Meteors and Meteor Showers

pin requirements

Have you ever stretched out on the grass in your yard and watched a meteor shower?  Did you wonder what causes them or look for any meteorites afterwards?  Complete these requirements for a cool pin and learn about meteors and meteor showers.  Have you had your meteor shower today?

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1. Complete a PRE-TEST to see what you already know about meteors and meteor showers.

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2. Show your leader that you can find the following constellations:

a)Ursa Major and Ursa Minor

b)One of the following:

Ø     Leo the Lion, if you are observing in the spring,

Ø     Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, if you are observing in the summer,

Ø     Lyra, the Harp, if you are observing during the fall,

Ø     Orion, the Hunter, if you are observing during the winter.

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3. Explain to a fellow Girl Scout what causes meteor showers and how they are named.

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4. Watch a meteor shower, keeping count of the meteors you see in an observation log.  Write the name of the comet, which created the debris trail that becomes a meteor shower on Earth.

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5. Hunt for and collect micrometeorites and observe them using a magnifying glass.  Do they have any interesting properties?  Record your findings.

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6. Complete a research project with your troop.  After your troop has researched ONE of the following, prepare a presentation with a visual aid, to share with other participating Girl Scouts troops.  Research topics include, but are not limited to the following:

Ø     Myths or folklore about meteor showers, from a particular country or culture.  (Perhaps you could use your project for your Thinking Day display…)

Ø     Exciting meteor showers in the past,

Ø     Meteor showers in the arts – literature, paintings, movies, etc…

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7. Complete a Post-Test to see what you have learned about meteors and meteor showers.