Constellations introduction. May Sky Big Dipper North Star Little Dipper Dragon.
Legends in the Sky · • Astronomers use constellations to describe the locations of objects in...
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Wrap up questions Would anyone like to share their constellation story? Let’s see if we can spot your constellation in the sky to- night! Connect to a star wheel before dark or go out and observe their constellation. Step 2: Let’s look at an example. (show this season’s card) Can anyone connect these dots to make a picture? Or do you see the outlines of a letter, a shape? Can you point it out with your finger in this star map? Now, does anyone know the Greek constellation visible in this star field? (show if not) Does it actually look like a [hunter]? Step 4: Picture a constellation. People everywhere have looked up and seen patterns among the stars. These con- stellations often honor things important to that culture — values, people, or an- imals — or indicate a time of year. Look at this star map and see if you can see a pattern. Bigger dots are brighter stars, so use those as anchors to your picture. Step 6: Write your legend. Use the themes that are important to you, or everyday items that fit into the pat- terns of the stars. For example, if your hero is a writer, you may see the shape of a book, a pen, or even their face. Maybe you want to tell a story of how it got there. Step 1: What makes a constellation? A constellation is a pattern that peo- ple see in the stars that cultures all over the world use to talk about. The common constellations we now know are from the Greeks, and cultures all over the world see patterns in the stars. What parts of a constellation do you have to imagine? Step 3: Tonight’s sky. Tonight after it gets dark, we will see [the red star Be- telgeuse]. Tell the Greek story from the current season, how astronomers use constellations (see presenter notes), and then tell other legends. Don’t point out how the stars connect to make that image. We want them to use their imaginations — go slowly! Step 5: Draw your own constellation. What values are important to you? What stories do you like to share? Do you have a hero, an animal, or object that you’d like to commemorate? Do you see any patterns or bright stars in this star field? Do you have a favorite sport that happens at this time of year? Goals for visitors’ understanding • Cultures around the world create patterns as a way to organize in the stars. • Cultures’ constellation legends reflect both their environment and values. • Regular movement of the fixed constellations are used to tell time and make plans. • Astronomers use constellations to describe the locations of objects in the sky. Opening questions Has anyone ever shown you a constellation in the sky? Who taught you to find that? Remember to listen to visitors’ experiences and incorporate these stories later. If you aren’t familiar with the night sky, it can appear disorganized. Humans create patterns and mental maps to make sense of their world, including the stars in the sky. What is a map in your mind that you use every day? (path to school, their room at night) Who taught you that? Time: 15 minutes Visitors: Ages 4 and up, groups of 1–30 Venue: Indoor, day, needs a table, great before a night of observing Legends in the Sky Everyone’s sky, each perspective unique © 2020 Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Night Sky Network, Reproductions for eductional purposes encouraged. astrosociety.org nightskynetwork.org
Transcript of Legends in the Sky · • Astronomers use constellations to describe the locations of objects in...
Wrap up questionsWould anyone like to share their constellation story? Let’s see if we can spot your constellation in the sky to-night! Connect to a star wheel before dark or go out and observe their constellation.
Step 2: Let’s look at an example. (show this season’s card) Can anyone connect these dots to make a picture? Or do you see the outlines of a letter, a shape? Can you point it out with your finger in this star map? Now, does anyone know the Greek constellation visible in this star field? (show if not) Does it actually look like a [hunter]?
Step 4: Picture a constellation. People everywhere have looked up and seen patterns among the stars. These con-stellations often honor things important to that culture — values, people, or an-imals — or indicate a time of year. Look at this star map and see if you can see a pattern. Bigger dots are brighter stars, so use those as anchors to your picture.
Step 6: Write your legend. Use the themes that are important to you, or everyday items that fit into the pat-terns of the stars. For example, if your hero is a writer, you may see the shape of a book, a pen, or even their face. Maybe you want to tell a story of how it got there.
Step 1: What makes a constellation?A constellation is a pattern that peo-ple see in the stars that cultures all over the world use to talk about. The common constellations we now know are from the Greeks, and cultures all over the world see patterns in the stars. What parts of a constellation do you have to imagine?
Step 3: Tonight’s sky. Tonight after it gets dark, we will see [the red star Be-telgeuse]. Tell the Greek story from the current season, how astronomers use constellations (see presenter notes), and then tell other legends. Don’t point out how the stars connect to make that image. We want them to use their imaginations — go slowly!
Step 5: Draw your own constellation. What values are important to you? What stories do you like to share? Do you have a hero, an animal, or object that you’d like to commemorate? Do you see any patterns or bright stars in this star field? Do you have a favorite sport that happens at this time of year?
