Stellarium

In this science challenge, my students will observe, categorize, and make inferences concerning ancient Egyptian uses of constellations. Through the use of Stellarium, they will observe the night sky, record their findings, categorize them and use the links from Stellarium to learn about the cultural significance of each constellation. From the knowledge students gain, they will make further inferences concerning each constellation's possible importance in Egyptian culture and today's. Students will use their knowledge to produce a creative project of their choice. Students will work in groups and finally present their project to the class.

Content
Science, 6th grade:
Standard 4, Objective 2
Describe the appearance and apparent motion of groups of stars in the night sky relative to Earth and how various cultures have understood and used them.


1. Locate and identify stars that are grouped in patterns in the night sky.
2. Identify ways people have historically grouped stars in the night sky.

Pedagogy
We will specifically focus on how the ancient Egyptians identified and used stars within their society by:
Observing
Classifying
and Inferring

These strategies appropriately fit our activity because this project focuses mainly on the accumulation and analysis of information.

Technology
We will use Stellarium to accomplish these purposes. This particular resource aligns with the content and pedagogy because it will allow students to view stars that they would otherwise be unable to see. It also allows them to make sense of the stars they see in a cultural context because Stellarium will portray the constellation art work, if desired, and because Stellarium provides various links to information concerning these constellations.