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Jennifer D. Murphy

Introduction

Mythologies are stories told to explain things that people have questioned. For instance, every culture has a myth that explains the creation of the earth and the universe. Myths help people to understand the things that they may not be able to explain. In modern society, many scientific explanations of natural phenomena are tried and tested. However, the myths of the past still ring true for many of the cultures who believe in them, especially those myths which tell of the of the universe, which hold the fundamental roots of many religions.

Astronomy is the science of the universe. Ancient cultures did not have the advanced technology that we have today for telling time, predicting the changing of the seasons, or predicting the weather. So the question is posed: how did these ancient cultures tell time, survive the seasons, and know when to plant the right crops? How could they have survived at all without the knowledge of these things? Ancient cultures survived because they paid attention to their surroundings. They found that the sun not only rose and set but it also moved back and forth across horizon points. Ancient people watched the horizon and followed the path of the sun and they knew when it was summer solstice or winter solstice. This tracking of the sun allowed the ancient peoples to plan their rituals which directly affected their agriculture, livestock, and in some cases, the placement of their homes. Nomadic peoples also needed to predict where to place their homes for the coming season and when to begin packing to move their homes for the migration of the winter or summer season.

This unit offers an interdisciplinary approach to teaching literature. The novel I have selected for the students to read is The Way to Rainy Mountain, by N. Scott Momaday. While reading this novel the students will learn basic concepts of astronomy, archaeoastronomy, and ethnography. They will also be using research and interviewing skills. The students will also be performing the basic language arts tasks of writing, reading, interpreting, and analyzing. The main focus of the unit will be the idea of the sense of self contained in the novel and gained in the retrieval of information in the form of family member interviews as well as others. The science involved in the unit will not be too much for the language arts teacher. In fact, the science may well prove to be a beneficial tie-in for the students between their English and science classes. It may answer the all too familiar question, "Where else in life will I have to know this stuff?"

Astronomy

I intend to cover as briefly as possible, yet as thoroughly as necessary the following aspects of astronomy as background for the teacher. I have taken the learning objectives from an astronomy textbook (credited below) and briefly explained the science behind each. The students will need to know some astronomy in order to understand the activities in this unit. My class, however, is not a science class so I will teach only the necessary components. Teachers may wish to purchase a copy of Astronomy the Evolving Universe by Michael Zeilik, 7th edition, for use with this information. The graphs, charts, and scientific explanations will prove to be very helpful.

(The learning objectives are taken directly from page 2 of Astronomy the Evolving Universe by Michael Zeilik, used with permission.)

1. Describe the daily motions of the sun, moon, planets, and stars relative to the horizon.

2. Describe the seasonal positions of the sun -- at sunrise, noon, and sunset relative to the horizon.

3. Describe the motions of the sun and the moon, as seen from the earth, relative to the stars of the zodiac.

4. Tell what astronomical events or cycles set the following time intervals: day, month, and year.

5. Describe the astronomical conditions necessary for the occurrence of a total solar eclipse and a total lunar eclipse.

6. Describe the phases of the moon in terms of the moon's position in the sky relative to the sun.

The solar system moves in an orbital pattern through the stars which are called the Zodiac. The Zodiac is a grouping of constellations which our sun visits at the same time each year. The sun is in Aries in the spring, Gemini in summer, Virgo in fall, and Sagittarius in winter. These are the constellations we cannot see during the night during their times of the year because they are with the sun.

The earth is a planet which rotates, along with eight other planets and various moons, in an elliptical orbit around the sun. It takes the earth approximately 365 days to circle its entire orbit of the sun. This cycle makes up our 365 day year. The earth, meanwhile, is spinning on its own axis so that a different part of the surface faces the sun at each moment of a 24 hour day.

The moon has an orbit around the earth. The visible face of the moon changes each day relative to the angular distance between the sun and the moon. This angular distance allows for the sun to reflect off the moon's surface. This reflection is what we see when we look at the moon. If the moon's face is a full circle it is a full moon. About 14.5 days after the full moon, the moon is not visible in the sky -- new moon. It takes the moon 29.5 days to go from one full moon to another. This is the other unit of measurement for time; the month.

