HISTORY of ASTRONOMY
GRADE LEVEL: 10, 11, & 12 SUBJECTS: HISTORY, SCIENCE, and FINE ARTS
History of Astronomy
Our sun and moon, the planets, and stars have always intrigued the human family. Since time in memorial, the human eye has been mesmerized by motion in the sky. This hypnotic-like trance has influenced the behavior of the earth-bound in almost every walk of life. Heavenly motions have been a constant source of earthly notions. From ancient times to the present, the heavens have influenced the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual growth and development on earth. Our curiosity and need to understand the sky has led us to great and wonderful achievements here on earth. This lesson will use the history of astronomy as a vehicle to develop key skills necessary for successful navigation in the world of the social sciences and daily life on earth.
Learner Outcomes
Students will: •Develop the ability to work on their own •Learn to work effectively in teams •Develop skills necessary for effective interpersonal group interactions. •Examine and develop an understanding of divergent points of view. •Learn to solve problems and take initiative •Develop and utilize higher level thinking skills •Develop the ability to find, use, and make sense of information. •Develop decision-making abilities
Learner Outcomes
Students will •Construct and read a time line •Compose paragraphs •Understand sequence •Recognize cause and effect •Separate fact from opinion •Read maps •Use and/or examine photos/graphics •Synthesize information
History of Astronomy: An Overview
Ancient Astronomy: From the dawn of history to the collapse of the Roman empire, around the 5th century. A Brief History of Ancient Astronomy will tell you more. Medieval Astronomy: From the 5th Century to the 15th Century. A Brief History of Medieval Astronomy will tell you more.. Astronomy of the Renaissance: From the Copernican revolution to the middle of the 17th Century. A Brief History of Astronomy of the Renaissance will tell you more. Modern Astronomy: From the Newton’s theory of gravitation to the end of the 19th Century. A Brief History of Modern Astronomy will tell you more. Decades of the 20th Century: From Einstein’s specific Theory of Relativity until now. A Brief History of 20th Century Astronomy will tell you more.
SKILL DRILL
The Skill Drill is an opportunity for each student to develop social science-related, performance-based competencies. Using the “History of Astronomy” as the topic and the respective expert site information as a source and reference, each student is to demonstrate an understanding of key concepts through completing the tasks listed below. Each task requires a demonstration of competency through the application of specific social science skills. The skills and competency criteria for all students are: 1. Constructing and reading a time line: Students are to construct a time line which depicts key dates and events in the history of Astronomy. 2. Composing Paragraphs: Students are to write a paragraph on the “History of Astronomy.” 3. Sequencing: Write a paragraph on the History of Astronomy which demonstrates your understanding of each of the four parts of sequencing. 4. Recognizing cause and effect: Write a paragraph which reflects your understanding of the two parts discussed in recognizing cause and effect.
SKILL DRILL
5. Separating fact from opinion: Demonstrate your understanding of fact and opinion by writing a paragraph on the history of astronomy which includes three facts and three opinions. 6. Using and examining photos/graphics: Students are to download, photocopy, scan, draw, or cut out an image which accurately reflects the history of astronomy. 6. Reading maps: Students are to locate on a world map, the countries represented by name, people, events of significance relative to the history of astronomy.***Note: this is optional and enrichment.
Using Time Lines
Historians say that “the skeleton of history is chronology,””the science that deals with measuring time by regular divisions, or intervals and that assigns to events their proper dates.” Historians arrange events in chronological order, or the order in which they happen. One of the best ways to show chronological order is by a time line. Time lines are visual presentations of events in the order in which they occur. When studying history, seeing events set out in chronological order can help you understand the events and their relationship to each other. The historical growth and development of astronomy can be depicted in a time line format. Read t
Time Line
How to read a Time Line: In reading a timeline, follow these steps. 1. Determine its framework. Note the years covered and the intervals of time into which the time line is divided. 2. Study the Sequence carefully. A time line is proportional. The space between each date-the intervals-is always the same. In this way you can visually see the span of time between events. Remember that sometimes the length of time between events is an important historical fact. (Also note that each year is marked on the time line, even when no event is listed.) 3. Fill in the blanks. Time lines usually list only key events. Study those listed. Think about the events and the people, places, and other events associated with them. In this way, you can “flesh out” the framework provided by the time line. 4. Note relationships Ask how each event relates to the others. This will help you recognize cause and effect. 5. Use the time line as a summary Use the listed events to weave a summary of the time period.
Composing Paragraphs
You will often be asked to write a description or explanation. To do so effectively, you must organize your thoughts into paragraphs. A paragraph consists of several sentences that state a main idea and add an explanation or supporting details. For the paragraph to communicate your message, these sentences should be presented in a logical sequence. How to Write a Paragraph To write a paragraph, follow these guidelines. 1. State a main idea. Develop a clear statement of the main point you want your readers to understand. 2. Support your main idea. Include sentences that add detail or interest. These sentences should explain, support, or expand the main idea of the paragraph. 3. Explain key terms. Define or explain any special words you use in the paragraph. This can be done best in a separate sentence within the paragraph. 4. Connect the sentences. Make sure that your paragraph has a beginning and an end. Also make sure that all the information is tied logically together.
