Free Inquiry #7
For this lesson, I will focus on how different cultures used constellations to navigate the world. This could include a PowerPoint to clarify some main points such as how what the world constellation means, how we see the stars at night-time (and sun), and how the seasons change what appears on the sky map. Other f
The Phoenicians, Arabs, Ancient Greeks, First Nations, and many other cultures used the position of stars and constellations (and the sun, which is a star) to navigate.
Here is a video about how the Polynesians used constellations to navigate:
As well, they could spend time using and exploring the stars on this website.
There are many websites like this that provide an interactive approach to exploring the stars. You can even provide your location so that it has an accurate map of where you are in the world looking up at the stars.
For the activity at the end of the short lesson, I could create a series of connect the dot sheets for students to fill out and identify their culture of origin (since not all constellations are of animals). Here is an example of Ursus Major from this website activity plan:
Creating a Constellation © 2000 Planétarium de Montréal — 2012.05.04
Below are some cool facts to support this lesson plan.
The website lesson also has some tidbits of information from different cultures that could be added to the Powerpoint slides. Click the link here if you would like to go check out the website. Here are some cool facts from the same Planetarium of Montreal website.
Some details include:
Excerpt : “The Algonquins tell a variation of the Iroquois story that explains the passing of the seasons.
The bear is still represented by the four stars in the Big Dipper’s bowl, but the hunters are now
seven birds in the Big Dipper’s handle and the nearby constellation Boötes. Throughout the winter, the bear hibernates safely in his mountainside cave. But in the spring, the beast leaves its den
and climbs down into the valley in search of food. The sharp-eyed chickadee spots it immediately.
Since this bird is too small to hunt the bear itself, it asks other birds to help out.”
The rest of this story is continued on the page.
It also suggests a starting activity:
What is a constellation? What picture does a group of stars evoke? Can I create my own
constellation and think up a story about it?” as an activity.
The goal of this lesson must be so that students have an understanding and introduction to constellation navigation and that they have fun in the process!
Thanks for the links- I have not used Stellarium. I hope the lesson goes well when you plan to try it out.