From our vantage point on earth, it seems as if the moon, sun, and stars are moving around the earth, instead of the reverse. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why ancient peoples believed that all of the universe revolved around the earth. The sun and the moon rise in the east, travel across the sky, and set in the west. The stars also rise in the east and set in the west. The fact that troubled early scientists was that the star constellations directly above seemed to be different at different times of the year. If all of the universe is orbiting the earth, then how is it that the stars follow a different path? This question urged early scientists to explore other possibilities for the rotations of the earth and the universe.

Because the earth is spinning on its axis, the view of the universe changes with the spin. It is as if a person was riding in a car watching the landscape go by except that the earth is spinning, not moving forward like the car. It is the same with the earth and the stars. We look up at the sky from the earth, our car, and we see the stars, landscape, go by. As with the sun and the moon, the stars also rise in the east and set in the west.

Total solar eclipses are possible when the moon passes directly in front of the sun. That is when the moon comes directly between the earth and the sun. This phenomenon happens when the ecliptic plane of the sun and the moon's path are at the same angle. This happens only when the moon is new.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the earth's shadow passes directly between the sun and the moon. This happens only when the moon is full. Only when the moon lies on or close to the ecliptic can eclipses occur. (Zeilik, 1994)

Archaeoastronomy

Archaeoastronomy is the study of the way ancient people kept track of the movements of the celestial bodies in the universe and how those movements directly affected the earth and their lives. Archeological sites at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico contain distinct evidence of astronomical observations which help scientists to understand how the Anasazi kept track of the seasons and the solar calendar. It is theorized that from a canyon rim ledge, near the site called Wijiji, the sun priest kept close watch over the horizon for the sun's first gleam to accurately predict the coming winter solstice. Careful observations enabled the sun priest to predict the coming of the solstice to within at least twelve days. This would insure that all of the preparations for the rituals and ceremonies which needed to occur at that time would be carried out in time. Among the ruins at Chaco Canyon are several different possible sun watching points. Some of the sites could be considered sun shrines rather than sun watching stations because of their possible inaccuracy or inaccessibility. The evidence of these sites, regardless of their nature, is at least evidence to the fact that Chacoan people did pay attention to the solstices and seasons. Careful studies of the ethnography of Pueblo cultures have enabled scientists to become aware of the importance of sun watching among these cultures. Michael Zeilik calls sun watching, "the most critical of the Pueblo observations: sun watching for keeping the calendar." (Zeilik, 1985)

The sunrise and sunset points on the eastern and western horizons move southward or northward depending on the time of the year. At the time of the summer solstice the sun rises at a point which is the farthest north for the year. Oppositely, before the time of the winter solstice, the sun rises furthest south. At the times of the spring and fall equinoxes the sun rises due east and sets due west. About four days before the solstice, the sun seems to stop or slow its movement along the horizon. This stopping of movement could cause the sun watcher to make an inaccurate prediction of the time of the solstice. Therefore, the sun watcher would have made the prediction of the date at least seven to twelve days before. The point on the horizon where the sun rises seven to twelve days before the solstice would be marked by the sun watcher and the time of the impending arrival of the solstice would be announced. The sunrise is watched from particular stations which are designated by the sun watcher. These stations are unchanging in order to provide a base and marker for acceptable accuracy. The Pueblo people usually believed that if the ceremonies were ill-timed that the sun would be out of harmony with the people and would not come again.

This is all very well when there is a distinctive horizon from which to watch the sunrise. However, what happens when the horizon is flat? There is some evidence at Chaco and other sites that leads scientists to believe that there are alternate methods of sun watching. For instance, a notch, hole, or window in a wall is set up opposite another wall both facing east. The sunrise at the solstice would cast a gleam of light on that opposite wall through the hole in the other wall. The measuring of the movement of the beam of light would provide an accurate indicator to the time of the solstice. This set-up would probably have occurred in the house of the main sun watcher or sun priest. Some claim to have seen evidence of this set-up at a Chaco site.

