People have been wondering about what they see in the sky for a long time. Because of our curiosity about the sky, we tell stories and myths about what we see there. The desire to explain what we see around us in the simplest way using science has driven astronomers for centuries.

 In ancient times, people named planets, and star formations after mythological gods, people, and creatures. Today we are not as familiar with those stories. It is difficult for us to find constellations and understand how exactly they are supposed to look. In this WebQuest you will develop an understanding of constellations and the myths behind them. You are responsible for bringing us up to date on these beautiful formations.

Constellations are formed of bright stars which appear close to each other on the sky, but are really far apart in space. The shapes you see all depend on your point of view. Many societies saw patterns among the stars with gods and goddesses or stories from their culture.

Task

You and your partner's  job is to gather enough information about a particular constellation to be able to present a fact filled advertisement to the class about that constellation. You will find the information by researching the links provided.

 

 1. Divide into groups of 2-3 students

2. Choose one of the constellations below
CONSTELLATIONS
Navajo: Ursa Major                                    Lakota: Constellation of the Hand
Hindu: Rishis                                               Greek: Scorpius the Scorpion
Greek: Draco the Dragon                            
Greek: The Nemean Lion                             Greek: The Lernaean Hydra
Greek: Cancer                                              Greek: Orion
Greek: Ganymede and the Constellation Aquila
Greek: Cassiopeia
Greek: Cepheus                                             Greek: Pegasus
 Greek: The Big Dipper and Bootes
 

3. Click on the constellation name and explore the links listed.  Click back and explore other links.  (You may search Google for other websites.)

4. Take notes on the following information:

A. Where did the name come from? What is the story behind it?

(example: Greek mythology)

B. What figure is the constellation?

(example: Phoenix, an mythological bird)

C. skip

D. When can the constellation be seen during the year?
http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/cm.html

(example: From March to June)

E. Where can the constellation be seen?

(example: In the northern sky)

F. Is your constellation near any other?

(example: It is just south of Draco. They share 2 stars)

G. What does the figure look like?

(example: Design an illustration of your constellation)

The Deep Photographic Guide to the
Constellations
http://www.allthesky.com/constellations/const.html

 

Andromeda | Aquarius | Aries | Cancer | Capricornus | Cassiopeia | Cepheus | Cetus | Corona Borealis | Cygnus | Draco | Eridanus | Gemini | Hercules | Hydra | Leo | Libra | Lyra | Orion | Perseus | Pisces | Sagittarius | Scorpius | Taurus | Ursa Major | Ursa Minor | Virgo

 

5. Prepare an advertisement in Scholastic Keys Write (Microsoft Word) about the constellation including the factual information collected. Remember to include pictures of how the stars are connected and what the final picture of the image looks like.

            A.  Open Scholastic Keys MAxWrite.

          B.  Center and type your title.  Press enter.  (Or use WordArt)

          C.  Create your picture and add it to your page. 

          D.  Create your ad including all your information in your own words.

 

Evaluation

 

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Research	Name is given. Origin is given.	Name is given with origin. Myth is included.	Name, myth, and origin given. Location/time seen is included.	Name, myth, origin given. Location, time of year, and important stars listed.
Advertisement	Introduction with name and origin.	Introduction with name, origin, myth, and location included.	Introduction with name, origin, myth, location, time, and illustration,	Introduction with name, origin, myth, location, time, and detailed illustration.
Group Work	Group was somewhat cooperative with frequent problems. Little to no creativity evident.	Group cooperated, everyone contributed, and one member was speaker with little problem, minimal creativity.	Group was on task with no problems. Everyone contributed and spoke, some creativity.	Group worked very well together with no problems. All members spoke and showed individual creativity.

 

 

Conclusion

Time to show your masterpiece! Plan a presentation to give to your class. During your presentation you will discuss the factual information you collected about your constellation. You will share the illustrations including the advertisement.

Be creative!

 

 

 

Reflection

Time to think about your work and the work of your group. Complete the following questions honestly.

 

Collaboration Reflection:

 

 

1. Did you feel that your group worked cooperatively?

2. Did everyone stay on task during group meeting times?

3. Did everyone complete their work on time for making the brochure?

4. Did you enjoy working as a group putting together a brochure and an oral presentation?

 

 

Extension

You are now an expert at star gazing. It's time for you to show your creative side. Create a constellation of your own. Begin by generating answers to the questions in the Process and Resource section of this WebQuest. Next, make an large drawing of your constellation on black construction paper. Poke holes through the location of the main stars. Present your constellation to the class by sharing the information you made up. Finally, place the construction paper on the overhead projector so that it shows onto the chalkboard in a dark classroom. Explain the constellation figure to your class as you connect the dots. Have fun!

 

 

Resources

Windows to the Universe
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/

Constellation from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constellation

Locating Constellations
http://www.smv.org/astro/tips.asp

The Deep Photographic Guide to the
Constellations
http://www.allthesky.com/constellations/const.html

The Constellations Web Page
http://www.dibonsmith.com/constel.htm

Constellation Families
http://www.seds.org/Maps/Const/const_family.html

The Mythology of the Constellations
http://www.comfychair.org/~cmbell/myth/myth.html

The Constellations and their Stars
http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations.html

  Starry Skies
http://starryskies.com/The_sky/constellations/index.html

North Carolina Science Standards

 

Competency Goal 3: The learner will make observations and use appropriate technology to build an understanding of the earth/moon/sun system.

Objectives 3.01 Observe that light travels in a straight line until it strikes an object and is reflected and/or absorbed. 3.02 Observe that objects in the sky have patterns of movement including: Sun. Moon. Stars. 3.03 Using shadows, follow and record the apparent movement of the sun in the sky during the day. 3.04 Use appropriate tools to make observations of the moon. 3.05 Observe and record the change in the apparent shape of the moon from day to day over several months and describe the pattern of changes. 3.06 Observe that patterns of stars in the sky stay the same, although they appear to move across the sky nightly.