Share it! Science

May 4th is Star Wars Day! I'm so excited to be participating in the Star Wars Day Quirky Blog Hop hosted by Witty Hoots. Get ready for some Star Wars inspired STEM!

Have you ever wondered what our planet would be like if we had two suns like the planet Tatooine? What if we had two moons? Are the planets in the Star Wars movie realistic at all?

Let's answer those questions and have some fun with some hands-on science activities!

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2 Suns: A Tatooine Like Earth

You may have observed that Luke Skywalker's home planet, Tatooine, had two suns. Astronomers have found evidence of a planet outside of our solar system that is orbiting two stars. This planet, Kepler-16b, is part of a system much like George Lucas's fictional planet, Tatooine.

On Earth we have one sun, that provides us with light and heat. It holds our planet in orbit. It affects the seasons on Earth. How would this change if we had two suns? If Earth were like Kepler-16b we'd experience slightly colder temperatures because we'd be at a greater distance from the sun.

Kepler-16b's suns are slightly smaller than our sun, so the pull of gravity would be less and we'd have a longer year because we'd orbit more slowly. If we had two suns the same size as our sun, then we'd have a faster orbit and a shorter year. Scientists aren't sure if a moon would form in this type of system, so our nights would be a little bit different, and the ocean tides would be affected.

Try this activity from NASA that models the rotation of Earth and the night/day cycle. You'll need a globe (or a large ball) and a flashlight. Once you've tried this out under "normal" circumstances for Earth, try it again with two suns, or in other words, two flashlights.

How does this change where the people on Earth are experiencing daylight?
Does it make the days longer or shorter?
What effect do you think this has on the seasons?
How might the human sleep cycle, or circadian rhythm be altered by having two suns? Would other animals and plants be affected too?

An Earth with 2 Moons

What would our planet be like if there were two moons rotating around it? Earth is the only planet in our solar system with just one moon. Some planets do not have any natural satellites, whereas others have dozens.

Our moon and its gravitational force gives the ocean its tides, is the reason we have a 24 hour day and it keeps the planet at the tilt that gives us seasons. The moon reflects the sunlight in the night time and we can view its phases and eclipses. How would all of this be different if we had two moons?

Night time would be brighter, which would affect nocturnal animals. Tides would be much more extreme. Our calendar, which is based on the cycle of the moon's phases (each cycle = approx. 1 month, or "moonth")

Try the "Dance of the Moon and Oceans" as a movement activity with several kids to learn about the tides. How would this movement change if there were more than one moon in this "dance"?

If you do not have a group of kids to try this with, you can learn about the tides through this video.

How would having two moons change how our tides work?
How would more extreme tides affect life on Earth?

What about the moon's phases and eclipses? Would we still see the moon the same way if there were two of them?

Try this: First, model the phases of the moon to get the hang of what is really happening up there. You can model it the way Emily Morgan, author of "Next Time You See the Moon", does it here:

Now add in another moon. You might have to find a friend to help. Experiment with where you place the moon.

Have the moon's phases changed?
How is this affecting the night sky on the Earth?
What if one moon were orbiting faster than the other? How would that change things?

Other Star Wars like Planets

Are there other planets that resemble the fictional ones in the Star Wars universe? Yup. But they aren't in our solar system! Exoplanet OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb resembles the fictional cold world planet, Hoth. Mustafar, a hot molten world in Star Wars is similar to Kepler-10b and Kepler-78b. Kepler-22b is thought to be like the fictional ocean world, Kamino. It is also believed that there are real-life similarities out there to Princess Leia's home planet, Alderaan and to Endor, home of the Ewoks.

Still Interested? Read more:

Washington Post: From 'Star Wars' to reality: Astronomers discover Tatooine world with two suns
Live Science: What Would Earth be Like with Two Suns?
NASA: NASA's Kepler Mission Discovers a World Orbiting Two Stars
Universe Today: What if the Earth had two moons?
Star Wars: Science Fair Book

Join us as we celebrate Star Wars Day - May 4th with some wonderful galactic inspired crafts, recipes and activity ideas!

Try this Star Wars Sensory Bin from Something 2Offer

The Jenny Evolution has some great Activity Books for All Ages

Yummy Rogue One Ice Cream recipe is a favourite from Nerdy Mamma

Share It! Science News has some fabulous Activities for Exploring Planets with 2 Suns!

Make some of these fabulous Droid Crafts from Play & Learn Everyday

These DIY Party Favours from Kidz Activities would be a hit at any party!

Mrs LeBlancs Learners are learning Star Wars in the Classroom

Defying Gravity! Sounds like great fun from Kid Minds

Make your own Airplane Fly Off like Royal Baloo!

Brush up on your galaxy sums with Daily Math from 3 Dinosaurs

KC Edventures is sharing a great Planets Math Activity

Erupting Death Star plus an I Spy Printable, some fun ideas from Little Bins

Peakle Pie shares some cute Paper Plate Ewoks

An InLinkz Link-up

As a teacher, what I wanted the most was to know that I had made an impact on my students. I wanted to know that the time in the classroom and the work I took home each night had been worthwhile.

Every day you work towards meeting your students' various needs and helping them learn and grow. Sometimes it is impossible to know how you have impacted their lives.

May 3rd is Teacher Appreciation Day, so you might be considering giving a special teacher a gift. Here are some thoughts on what will be most appreciated from my experience as a teacher.

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The best teacher gifts I have ever received, the ones that end up in a scrapbook or memory box or sit prominently on a shelf, are those that are personal and come from the heart. Sure it's nice to get chocolate, or a new notepad, but a hand written note is really something that leaves an impact. These are my most treasured gifts, notes from students and parents.

The best notes are not forced and come from the heart. How can you get your child to write a super appreciation note? Give them a prompt. Kids usually know just what to say when given the chance. Here are some ideas:

What was your most favorite thing you learned in Mrs. or Mr. _____________ class this year?
Why do you like Mrs. or Mr. ________________ as a teacher?
What is something that Mrs. or Mr. ________________ does that makes you feel special?
Why is this your favorite subject?
What is the funniest thing that happened in class this year?

Even grown-ups appreciate the teachers they had when they were students. Check out this great series of letters: "Dear Teacher, You Made A Difference!"

If you'd like to purchase a teacher gift, remember to make it personal. Teachers have a lot of students through the years. Most likely they aren't in great need of another mug that has an apple on it. Try to get a sense of what your child's teacher is interested in. Kids are usually pretty observant when it comes to knowing what a person likes!

Some of my favorite personalized purchased gifts like this have been from families who recognized my love for plants, or that I really do love geeking out on science stuff. One year I got this Giant Sequoia tree-growing kit. Another year some of the silly plush microbes from the "Giant Microbes" collection.

One of my most favorite "teacher" themed gifts was the sweet little book, "Thank You: A Book for Teachers" by Sandy Gengras, it really captures the classroom experience in some short text and sweet illustrations.

Also keep in mind that teachers have often spent money out of pocket to provide school supplies for their classroom. A gift card for a retailer where they can get just about anything, like Amazon or Target, a local restaurant, book store or their favorite coffee shop is generally appreciated.

Good luck with your teacher appreciation gift! Just remember, it's not about how much you spend, even a few thankful words at drop-off or pick-up time can make a huge difference.

Check out what other great bloggers are saying about Teacher Appreciation!