Understanding Sequence
Many times history unfolds as a sequence of events. Recognizing sequence and relationships among the events will help you understand historical events. How to Understand Sequence To understand sequence, follow these guidelines. 1. Check the dates. The most obvious clues to a sequence of events are dates. 2. Look for key words and phrases. Note terms such as then, gave rise to, next, and finally that indicate a sequence of events. 3. Identify relationships among the events. Determine if one event leads directly to another, and if they in turn lead to still others. 4. Notice the larger picture. Remember events in one area might spur events in other areas.
Recognizing Cause and Effect
Determining cause-and-effect relationships is crucial for the reader of history. A cause is a condition, person, or event that makes something happen. An effect is the outcome of a cause. A cause may have many effects. An effect may itself be a cause. How to Recognize Cause-Effect relationships 1. Look for cause-effect clues. Certain words are immediate clues to cause and effect. Cause clues include led to, brought about, produced, because, as a result of, the source of, and the reason why. Some effect clues are the outcome of, as a consequence, resulting in, gave rise to, and depended on. Remember, however, that writers do not always state the link between cause and effect. Read closely to see relationships between events. 2. Check for complex connections. Note that many cause-effect relationships have complex connections. A single cause may have many effects. Likewise, a single effect many have root in many causes. An remember that an effect may itself be a cause.
Separating Fact from Opinion
Being able to distinguish fact from opinion is a key strategy for the successful student. Reading history presents us with many facts. A fact is something known to be true. It can be proved from records that exist. History also presents us with opinions, or personal beliefs. It is important to know when the ideas you are reading are facts and when they are opinions. How to separate fact from opinions, follow these guidelines. To separate facts from opinions, follow these guidelines. 1. Ask “can it be proven?” Determine whether the idea can be checked for accuracy in other sources. If so, it is probably factual. If not, it probably contains an opinion. 2. Look for context clues. Opinions are sometimes signaled in writing by words like believe or think. Other clues that signal opinions include loaded words intended to stir your emotions, such as extremely, ridiculous, or most important
Reading Maps
Your study of history is greatly enriched by geography. To fully understand geographic information, you must be able to read a map. Maps generally have four parts: a title; a key, or legend; a scale; and a global grid. If you understand the information provided by these four parts, you will be able to read a map with confidence. How to read a Map 1. Read the title. The title of the a map tells the subject of the map and what parts of the earth are shown. Some map titles have dates. 2. Study the key, or legend. The legend explains what the colors and special symbols mean. 3. Note the distance scale. The map scale is used to measure distances. Many maps have a bar scale. The length of the line on the scale represents that number of miles and kilometers on the earth’s surface. 4. Use the grid. The grid of latitude and longitude helps you locate places on the earth through a special numbering system based on a unit of measurement called a degree. 5. Note other map features. Most maps show other information in special ways as well. Be sure to look for all the features of each map.
Using and/or Examining Photos
Photographs are important sources. Studying them for details can tell you much about a person, event, or time. How to Use Photographs (as Primary Sources) Follow these steps to use photographs as primary sources. 1. Study the subject. Identify the person, event or location in the photograph. Understand the central message. 2. Check for details. Note the expression, action, or setting. Look closely at the style of dress and other details. 3. Don’t be misled. When studying history, you may uncover source materials that use stereotypes, overstatements, or generalizations that put forth misleading ideas and images. It is important to recognize the difference between false and accurate images. 4. Look for supporting facts or evidence. Accurate statements are usually backed up by statistics, quotations, or other verifiable evidence.
Synthesizing Information
To synthesize information you must combine ideas from several sources. You, too, are asked to synthesize information. How to Synthesize Information: 1. Select sources carefully. Make sure that the sources you are studying cover the same information and complement, or add to, each other. 2. Read for understanding. Identify main ideas and important supporting evidence in each source. 3. Compare and contrast. Note where sources agree or build on each other. More importantly, note where they differ. 4. Interpret all the information. Use what you have found to interpret the information. This the key to synthesizing.
Project Group Closure
Expert Group: Students are to assemble in a group with classmates with whom they share a division of the History of Astronomy. In these expert groups, each member is to share, through reading his/her seven skill paper(s.) Here peer tutoring, editing and feedback can be exchanged. Students may revise papers. Original integrity of the paper must be retained.. Project Group: From the expert group, each student will return to his/her Project Group. Each Project Group will be responsible for creating one collaborative group paper which represents an understanding of how to synthesize of each of the Expert Group’s skills and papers. Students will need to access Synthesizing Information from the Skill Drill section. Each student will read his/her response to each skill area. The group will use the individual source papers in order to create a single synthesized Project group. The Project papers will demonstrate the ability to synthesize each of the seven skill drill tasks. Following a presentation before the class, each project group will give the instructor individual and group papers for evaluation.