Goals for visitors’ understanding• Cultures around the world create patterns as a way to organize in the stars.• Cultures’ constellation legends reflect both their environment and values.• Regular movement of the fixed constellations are used to tell time and make plans.• Astronomers use constellations to describe the locations of objects in the sky.
Opening questionsHas anyone ever shown you a constellation in the sky? Who taught you to find that?Remember to listen to visitors’ experiences and incorporate these stories later. If you aren’t familiar with the night sky, it can appear disorganized. Humans create patterns and mental maps to make sense of their world, including the stars in the sky. What is a map in your mind that you use every day? (path to school, their room at night) Who taught you that?
Time: 15 minutesVisitors: Ages 4 and up, groups of 1–30Venue: Indoor, day, needs a table, great before a night of observing
Legends in the SkyEveryone’s sky, each perspective unique
© 2020 Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Night Sky Network, Reproductions for eductional purposes encouraged.
astrosociety.org nightskynetwork.org
Notes for Presenter• You don’t have to know the constellations to facilitate
this activity!• Respecting the legends of other cultures: It is import-
ant to understand that, far more than merely stories,the figures seen in the sky often represent ancestors,important native knowledge, and even stories nottold outside a culture, or only told by certain reveredmembers of the culture. By giving only the name of thefigure, not the entire story, we are recognizing that thesky is important to cultures around the world and overtime and that the Greek constellations we use herenow are just one way to interpret the sky.
• We use the word “legends” not “stories” because forsome cultures, these are more than stories — some-times ancestors are memorialized in the sky or it is apart of a larger belief system.
• Some cultures do not use stars to create constellations,but use the dark spaces in the Milky Way, such as theMapuche in Chile.
• The International Astronomical Union divides the entiresky into 88 constellations — regions often surroundingthe Greek version of the constellations. Amateur andprofessional astronomers use these to indicate wherean object is in the sky in the same way one might usestates to tell the location of a park. So Zion NationalPark is in Utah while the Sombrero Galaxy is in the con-stellation Virgo. The boundaries of Utah and Virgo areboth invented and useful.
• The northern and southern hemispheres see the con-stellations flipped upside down from each other. So thefoot of a dancing man in Australia may be the shoulderof Orion to the Greeks.
Cards to print
Materials + setupActivity includes 5 pages of sky stories with accompa-nying worksheets:
• Betelgeuse• Pleiades• Antares• Dubhe (N)• ACrux (S)
Make 1 copy of the current season’s worksheet for each visitor.Pencils, crayons, or markers for drawing.Visitors will need a flat surface for writing, e.g., books, clipboards, or tables. (optional) Slide deck for larger presentations.
Good links online to legends• Figures in the Sky:
http://www.datasketch.es/may/code/nadieh/• Native Skywatchers:
http://www.nativeskywatchers.com/• Astronomy of Many Cultures Resource Guide:
https://astrosociety.org/education-outreach/resource-guides/multicultural-astronomy.html
Extensions• Big Dipper Sky Clock (for Northern hemisphere):
https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-resources/make-a-star-clock/
• Southern Cross Clock (Pages 17-18):https://museumsvictoria.com.au/media/1896/vce-astronomy-astrophysics-student-activities-1-10.pdf
Participants: Ages 4 and up, groups of 1–30
15 minsLegends in the SkyEveryone’s sky, each perspective unique
© 2020 Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Night Sky Network, Reproductions for eductional purposes encouraged.
astrosociety.org nightskynetwork.org
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What image do you see in the stars this time of year? Tell a story about how this represents a person or value close to you.
Your Constellation:
Story:
astrosociety.org© 2020 Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Create Your Own Constellation
bigastronomy.org
Betelgeuse
What image do you see in the stars this time of year? Tell a story about how this represents a person or value close to you.
Your Constellation:
Story:
astrosociety.org© 2020 Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Create Your Own Constellation
bigastronomy.org
Dubhe
What image do you see in the stars this time of year? Tell a story about how this represents a person or value close to you.
Your Constellation:
Story:
astrosociety.org© 2020 Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Create Your Own Constellation
bigastronomy.org
Pleiades
What image do you see in the stars this time of year? Tell a story about how this represents a person or value close to you.
Your Constellation:
Story:
astrosociety.org© 2020 Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Create Your Own Constellation
bigastronomy.org
Antares
What image do you see in the stars this time of year? Tell a story about how this represents a person or value close to you.
Your Constellation:
Story:
astrosociety.org© 2020 Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Create Your Own Constellation
bigastronomy.org
Acrux
