constellationindex

by Linda Bauer, Terry Garrigan, Lisa Gruszynski, and Tina Wojner

Introduction/Task/Process/Resources/Assessment/Standards Alignment/Conclusion

Introduction

Have you ever looked into the sky and tried to find the Little Dipper? Have you ever tried to find the Big Dipper, or Orion or any other constellation? Have you ever wondered how the constellations were named? ENTER HERE!!

"The constellations are totally imaginary things that poets, farmers and astronomers have made up over the past 6,000 years (and probably even more!). The real purpose for the constellations is to help us tell which stars are which, nothing more. On a really dark night, you can see about 1000 to 1500 stars. Trying to tell which is which is hard. The constellations help by breaking up the sky into more manageable bits. They are used as mnemonics, or memory aids. For example, if you spot three bright stars in a row in the winter evening, you might realize, "Oh! That's part of Orion!" Suddenly, the rest of the constellation falls into place and you can declare: "There's Betelgeuse in Orion's left shoulder and Rigel is his foot." And once you recognize Orion, you can remember that Orion's Hunting Dogs are always nearby. Then you might recognize the two bright stars in the upper and lower left of the photograph as Procyon in Canis Minor and Sirius in Canis Major, respectively. " (What Are Constellations?)

"The Gods of the ancient Greeks lived at the top of Mount Olympus, the highest peak in Greece. Later, their home was conceived of as a heaven in the skies. From Olympus, the gods loved, quarreled, watched the world, and helped and hindered mortals according to their whims. Presided over by Zeus, ruler of heaven and earth, there were many gods and immortals… Hades (Pluto), Zeus' brother, ruled the underworld... After the defeat of the Titans, Zeus and his brothers Poseidon and Hades drew lots for the governance of the sky, the sea, and the underworld."(Myths & Legends, Neil Philip, DK Publishing, 1999).

For this reason many constellations are named for the Greek gods in myth.

Task

Your adventure begins with a look at 12 myths involving constellations chosen especially for you. After conquering the myths provided, you will create your own myth story with a model of that constellation to represent it. The crew that best fulfills the mission requirements will become dictators of the science room for 1 day.

Process

You will be assigned to a team of 3or 4 voyagers. Your quest will include the following components:

Read myths about the 12 constellations below.
Create a crossword puzzle using all the 12 constellations read. Click on the star for a puzzle maker:
Design and name a constellation of your own using 6-10 stars with materials provided by your crusade guide.
Invent a myth to explain the origin of your constellation, you may use ancient or modern themes.
Present your myth as a PowerPoint slide show with 4-6 slides.