Designing the Zodiac

Students learn about constellations across many different cultures and create their own constellation and write their own origin story.

LESSON 1

SW learn that nearly every culture found ‘pictures’ amongst the stars in the sky, and these pictures would describe characters from myths, earthbound creatures, or sometimes objects. They then get copies of constellation dots and they connect the dots to make their own ‘constellations’

LESSON 2

SW learn about Greek constellation ‘origin stories’. Using a self-paced work-packet as a guide, they choose 1 (or more) of their brainstormed constellations from lesson 1 and use a story map to roughly write or illustrate an origin story

LESSON 3

SW learn learn about a Native American constellation myth, and how the characters often enacted a narrative in the sky. Students use their origin story to design a composition, and begin work on a final drawing.

LESSON 4

SW learn about the Inca People, and how they saw constellations in the absence of stars. They then have two days to paint their drawings.

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Emme

Emme, Texas, The Flowers of Youth: From ‘designing the zodiac’ Origin Story: These flowers grew in the magical gardens in the Fountain of Youth. The flowers got their water supply from the fountain which gave the flowers the ability to grant youth to anyone. Hebe found this garden and discovered the magical powers of the flowers. She used the flowers and told her friends about them. Soon all the Gods were whispering about the flowers until it got to the point where Hebe had to hide the flowers day and night. Zeus didn’t want all this pressure on his daughter so, to Hebe’s dismay, Zeus put the flowers along with the beautiful magical vase in the night sky.