Download The Ancient Heavens: Exploring the History of Astronomy

The Ancient Heavens:
Exploring the History of
Astronomy
Lindsay Bartolone
Adler Planetarium, Chicago
Donna Governor
Forsyth County GA Schools
For the ancients, the heavens were
of paramount importance in
agriculture, religion, divination
and tracking time. By
understanding the roots and
origins of Astronomy, and how
ancient civilizations studied,
used and applied this science,
students can begin to appreciate
what early astronomers
contributed to our understanding
of the world and our place in the
universe.
The History of Astronomy is
important in developing an
understanding and respect for not
only what we know, but how we
learned it. By encompassing a
perspective of Astronomy that is
historical, students develop a
greater appreciation for the
content they learn. From tracking
the motion of the sun and stars, to
the legends of Native Americans,
these activities help participants
appreciate not only what we
know, but how we know it.
Who were these ancient
astronomers?
Throughout human history people of all
cultures have looked to the sky to improve
their daily lives.
What did they know?
QuickTime™ and a
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The Mayans lived in the area
in Central America which
now consists of Yucatan,
Guatemala, Belize and
southern Mexico. They
were accomplished
astronomers and like other
cultures, carefully
observed the motion of the
Sun, stars and planets.
Native American Astronomy
The center of the Mississippian culture was at Cahokia,
at the juncture of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois
Rivers. In the 1960’s a celestial calendar was
uncovered. Woodhenge is a solar horizon calendar
that enabled the Mississippians to track the sun's
movement as a way of determining important dates.
Woodhenge Interactive
http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/ecuip/diglib/science/cultu
ral_astronomy/interactives/woodhenge/woodhenge.
html
Following the Sun
Track the position of the
sun using azimuth and
altitude data from
Cahokia.
Data from:
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/
Use Azimuth & Altitude to track
the motion of the Sun at Cahokia
Summer Solstice
05:00
06:00
07:00
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
14:00
15:00
16:00
17:00
18:00
19:00
Altitude
3
14
25
37
49
60
70
75
71
61
50
38
26
15
4
Azimuth
62
71
79
88
98
111
134
178
223
247
261
271
280
288
297
Equinox Position
Altitude Azimuth
06:00
1
90
07:00
11
98
08:00
22
108
09:00
33
120
10:00
42
135
11:00
50
154
12:00
52
177
13:00
50
201
14:00
44
221
15:00
35
237
16:00
25
249
17:00
14
260
18:00
2
270
07:30
08:30
09:30
10:30
11:30
12:30
13:30
14:30
15:30
16:30
Winter Solstice
Altitude Azimuth
2
122
11
132
19
144
25
158
28
172
28
188
25
203
19
216
11
228
2
238
Archaeoastronomy
Using data obtained from
the U.S. Naval
Observatory website,
help students construct
a celestial calendar for
your location. Mark the
rising and setting sun
on the solstices and
equinox.
The Multi-Cultural Moon
The Moon is bright in the
middle of the night.
It is big and round. It’s in the
sky.
It has highlands and maria.
It makes me smile.
I like the Moon.
Is the Moon made of rock?
- Samantha Shroyer - first
grade - Fall 2002
Moon Tales
QuickTime™ and a
YUV420 codec decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Myths from
around the
world can be
used to help
even the
youngest
student
understand
concepts in
astronomy.
Make a Moon Finder
The phase and position
of the moon can be
used to tell time, or
the time and position
can be used to help
students learn the
difference between a
waxing and waning
crescent.
Star Stories - Orion
The Hunter Greek/Roman
The Alligator - Brazil
Pata & Criminal Peru
Tsan - Defender of
Farmers - China
Canoe of Tamarereti New Zealand
Constellations &
Coordinate Geometry
Whether students are
working with simple X-Y
coordinates, or
Cartesian Coordinates
on a four quadrant grid,
cross curricular
connections include
math.
Star Stories
Integrated curriculum
activity!
 Use sticky stars
 Determine Coordinates
 Write Story
 Swap!
 Find Coordinates
 Write a story
 Compare Versions!
Keeping a Star Journal
Pawnee Mudlodge
•
The night sky was
viewed through the
smoke hole of the
mud lodge. This
celestial calendar
was not dependent
on the Sun’s position,
but on the
appearance of certain
constellations at
specific times.
Comparing Constellations
Constructing Star Wheels
with both the traditional
and Pawnee
constellations can help
students to understand
that all cultures
depended on knowing
the stars and
constellations.
Polynesian Astronomy
Hawai'iloa is said to have discovered
the islands during a long fishing
trip. Hawai'iloa's navigator,
Makali'i, steered in the direction of
Iao, the Eastern Star, and hoku'ula,
the red star (perhaps the rising
Aldebaran). After replenishing his
supplies, Hawai'iloa returned home
and brought his family back to
Hawai'i, again using the fixed stars
as guides.
Celestial Navigation



Use the Hawaiian
Star Compass to
find your way
Experience an
online simulation at
Wayfinders:
http://www.pbs.org/
wayfinders/
Learn the Hawaiian
name for the stars
Advances by Arabic Astronomers
QuickTime™ and a
YUV420 codec decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Celestial Navigation is as
useful in the deserts of
the middle east as in
the tropical waters of
the Pacific.
Common names for stars
are often Arabic,
recognizing their
contributions to ancient
astronomy.
Bibliography & Resources

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
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

Lasky, Kathryn. "The Librarian who Measured the Earth” Little,
Brown and Company: Boston, 1994.
Moroney, Lynn. "Moontellers, Myths of the Moon from around
the World". Northland Publishing: Flagstaff, 1995.
Monroe, Jean Guard. “They Dance in the Sky; Native American
Star Myths” Houghton Mifflin, NY, 1987
Singh, Rina. “Moon Tales; Myths of the Moon from around the
World”. Bloomsbury Children’s Books, London, 1999
Aveni, Antholy. “Ancient Astronomers” Reny Press &
Smithsonian Books, Washington, D.C., 1993
Hoskin, Michael (ed). “Cambridge Illustrated History of
Astronomy” Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge U.K., 1997
Cultural Astronomy Website:
http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/ecuip/diglib/science/cultural_astronomy/
Thank you
The Ancient Heavens: Exploring the History of
Astronomy
NSTA - Philadelphia, PA
Saturday March 23, 2003 Loew’s Hotel - Washington C
Lindsay Bartolone
[email protected]
& Donna Governor
[email protected]