Because the Kiowa people were nomadic, having a fixed horizon with which to watch the sun and predict the solstices was nearly impossible. However, there is evidence to suggest that some nomadic tribes, the Lakota for example, did watch the sun from a fixed point because they perhaps placed their winter homes in the same place each year and had a familiar horizon. (Hollabaugh, 1996, 20) I could not find evidence to support a belief that the Kiowa held a fixed horizon or not. Nonetheless, it seems likely that this practice is common to many of the Plains cultures.

Rationale

I teach ninth grade English at West Mesa High School in Albuquerque, NM. The English department has adopted the philosophies of the Re: Learning Principles. One of the principles is the essential question for each lesson or unit. The essential question is a directive to better understand the goal or objective of a unit. The question is directed at the outcome of the unit and does not target the particular skills learned by the students but targets the whole of the reasoning behind the unit. For example, the essential question for the ninth graders is, "Who am I?" We have developed essential questions for each of the grade levels and have coordinated the curriculum with each of those essential questions. For instance, a writing assignment may consist of creating a mythological story from personal beliefs. Or, relating the story of Romeo and Juliet to one's personal experiences. The point is to find where the students come from and to attach some self-interest to the curriculum.

The Way to Rainy Mountain, by N. Scott Momaday is a novel not only of self-discovery for the author, but also the telling of the self-discovery of the Kiowa people. "In the course of that long migration they had come of age as a people. They had conceived a good idea of themselves; they had dared to imagine and determine who they were." (Momaday, The Way to Rainy Mountain, pg. 2) N. Scott Momaday researched the Kiowa people's history, traditions, and mythologies to write this novel. In the introduction, Momaday tells of his grandmother. She was a Kiowa woman, born after the migration of her people. The Kiowa were forced from their reign of the region between the Smoky Hill River to the Red and from the head waters of the Canadian to the fork of the Arkansas and Cimarron. (Momaday, The Way to Rainy Mountain, pg. 6) He recorded this research as a way of preserving the ways of his people and as a way of saying goodbye to his grandmother.

"Although my grandmother lived out her long life in the shadow of Rainy Mountain, the immense landscape of the continental interior lay like memory in her blood. She could tell of the Crows, whom she had never seen, and of the Black Hills, where she had never been. I wanted to see in reality what she had seen more perfectly in the mind's eye, and traveled fifteen hundred miles to begin my pilgrimage." (Momaday, The Way to Rainy Mountain, pg. 7)

Momaday's research became a means of realizing where he came from and bringing to life the stories of his grandmother. His devoted efforts into this work reveal his sense of self.

This sense of self is very important in the growth of a young person. One of the reasons that this essential question was chosen for the ninth grade year was of the tremendous need for identity at this age. Teens at this age have a need to be accepted. This is seen through their styles of dress, language, and especially their actions. In order for these students to become productive members of society, (instead of mere clones of each other) they need to find their identities.

When reading The Way to Rainy Mountain, I found myself reminiscing about stories told to me by my relatives and other people from the region where I grew up. The stories I heard were not of a truly different nature than those of Momaday's, the messages behind the stories were the same; the differences were only in the names, places, and times. I remember having to research part of my family history for a project in high school. I remember also that I learned a great deal about myself through this project. Memories are a form of nostalgia. Most people enjoy being able to relive their memories through storytelling. By having the students research their family's history and collecting a few good stories from their relatives, I hope to give them an opportunity to discover a sense of where they came from and who they are, not to mention a small taste of what it was like for Momaday to go through this process.

I have collected information from several of the Plains cultures for this research. The cultures which most closely relate to the Kiowa are the Lakota and the Crow. These are the people the Kiowa met and befriended in their migration. These cultures have similar beliefs and rituals. The Crow are said to have given the Kiowa their Sun Dance doll. The Lakota have similar star watching patterns and their Sun Dance is very similar to both the Crow and the Kiowa. It is difficult to say to what extent these cultures intermixed, however the sharing of practices and sacred rituals suggests a terrific bond between them.

In reading The Way to Rainy Mountain, by N. Scott Momaday, the students will see that contained within these memories are the mythologies of the Kiowa people. As is true in most cultures, the Kiowas had explanations for the existence of all natural phenomena, in the heavens and on the earth. They had stories which told about the appearance of certain stellar constellations as well as natural rock formations which happened to be under particular constellations at different times of the year. The Kiowa people believed that the sky contained groupings of formations that were mirrored or echoed somehow on the earth. The Kiowa's believed that there was a duality between the events on earth and the events in the sky "As above, so below." The story of the boy who turned into a bear is a good example of this.

