Introduction
All through our lives we spend time under the Sun. We get sunburned, our clothes and curtains get Sun bleached, and it can definitely make us too hot. Alternately, we often delight in the Sun on our skin, we appreciate sunrises and sunsets, and bask in its warmth on a cold day. Growing up we learn not to stare at the Sun because it can blind us. We also learn that the Sun is the star at the center of our solar system which our planets rotate around. If we are paying attention, we learn that the rotation around the Sun is due to its gravitational pull and that sunlight makes our plants grow through photosynthesis. However, not many people can scientifically explain what our Sun is actually doing out there in space and how it got there to begin with. Most people do not fully understand the affects the Sun has on us and our planet, or the part it played in the creation of our solar system. I have heard people say, “We are stardust,” but I wonder how many of them really understand that everything on this planet literally came from star dust. Humans have strived to understand and rationalize the sun’s existence and purpose throughout history through study and observation, but also through stories, legends, and the creation of gods to explain its purpose and importance. Monoliths have been built, gods have been worshipped, and stories and beliefs have lasted through many millennia. Yet, with all the technical and scientific study, so many still don’t know how a star like our Sun is born and how it can possibly assist in the creation an entire solar system.
By studying the Sun’s formation, what it is made of, and how it created the planets we will clear up misconceptions of what students know, or think they know, about that magnificent ball of gas in the sky. The Kepler and TESS missions discovered many planet candidates and 4500 of those have been confirmed, all while looking out into a very small fraction of our sky. Doug Hudgins, of NASA, says that “Prior to the Kepler mission, we knew of perhaps 500 exoplanets across the whole sky…This tells us that our galaxy is positively loaded with planets of all sizes and orbits.”1. This also tells us how fast our science is moving forward in the study of stars in our galaxy and beyond! The study of our solar system is advancing so quickly in this current age of science and technology that new knowledge and understanding is gained by leaps and bounds each year, paper bound textbooks simply can’t keep up.
After gaining a better understanding of our Sun scientifically we will look at the Sun stories from cultures that have worshiped and feared the Sun for thousands of years, such as the Egyptians who worshiped Ra, Helios of Greece, Liza of West Africa, or the use of the Aztec Sun Stone to name a few. Students will then imagine and brainstorm a planet much like our own, revolving around a different star in our galaxy and discuss the intelligent beings and that would occupy the planet. After creating a “culture”, students will create Sun stories and mythology this new home planet might have. The culminating art piece will revolve around the new planet, its inhabitants, and their mythology. With this unit, students will experience the Sun and stars in a fun, engaging way (a long way from the dreaded “Sun in the corner” artwork). I see this unit as an opportunity for students to think inside and outside of the box simultaneously. The time span for this project may vary. It is my intention for this to take approximately 15-20 class hours, most of which will be taken up with the art piece, though several class periods will be used for opening activities.
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