Lesson 8: Interpreting the Night Sky

 Lesson Plan

Tuning In

• Ask the students if they know what Betelgeuse is? Conduct a Think, Pair, Share: students individually think about the question, then they make a pair with another student, and then share their ideas. Gather all of the students back together and invite partners to share their ideas with the whole class.
• Watch the video Visiting Supergiant Betelgeuse Afterwards, clarify what Betelgeuse is and recall some key facts about the star.
• Replay the video and pause the opening seen that depicts the constellation Orion. Ask the class if they believe that everyone around the world knows Betelgeuse as being part of Orion. Encourage students to respond and share their reasoning.
• Introduce the students to the lesson’s statement to be investigated: Different peoples infer different meanings from the night sky.

Teacher Instruction

• Go to the website Figures in the Sky and display it for the class. Scroll down to the star map featuring Betelgeuse and click on the Western: Orion icon.
• Look at the other icons surrounding the star map and click on a selection of these to explore how different cultures make different constellations with Betelgeuse. Discuss how this information supports or refutes the investigation statement.

Guided/Independent Learning

• Distribute the Aboriginal Interpretations of the Night Sky Worksheet and read through the task with the class.
• Play the videos Aboriginal Astronomy- Behind the News and Aboriginal Astronomy – NITV (scroll down to the bottom of the web page for the video). Encourage students to take notes or record answers on the worksheet as they watch. Alternatively, students can conduct their own research.
• Monitor and support the students as they complete the task.

Wrapping Up

• As a whole class, review the main points of the videos and/or check the responses for the worksheet questions. Encourage students to share their answers.
• Refer back to the statement being investigated. Conduct a class discussion about whether it is true or false based on the information collated from the various activities performed during the lesson.
• Collect the students’ worksheets. These could be included in a portfolio of work samples and used to assess the students’ understanding of the unit objectives.

 Differentiation

Extending Students

• More capable students could research different cultural stories about the appearance of the moon, including an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander example, and then use these to support or refute the statement being investigated.
• Students could create a 'yarning circle' and share stories they have heard about objects in the sky.

Supporting Students

• Allow less confident students to record one example for each item on the worksheet and/or work as part of a small group with adult assistance.

 Assessment Strategies

Suggested Assessment Strategies

• used strategic whole class or individual questioning
• observed student participation during learning activities
• recorded student progress on a checklist
• annotated student work samples
• collected and reviewed student work samples
• facilitated whole class or peer feedback sessions
• encouraged student self-reflection
• administered formal assessment tasks.

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