilla White
Leprechaun / Pot of gold (He is always portrayed as being a cobbler)
Northern Lights / Aurora Borealis
'Renaissance'
Patrick Moore
'The Great Bear' / 'Ura Major'
'Polaris' or 'The North Star'
Meteorite
'Halley's Comet'
'Paint Your Wagon' / Lee Marvin
Dinosaurs - They died during the nuclear winter as they were cold blooded, while some mammals and other creatures survived.
Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces
Russell Grant & Mystic Meg
Vicent Van Gogh / Don McClean
Nevada / Unidentified Flying Objects
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TV round
Can you name the puppets? 'RAINBOW' / GEOFFREY, GEORGE, ZIPPY & BUNGLE
Can you name the characters? 'TELETUBBIES' / DIPSY, TINKY-WINKY, PO & LAA-LAA
What did the dragon like to eat? 'THE CLANGERS' / GREEN SOUP
Which island did 'Blue Peter' encourage us to make? 'THUNDERBIRDS' / TRACY ISLAND
Who made most of these puppet based space shows? 'JOE 90' / GERRY ANDERSON
What were the enemies called? 'CAPTAIN SCARLET' / THE MYSTERONS
What was the name of the robot? 'LOST IN SPACE' / ROBBY
What was the name of the droid? 'BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY' / TWIKI
What planet was he from? 'MORK AND MINDY' / ORK
How much would he be worth today? 'THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN' (STEVE AUSTIN PLAYED BY LEE MAJORS) / $35M
What are the detectives' names? 'THE X-FILES' / FOX MULDER (DAVID DUCHOVNY) & DANA SCULLY (GILLIAN ANDERSON)
What was the answer to "life, the universe and everything" & the name of the robot? 'THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY' / 42 / MARVIN THE PARANOID ANDROID
Name the characters & their spaceship? 'STAR TREK' / CAPTAIN JAMES T KIRK (WILLIAM SHATNER) & DOCTOR SPOK (LEONARD NIMOY)
Name the actors? 'MOONLIGHTING' / DAVID (BRUCE WILLIS) & MADDIE (CYBILL SHEPHERD)
Name as many of the doctors as you can? WILLIAM HARTNELL (1963–1966),
PATRICK TROUGHTON (1966–1969), JON PERTWEE (1970–1974), TOM BAKER (1974–1981), PETER DAVISON (1982–1984), COLIN BAKER (1984–1986), SYLVESTER MCCOY (1987–1989), PAUL MCGANN (1996), CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON (2005), DAVID TENNANT (2005-2010), MATT SMITH (2010-2013), PETER CAPALDI (2014-2017), JODIE WHITTAKER (2018-2022) & THE CURRENT DOCTOR IS NCUIT GATWA / THE TARDIS
Movie round
What was the name of the pub? 'AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON', 1981 / 'THE SLAUGHTERED LAMB'
What was the relationship in real life of the actors? 'PAPER MOON', 1973 / FATHER (RYAN O'NEAL) & DAUGHTER (TATUM O'NEAL)
Who wrote the book & what was the name of the detective? 'EVIL UNDER THE SUN', 1982 / AGATHA CHRISTIE / HERCULE POIROT
Name the actors? 'APOLLO 13', 1995 / BILL PAXTON, KEVIN BACON & TOM HANKS
What was his catchphrase? 'E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL', 1982 / "PHONE HOME"
Can you make the five note alien call? 'CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND', 1977
Name the characters? 'STAR WARS', 1977 / LUKE SKYWALKER, PRINCESS LEIA, CHEWBACCA, HANS SOLO & DARTH VADAR
What was his mortal name & where did he work? 'SUPERMAN', 1978 / CLARK KENT / 'THE DAILY PLANET'
Who wrote the book & how did they get killed in the end? 'THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS', 1962 / JOHN WYNDHAM / SEAWATER MELTED THEM
Name the actor? (I bet it really hurt!) 'ALIEN', 1979 / JOHN HURT
Where did they get the dino DNA from? 'JURASSIC PARK', 1993 / FROM A MOSQUITO EMBEDDED IN AMBER
Name the characters? 'BACK TO THE FUTURE', 1985 / MARTY MCFLY (MICHAEL J FOX) & DOC BROWN
Who wrote the book? 'THE TIME MACHINE', 1960 / H.G. WELLS
What was the name of the computer? '2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY', 1968 / HAL
Name the James Bond actor? 'MOONRAKER', 1979. / ROGER MOORE
Name the actors & what statue was on the beach at the end of the movie? 'PLANET OF THE APES', 1968 / CHARLTON HESTON & RODDY MCDOWALL / STATUE OF LIBERTY
Name the actor & who was he was chasing? 'BLADERUNNER', 1982 / RICK DECKARD (HARRISON FORD) / REPLICANTS
Name the actor? 'INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS', 1978 / DONALD SUTHERLAND
What date was this film set on? 'INDEPENDENCE DAY', 1996 / 4TH OF JULY
What killed them in the end? 'WAR OF THE WORLDS', 1953 / THE COMMON COLD
RICHARD BURTON
FLASH GORDEN & MERCILESS MING
To fill that last space in the music round The Waterboys - Whole of the moon