Astronomy, the study of o____________ s_____________, was happening long before today Example from last class: First Nations people studied the moon enough to base their c________________ on it, and made connections between the moon and the t_____________ and the amount of f____________ in the ocean Example from today’s class: Mysterious sites like S__________________ in England, built ~5000 years ago, show evidence of detailed study of the s_________ and m__________. One such place even shows knowledge of patterns that only repeat every _____ years! The point: Recent W_____________ scientists did not start astronomy Ancient people had k________________ and m_______________ that are lost to us today We are not the c___________ of the universe! uter pace nowledge estern 18 oonun tonehenge ishide alendar entre ethods

1. The Builders of Stonehenge

Today Possible Reconstruction h?v=ET5p_wp0EdA

DISCUSS: From the video, How do you know the builders of Stonehenge were “doing astronomy”?

 At the time of year called winter solstice, the Stonehenge stones are aligned with the sunset.  Winter solstice:  happens once per year  is the shortest day of the year  Is when the sun is lowest in the sky  After winter solstice, the days get longer again  The builders of Stonehenge must’ve known exactly where the Sun would set at winter solstice since they laid the stones to align with them!  Perhaps the winter solstice was thought of as the end of a year (death of the sun) and the start of a new year (the sun coming back to life)

 Understanding what winter solstice is...  Fill in the blanks on your notes by watching the video,

ANSWERS: 1. Why is it hotter in the summer? Because the summer Sun is h____________________ in the sky: a) Summer days are l___________________. b) Summer sunlight is more i_____________________. 2. At summer solstice… a) the Earth is tilted the m_____________ toward the Sun b) the Sun’s path is highest in the sky c) it is the longest day of the year d) it is summer, the h________________ season 3. At the “autumnal equinox”… a) Both the d_______ and the n___________ are the same number of hours 4. At the winter equinox… a) The Earth is tilted furthest away from the S__________ b) It is the s____________________ day of the year 5. Partner up with someone and compare answers. ighest ntense ost ottest ayight un hortest ongest

1 is leader, 2 is recorder, 3 is time keeper. You have 2 min per question. 1. Have you ever noticed that the path of the Sun is higher or lower at different times of the year? Explain. 2. Have you ever noticed that, if you are watching the sunset from the same place each day, the Sun sets in a different place at different times of the year? Explain. 3. How would you determine the shortest day of the year by watching the location of the sunset? CHANGE ROLES 4. Write a record as if you were an ancient person living in the period when Stonehenge was built explaining what happens at winter solstice. 5. How long might it have taken to build Stonehenge? (use phone to research) CHANGE ROLES 6. Why might Stonehenge have been built? Make sure your answer includes the fact that the rocks mark winter solstice. 7. “The ancient people that built Stonehenge were studying astronomy.” Do you agree or disagree?

GROUP RESULTS: 1.Decide your top 3 answers. 2.Decide which group member will share which answer with the class (each group member must share one answer). 3.You have 2 minutes to decide… 4.SHARING!

2. The Builders of Newgrange

Stonehenge is in England; Newgrange is in Ireland Newgrange is also thought to have been built about 5000 years ago (in about 3000 years B.C.) (including an alien hypothesis!) (start video at 44:20; end at 50:00

Fill in 10 points on the back page of your assignment

 Why would it be useful to know which way is north?

How Polaris was used for navigation Use a large piece of paper to draw how to find the North Star if… 1.You can see the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) and there’s an open sky around it 2.You can see the Big Dipper but there are clouds around it You can’t see the Big Dipper but can see Cassiopeia If you need a summary If totally into this and want to learn one more constellation (the Summer Triangle)