Ancient Astronomy Research Project Astronomy

Name_______________________

Essential Questions: Why did ancient cultures study astronomy? How did ancient cultures study astronomy? How did experimental contributions advance the study of astronomy? Some ancient cultures include Stonehenge and the Druids Egyptian astronomy (pyramids/temples or calendar) Babylonian astronomy (ziggurats, zodiac, etc.) Jewish astronomy Japanese astronomy Chinese astronomy Indian astronomy Arabic astronomy Mayan astronomy Aztec astronomy Inca astronomy African astronomy (Dogon or other tribes) Native American astronomy (select specific tribes) Native American calendars (Big Horn medicine wheel, sun dagger, etc.) Others?

Please note that you will have to narrow down your scope in the research process. You need to select only one specific aspect (myth, instrument, temple, calendar, stone carving, etc.) to describe and summarize within that culture. When you have selected a topic, let the teacher know. Project Components 1. Paper You will write a 1 page, double-spaced paper using MLA format summarizing your topic. Your paper must focus on the contributions of your topic to astronomy. 2. Product You will create a model, a map, a painting, or recreation of the astronomically significant object you chose or one that represents your culture. This will be presented in class. When discussing your product to the class, answer the following questions. 1. What is this? Was this an instrument, a myth, a temple, a calendar, stone carvings? Summarize. 2. What was it used for? Or, how was it used? 3. Why was this astronomically significant for this culture? How is this connected to astronomy and the study of the sky? How did this advance the study of astronomy? 3. Works Cited page (a bibliography) with correct citations according to MLA format (see NoodleBib)

What resources should I use?

Hillgroves Library blog with links To NoodleBib (citation generartor): Knight Cite (citation generator) Archaeoastronomy list of links: http://hillgrovehighschool.typepad.com/hillgrove_library/ http://www.calvin.edu/library/knightcite/index.php http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~pbrosche/hist_astr/ha_items_archaeo.html (this is hit-or-miss, lots of the links contained in this page are broken) http://ephemeris.com/history/

Google Book Search (go to Google and click more and select Books) Echoes of the Ancient Skies: The Astronomy of Lost Civilizations Exploring Ancient Skies: An encyclopedic Survey of Archaeoastronomy By Edwin C. Krupp By David H. Kelley and Eugene F. Milone

Google Scholar Search (go to Google and click more and select scholar). Be very critical if you find another website. Who is the author? Is the author an authority on the subject? Is the website credible? Generally speaking , the author is an authority if he/she is a professor with a university.

Why do I need to cite?

Citations are used to give support to your research and your argument. Furthermore, citations give credit to the original author. In your paper, you will need to have at least one citation within your writing that follows MLA format. The source of the citation should match your source on the works cited page. Examples below are from these websites where you can also find additional information about citations. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/02/ http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/p04_c08_s1.html (for MLA in-text citations) (for MLA in-text citations)

Direct quotations obviously require citations. Please keep in mind that even if you are paraphrasing, you must cite the work.
MLA Example 1 MLA Example 2 MLA Example 3 MLA Example 4 Human beings have been described as "symbol-using animals" (Burke 3). One online film critic stated that Fitzcarraldo is "...a beautiful and terrifying critique of obsession and colonialism" (Garcia,"Herzog: a Life," par. 18). Christine Haughney reports that shortly after Japan made it illegal to use a handheld phone while driving, "accidents caused by using the phones dropped by 75 percent" (92). Most states do not keep adequate records on the number of times cell phones are a factor in accidents; as of December 2000, only ten states were trying to keep such records (Sundeen 2).

What does an online book citation look like?

When a book or a book-length work such as a play or a long poem is posted on the Web as its own site, give as much publication information as is available, followed by your date of access and the URL. Rawlins, Gregory J. E. Moths to the Flame. Cambridge: MIT P, 1996. 11 Nov. 2004 <http://mitpress.mit.edu/e-books/Moths/contents.html>.
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. London: H. G. Clarke and Co., 1844. Google Book Search. 22 Dec. 2006 <http://books.google.com/>.