HISTORY of ASTRONOMY

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HISTORY of ASTRONOMY

• GRADE LEVEL 10, 11, 12
• SUBJECTS HISTORY, SCIENCE, and FINE ARTS

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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.
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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

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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

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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 Newtons 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 Einsteins specific
Theory of Relativity until now. A Brief History
of 20th Century Astronomy will tell you more.
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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
• Constructing and reading a time line Students
  are to construct a time line which depicts key
  dates and events in the history of Astronomy.
• Composing Paragraphs Students are to write a
  paragraph on the History of Astronomy.
• Sequencing Write a paragraph on the History of
  Astronomy which demonstrates your understanding
  of each of the four parts of sequencing.
• Recognizing cause and effect Write a paragraph
  which reflects your understanding of the two
  parts discussed in recognizing cause and effect.

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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.
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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
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Time Line

• How to read a Time Line
• In reading a timeline, follow these steps.
• Determine its framework. Note the years covered
  and the intervals of time into which the time
  line is divided.
• 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.)
• 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.
• Note relationships Ask how each event relates to
  the others. This will help you recognize cause
  and effect.
• Use the time line as a summary Use the listed
  events to weave a summary of the time period.

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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.
• State a main idea. Develop a clear statement of
  the main point you want your readers to
  understand.
• Support your main idea. Include sentences that
  add detail or interest. These sentences should
  explain, support, or expand the main idea of the
  paragraph.
• 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.
• 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.

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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.
• Check the dates. The most obvious clues to a
  sequence of events are dates.
• Look for key words and phrases. Note terms such
  as then, gave rise to, next, and finally that
  indicate a sequence of events.
• Identify relationships among the events.
  Determine if one event leads directly to another,
  and if they in turn lead to still others.
• Notice the larger picture. Remember events in
  one area might spur events in other areas.

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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
• 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.

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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.
• 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.
• 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

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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
• 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.
• Study the key, or legend. The legend explains
  what the colors and special symbols mean.
• 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
  earths surface.
• 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.
• 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.

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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.
• Study the subject. Identify the person, event or
  location in the photograph. Understand the
  central message.
• Check for details. Note the expression, action,
  or setting. Look closely at the style of dress
  and other details.
• Dont 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.
• Look for supporting facts or evidence. Accurate
  statements are usually backed up by statistics,
  quotations, or other verifiable evidence.

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Synthesizing Information

• To synthesize information you must combine ideas
  from several sources. You, too, are asked to
  synthesize information.
• How to Synthesize Information
• Select sources carefully. Make sure that the
  sources you are studying cover the same
  information and complement, or add to, each
  other.
• Read for understanding. Identify main ideas and
  important supporting evidence in each source.
• Compare and contrast. Note where sources agree
  or build on each other. More importantly, note
  where they differ.
• Interpret all the information. Use what you have
  found to interpret the information. This the key
  to synthesizing.

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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 Groups 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.