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Ancient Scientists, Modern Traditions
Soar Together Family Activities
Do you have a connection to the sky? How are the sun, stars, and other celestial bodies useful tools?
People around the world observe the sky and find it helpful to tell time, find their way and connect with the world around them.
Each culture does it differently because of where they live, the stories they tell, and what they believe.
Jump to an Activity: Suntracker Star Pattern Neighborhood Stonehenge Book Recommendations More
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The Sun is the closest star to Earth and we depend on it for many things, like daylight and warmth.
Have you ever used the Sun to help you wake up? The Sun is also an important timekeeper because of Earth's consistent movement around the Sun.
For families with kids ages 7 and up, with grown-up help needed
Suntracker
Make your own sundial and follow the movement of the Sun in your home. What observations can you make about the Sun? How can you use these observations to help your family?
The Connection between the Earth and the Sun
Does your family have a garden? How do you know when it's time to grow certain vegetables or flowers?
Watch this video to learn more about how the Mayans in Mexico use their observations of the Sun as a guide for when to plant corn, a very important food in their culture.
Courtesy of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian
There are many stories in different cultures about how the world was created.
Watch this video of storyteller Gene Tagaban (Tlingit), sharing the story his grandmother told him that describes how the Sun, Moon and stars came to be, with the help of the trickster, Raven.
Gene is of the Takdeintaan clan, the Raven, Freshwater Sockeye clan from Hoonah, AK. He is the Child of the Wooshkeetaan clan, the Eagle, Shark clan from Juneau, AK.
Courtesy of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian
Finding Your Way
Constellations and Wayfinding
Have you ever seen shapes in the sky made by the stars? The patterns in the sky made by the stars, and how they move across the sky will be different depending on where you are on Earth and what time of year it is.
People across the world have given different names to these star patterns based on connections to their lives and stories. They then used those star patterns for practical reasons, such as finding their way while traveling and tracking the seasons for farming.
You can make a print of your own star pattern!
Step 1: Choose a section of the sky in your neighborhood or in a place special to you. Step 2: Observe that section of sky for 5 nights in a row at the same time in the evening. Is there a pattern that you see regularly? Step 3: Draw that pattern on a piece of paper and bring it indoors. Step 4: Follow the steps in the video to create a starry print of your constellation marker!
For families with kids ages 8 and up, grown-up help needed
Neighborhood Stonehenge
Throughout history, humans have built structures that line up with the Sun or are used to mark cardinal directions, such as Stonehenge in England pictured to your left).
Here's an activity that shows you how to use landmarks in your neighborhood help you figure out North, South, East and West!
Throughout history, humans have built structures that line up with the Sun or are used to mark cardinal directions, such as Stonehenge in England pictured to your left). Here's an activity that shows you how to use landmarks in your neighborhood help you figure out North, South, East and West!
Kids Book Recommendations
The Star People: A Lakota Story
By S.D. Nelson
For ages 1-8
Sister Girl and her brother Young Wolf wander away from their village and get lost, but get help from the Star People.
City Moon
by Rachael Cole and Blanca Gomez
For ages 1-6
Follow along with the main character of this book - a child walking through the city with their parent, playing peek-a-boo with the Moon.
Island Below the Star
by James Rumsford
For ages 1-8
This story tells how the first people sailed to Hawaii across miles of ocean, using the stars as their map and guide.
Explore Further
Every culture around the world makes their own connections to the sky. This practice is not just ancient history, it is ongoing in the present day. You can explore some of the many different constellations and stories that people create. Stellarium is a free program that allows you to view and control the sky like a planetarium. It includes constellations from dozens of communities across the globe. Figures in the Sky illustrates the many ways that humans in different parts of the world see the same parts of the sky.
Soar Together at Air and Space is made possible by the generous support of Northrop Grumman.
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