This story tells of the creation of one of the great monuments of the great Plains, Mateo Tipi, in Kiowan (Devil's Tower, in English located in Wyoming), and of the stars which can be seen above it before and during the summer solstice. This constellation was not the only one the Plains people knew of and named. In fact, the Lakota named several of the major constellations and had different stories for many of them. The Lakota named most of the constellations they could see after warriors or sacred animals. In the book Stars Above Earth Below, Ray A. Williamson suggests in his essay "American Indian Astronomy: An Overview" that the Plains people watched the stars and where they were in the sky to help them to plan their food gathering and their hunting. (pg. 68) It seems a logical conclusion that the Kiowa knew it was time for the Sun Dance when the Pleiades could be seen rising just before dawn in late June. (Williamson, pg. 69) Another reason for star gazing among the Plains Indians was to keep an accurate calendar of ritual and ceremonial times. "The more accurate the calendar, the more closely ceremonies matched the natural rhythms of the world, making them more powerful." (Williamson, pg. 68)

The largest and most important of the stars known to the Plains people was, of course, the sun. The sun is the main source of light and heat. It also was the key to telling the time of day. This star was and is celebrated in the grandest of ways with the Sun Dance. According to Dr. Mark Hollabaugh in his essay, "Lakota Celestial Imagery," the Lakota people celebrate a Sun Dance ritual which includes dancing, purification, and fasting. The male dancers may pierce their skin in order to provide a personal sacrifice. "The Sun Dance serves primarily as an agent to strengthen the dancer's sense of self and spirituality, and strengthen connections to the community." (Hollabaugh, 1996, pg. 19)

The Sun Dance for the Kiowa people was centered around the ritual sacrifice of a buffalo and its head was impaled on a stick. The dancers were then tied to the center pole and made to dance around the pole for perhaps days at a time. Also attached to this center pole was the sacred Sun Dance doll, Tai-me. This is the central figure of the ceremony. The doll represents a human figure but is no more than two feet in length. It is dressed in a ceremonial costume of feathers, skins, beads, and pendants. The doll is kept in a box and only viewed at the time of the annual Sun Dance. (Momaday, 1969, pg. 48) The Kiowa people, and indeed many of the Plains people carried out their sacred Sun Dance at the base of Devil's Tower until 1887. The people were thereafter forbidden to carry out this sacred dance. A company of U.S. soldiers from Fort Sill were sent to split up the tribe. The U.S. settlers in the area had complained that the sacred Sun Dance was a sacrificial heathen practice that needed to be stopped. According to Momaday, the last date the dance was attempted, and forbidden, was July 20, 1890. This date leads me to believe that the Sun Dance was performed during high summer. Yet another source tells of the dance happening "in late spring or the early summer, when all the bands of the tribe were reunited after the winter." (Beckett, Bernitt, and Chandra, 1998) Black Elk of the Lakota Sioux said, "when the sun is strongest and the power of growing things is greatest," around June 20. (Lakota Star Knowledge Book) It is highly likely that the Sun Dance was performed at the time of the summer solstice when the sun is at its strongest. When else would the largest celebration of the sun be held?

One of the main reasons for watching the sky is to set calendar. However, the sky is not always predictable. A meteor shower, a comet, or an eclipse might be regular occurrences to sky watchers in the twentieth century but to ancient people these occurrences may have caused great fear and misunderstanding. "During the first hours after midnight on the morning of November 13, 1833, it seemed that the world was coming to an end." (Momaday, The Way to Rainy Mountain, pg. 114) The shower of the Leonid meteors in that year marks a particular memory for the Kiowa people. The year before Tai-me, the sacred Sun Dance doll of the Kiowa people had been stolen by a band of Osages, yet later it was returned. Four years later, in 1837, the United States and the Kiowa signed the first of their treaties. "The falling stars seemed to image the sudden and violent disintegration of an old order." (N. Scott Momaday, The Way to Rainy Mountain, pg. 114) This celestial event marked the memories of many Kiowan people. The bright lights falling all around them in the sky were probably very frightening and wondrous. They couldn't know what caused such an event. The people tended to think of such things as omens of good or evil. Whatever they thought of it, they did remember it as a mark in their passage of time.

