When the Sky Glows

📚

Wonder 1st & 2nd Grade

By Nell Cross Beckerman

Book Guide

When the Sky Glows

Name: When the Sky Glows
Author: Nell Cross Beckerman

A story that explores wonder and opens a conversation with your child.

★★★★★ Loved by families

Read the Guiding Questions Find this book →

♥ This book teaches: Wonder. staying curious about the world around you.

Before, During & After Reading

Guiding Questions for Parents.

Definition: to be amazed at and/or curious about something that is pleasantly unexpected, beautiful, or mysterious. In short: Curiosity sparks endless discovery.
Summary: The sky is filled with wonder when it glows at sunrise, during storms, eclipses, sunsets, rainbows, volcanic eruptions, meteor showers, displays of the Northern lights, and more. Readers join the author and illustrator as they narrate their book. The pages are filled with great examples and beautiful illustrations of the various magical lights in the sky! Lesson Objectives:

Students are more inclined to observe and marvel at this wonderful aspect of nature that can easily be taken for granted.
This book could be an introduction to a science unit about how the earth’s rotation causes night and day, sunrise and sunsets.

Guiding questions:

Do you know why we have night and day, sunrises and sunsets? If you don’t ask someone or do your own research.
What causes lightning? If you don’t know, ask someone or do your own research.
What makes all the colors in rainbows? If you don’t know, ask someone or do your own research.
Have you ever seen an eclipse? Can you explain what that is?
Have you ever seen fireflies? Where did you see them? Do you know any other animals or plants that glow?
A long time ago, people made up stories to explain what happened in the sky. Have you ever read any stories like that? If so, share what you read. Here’s a suggestion if you’re interested: Anansi and the Sky Kingdom (Animated Stories for Kids)
Ask your parents to take you somewhere you can watch the sunset, unless you can see it from your home. Don’t gaze directly at the sun because it will damage your eyes. Wait until it’s very close to the horizon. Record the time you start watching and when you can’t see the sun anymore. Did you see any colors?
Find out how to keep safe during a lightning storm. Ask someone or do your own research.
Have you ever seen a rainbow? Can you list all the colors that usually appear?
Draw a picture of one of the sky wonders you read about. Choose a rainbow, volcano, sunrise, or any of the examples in the book.

🌿 Virtue Connection: Wonder means staying curious about the world around you.

Hands-On Practice

Activities for This Story.

Resources: When the Sky Glows by Nell Beckerman, Anansi and the Sky Kingdom (Animated Stories for Kids)

Activity: Students view both videos and compare the two stories: “When the Sky Glows” and “Anansi and the Sky Kingdom.” They are asked to retell the story of how Anansi the spider, and his companions ant and fly, succeed in bringing light into the world. They are guided in a class discussion to talk about some of the facts in “When the Sky Glows.” Teams of two or three are given a limited amount of time to research facts about light, where it comes from, what its properties are, why we have night and day, and so forth.

Materials needed: the resource video; access to books or online information about the science of light; paper and writing materials

Resource for teachers: Sample facts about light

Light from the sun takes about 8 minutes to reach Earth.
Light travels in waves like sound and water.
Unlike sound and water waves, light can travel through a vacuum, like space.
Light can be reflected, from an object like a mirror
Some objects can absorb light, like dark clothing and solar paneling
Sometimes light can travel through an object, like glass and water

Directions: The teacher introduces the videos: “Years ago, people made up stories about fascinating things they couldn’t explain or understand. The story of ‘Anansi and the Sky God’ is an example of this. Let’s take a look at how the existence of light is explained in that story and how it compares to ‘When the Sky Glows,’ which is full of facts about light.” Show the videos, pause to ask questions and check for comprehension. Create student pairs, give them paper and pencils, and access to research materials, such as books or online sources. Allow 10 - 15 minutes for research. Tell them to write down as many facts as possible about light, and ask each team to share with their classmates what they found out.

Wrap it up: Remind them: “Smart and successful people wonder about things they don’t understand and follow it up with research. In this day and age, we have the benefit of science to help us answer our questions. At the same time, it’s always interesting to take a look at how certain ‘mysteries’ were explained before science uncovered evidence that explained the facts.” For an extension of this activity, invite students to be on the lookout for more stories like “Anansi and the Sky Kingdom.” Ask them to add their discoveries (titles of stories) to a list and encourage the class to read them.

About the Story.

This guide is part of the Values & Virtues library, a free collection of 400+ book guides and activities organized around 12 core virtues for children from pre-K to 6th grade. Each guide includes Guiding Questions designed to open a real conversation with your child in 10 minutes or less.

Read-aloud video · Best with headphones

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Wonder · Family Discussion Guide

When the Sky Glows

by Nell Cross Beckerman

Guiding Questions

Students are more inclined to observe and marvel at this wonderful aspect of nature that can easily be taken for granted.
This book could be an introduction to a science unit about how the earth’s rotation causes night and day, sunrise and sunsets.

Guiding questions:

Do you know why we have night and day, sunrises and sunsets? If you don’t ask someone or do your own research.
What causes lightning? If you don’t know, ask someone or do your own research.
What makes all the colors in rainbows? If you don’t know, ask someone or do your own research.
Have you ever seen an eclipse? Can you explain what that is?
Have you ever seen fireflies? Where did you see them? Do you know any other animals or plants that glow?
A long time ago, people made up stories to explain what happened in the sky. Have you ever read any stories like that? If so, share what you read. Here’s a suggestion if you’re interested: Anansi and the Sky Kingdom (Animated Stories for Kids)
Ask your parents to take you somewhere you can watch the sunset, unless you can see it from your home. Don’t gaze directly at the sun because it will damage your eyes. Wait until it’s very close to the horizon. Record the time you start watching and when you can’t see the sun anymore. Did you see any colors?
Find out how to keep safe during a lightning storm. Ask someone or do your own research.
Have you ever seen a rainbow? Can you list all the colors that usually appear?
Draw a picture of one of the sky wonders you read about. Choose a rainbow, volcano, sunrise, or any of the examples in the book.

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When the Sky Glows

Guiding Questions for Parents.

Activities for This Story.

About the Story.

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