The Kiowa people migrated south and east to escape the American settlers and the Cavalry who had already imprisoned them, taken their weapons, and slaughtered their horses. They migrated to find land on which to live in harmony with the earth, to perform their sacred ceremonies, to grow and become strong again, and to gain back the dignity and power lost to the U.S. Cavalry. Along the way they met and traded with other Plains Indians like the Crow. They acquired horses and a new nomadic spirit. They also acquired Tai-me, their sacred Sun Dance doll, "Tai-me came to the Kiowas in a vision born of suffering and despair. `Take me with you,' Tai-me said, `and I will give you whatever your want.'" (N. Scott Momaday, The Way to Rainy Mountain, pg. 1) The Kiowa migrated as far as they wanted to go which ended up being in the southern plains. It is no coincidence that they journeyed toward the sun's home in the east, "It was a journey toward the dawn, and it led to a golden age." (Momaday, The Way to Rainy Mountain, pg. 7) They found their home and there lived happily with the years that remained to them.

Strategies

The Way to Rainy Mountain is written in a way which tells the stories of the people in their true form; translated as closely as possible from the Kiowan. The book is written in three sections: the myth is told; then the historical account is given; then the memory of the author is shared. This separation allows the reader to see the myth, where the myth came from, and why it is important to the reader and the author. This format required much work on the part of the author in research, translation, recording, and writing. The style of the writing is poetic and dramatic and allows the reader to understand the emotions of the author and the Kiowa elders from whom Momaday received the stories. I have taught this book once, but not with this particular emphasis on archaeoastronomy. Since the sections of the book are regular in their length and format, the students find it easy to follow.

I will have the students create a similar book of research, myth, and memory. They will record myths from different cultures or use stories they heard as children. They will research the historical or scientific accounts and record those. They will also then record a memory from childhood. We will base the model and lengths on Momaday's book, which is relatively easy to mimic since it is short and simple. Since there are drawings in Momaday's book, there will be room for creative expression through drawings from some of the students. There will be something for everyone to do. For instance, the stories can be creative, the history and science expository, and the memories can be either. All students will be required to try their hand at each of these pieces, but they will be able to work in groups to create other sections where they will only be responsible for one part. We will compile an entire book using all of the student's contributions. There will be time worked into the calendar for a reading at the end -- a sort of ceremony to celebrate all of the work. For furthering the skill levels of the students, it may be wise to produce a desk-top publishing version of the class's book. They will learn incredible skills on the computers and have a great book to show for it.

The accounts in The Way to Rainy Mountain also reflect the astronomical studies of the Kiowa people as he tells about their rituals and seasonal traditions. To match these writings in our book, a sun/moon watcher journal will be recorded over a nine week period. It will be best to plan this unit around the winter solstice time so that the students will have a true taste of sun watching. The students may choose to watch the sun rise or set and record the time and place of this occurrence. They will also observe the moon and record the same things. They will need to draw a solar and lunar chart to record their observations. They may also want to record which of the constellations are visible at this time. The writings will be creative as well as scientific in nature, recording what they experience as they watch the celestial beings. A journal will be kept in which they will record whatever comes to mind as they observe. It does not matter if these thoughts are poetic or scientific in nature, the writings will be recorded and used as rough drafts for pieces to add to the larger class research, myth, and memory book. As the myths and stories take shape, the students will be answering the ninth grade essential question, "Who Am I?"

The students will have created a book of expository and creative writing which will become a part of their high school portfolio. They will also have created solar and lunar calendars, charts, and art work to include in this book. In the course of this unit I hope that the students will have, "...come of age as a people. They had conceived a good idea of themselves; they had dared to imagine and determine who they were." (Momaday, The Way to Rainy Mountain, pg. 2)

Lessons

Background

As a spring-board, the students will be asked if they feel that we rely on the sun, moon, or seasons in any way. This is based on the idea that the movement of the sun and moon helped to define the Kiowa. In other words, the Kiowa migrated in a path dictated by the sun, moving towards the dawn in a type of rebirth. The Kiowa were moved by the seasons in their migration of the land, and the sun and moon dictated their patterns. The students will be asked to contemplate this question in a written brainstorm for about five minutes. Then the answers will generate an oral discussion. The topics should bridge a discussion about how the seasons, sun, and moon affected the daily lives of migrational people. This discussion will lead into an introduction of the Kiowa people.

It will be necessary to show the students a map of the United States. This will help them to see where the Kiowa people came from and where they ended their long migration. It may be helpful to have a geographical map so the students will see the type of land the people lived on and crossed.

Using the illustrations in The Way to Rainy Mountain and a few of the photographs I have, I will show the students Devil's Tower. This will help them to understand the myth of the boy who turned into a bear. The sides of Devil's Tower look as if a giant bear has clawed at them. The lay-out of the land is an important thing for the students to see as it will help them to understand the hardships in the lifestyle of the Kiowa.

Astronomy

Before beginning the novel it will be necessary to cover the basic astronomy for the unit. The following is a list of objectives that the students should achieve for the astronomy portion. These objectives have already been listed and described in the "Astronomy" section of this unit. I list them again here to emphasize their importance in the understanding of this unit. (The following are learning objectives taken directly from page 2 of Astronomy the Evolving Universe by Michael Zeilik, used with permission.)

The students will need to:

1. Describe the daily motions of the sun, moon, planets, and stars relative to the horizon.

2. Describe the seasonal positions of the sun -- at sunrise, noon, and sunset -- relative to the horizon.

3. Describe the motions of the sun and the moon, as seen from the earth, relative to the stars of the zodiac.

4. Tell what astronomical events or cycles set the following time intervals: day, month, and year.

5. Describe the astronomical conditions necessary for the occurrence of a total solar eclipse and a total lunar eclipse.

6. Describe the phases of the moon in terms of the moon's position in the sky relative to the sun.

A copy of the above textbook for the teacher may be of help for reference, graphs and charts.

The Way to Rainy Mountain

Before reading, the students should be made aware of the assignments that will go along with this unit; the horizon charts, the sun/moon watcher journals, and the research, myth, and memory book specifically. The novel is divided into chapters; "Prologue," "Introduction," "The Setting Out," "The Going On," "The Closing In," and the "Epilogue." These chapters are then further divided into sections of myth, memory, and history. The students will read the "Prologue," "Introduction," and "The Setting Out," as a class. Reading as a class should help to clear up any problems with understanding the layout of the book. The students will be assigned two original drawings for the first chapter of the novel. Drawing an illustration of the events in a particular scene will help the students to more fully understand the scene. This will also allow the students to get a feel for what type of artwork will go into their original book. These drawings should not be of the same subject matter as the existing illustrations in the novel. During the time the class is reading the novel, the homework assignments will be to keep the horizon charts, the sun/moon watcher journals and researching their family history.

Horizon Chart

Note: For all of the observation charts and journals, the students will need a three subject notebook.

Purpose: To observe sunset (or sunrise) points from a fixed location to chart the progress of the sun along the horizon. These observations will occur once a week for a period of 10 to 12 weeks.

Materials: Notebook, pencils, watch, and a fixed location with a clear view of the western horizon.

Procedure:

1. Find a spot near where you live where you can easily go once a week and observe the western horizon. This view should have some good landmarks so you can chart the progression of the sun easily. Volcanoes and mountains are good landmarks; but so is the Burger King dumpster or telephone poles.

2. Well before sunset, sketch the visible features of the horizon on the page of your notebook. Make your sketch as accurate as possible so that the plotting of the sun will be accurate. Be sure to draw a direction finder on your chart -- when you are facing west, north is on your right.

3. As the sun begins to go down, pay attention to where the last disk of light hits the horizon. Mark that location on your horizon chart. Draw an arrow or a line on your chart indicating the location of the sunset. Record the date and exact time.

Due: Turn in this journal on Friday of each week during the course of this unit, for a grade.

Phases of the Moon

Purpose: To better understand the different phases of the moon to be observed over a two week period.

Materials: Observation notebook, pencil, watch, and a fixed location to record the moon phases.

Procedure:

1. Find a location near your home where you can go each night and get a clear view of the moon.

2. Make a chart (#1) in your notebook which has the following columns; date, time, weather conditions, position, and drawings.

3. Number each of your observations and record them according to the date and time at which you observe. Be sure the time you observe is within the same fifteen minutes each night.

4. Go out and look up at the sky from the place you will be observing. On a separate sheet of paper, draw a chart (#2) which will record the position of the moon. The chart should be a half circle drawn with east, west, and "directly overhead" labeled. The position of the moon should be recorded at each observation. Does the position change?

5. On chart #1, make a drawing of the shape of the moon. Make this drawing as accurate as possible so you can record changes.

Note: You may want to hold a ruler up to the moon to accurately figure if the shape has changed or not.

6. Record the date, time, and weather conditions on chart #1.

Due: Each day I will look at the observation charts to make sure they are being done and give the students a check mark or a stamp for their work.

Requirements: A total of 12 dates of observations will be due from each student at the end of the two week period.

Sun/Moon Watcher Journal

Purpose: To record thoughts and reactions to the observation charts. The outcome of this journal is not only to have them writing and thinking about what they are doing, but also to have some usable material for the research, myth, and memory book.

Materials: Moon and Sun observation notebook, pencil or pen.

Procedure:

1. Record your thoughts in this journal as you make your observations of the sun and moon. These thoughts can be creative or scientific depending on what you want to achieve. You can simply record a timed brainstorm of thoughts if you like.

Requirements:

The notebook should contain one half page of writing for the sun observations and one half page of writing for the moon observations.

Due:

Turn in this journal on Friday of each week during the course of this unit, for a grade.

Research, Myth, and Memory

The students will need to interview family members to find out about their family history. They may interview over the phone or in person and they will need to take notes or record their conversations. They need to collect as many stories as necessary for them to create at least two complete sets of research, myth, and memory. Some of the stories could be cross referenced with other family members in order to gain more details or factual evidence.

The research can be done in a library or web setting, if possible; however, the family interviews will be considered research.

The students will also need to create artwork relating to the stories. At least one drawing, painting, or photograph for each complete section will be required.

The creative writing will come in for the memory section. The students will need to synthesize their stories and create an original story.

In the end, each student will have created at least two sections of the class book. There may be time for the students to work in groups or to help each other with sections of the book. For instance, a student may ask another to create the artwork for their sections while they help to write the creative pieces.

Research

The research sections of the book the students will be creating will be a recording of events that happened in the family or to the family. The recording of research means that the events are told from the point of view of different sources and the account is as accurate as possible. This will require the students to research an event that many people in their family know about. They will then interview the family members. If the event happened to be publicized, the students may need to find the newspaper articles or other such documentation. Pieces of these articles may be useful for the artwork in a collage form.

This section of the book will be relatively short -- about 200 words. I intend to follow the model that the book uses as closely as possible. I will require that the students turn in the notes and/or taped interviews for credit. This will insure that the students have followed the procedures.

Myth

In the novel, Momaday takes the accounts that were told to him, or that he researched by him, and finds a Kiowan myth that relates closely to them. In the class the students may find it difficult to find myths that truly relate to their research. However, it is possible that with the number of resources available to us, we will be able to find some connections. I will aid the students in some searches over the internet and other methods for finding the information they will need.

This section of the book will not be simply for the students to copy a myth they find that somewhat relates to their research. They will need to first find a myth which relates well, then they will need to tailor it to the specifications of the book. The myth will need to be no more than 200 words so the students will have to paraphrase and rewrite. They will need to be sure and include all relevant information. This will be a good exercise in condensing.

This section may also be a place where the students will be able to use their creative skills. If a student can write a myth which relates to their research and has trouble finding one that comes from a particular culture, I don't see a problem with using the created one. The student will need to be sure to follow the model of an existing myth.

Memory

The memory sections of The Way to Rainy Mountain are written not only from Momaday's point of view, but also from other family members. The students will need to retell a memory of their own or use a piece of an interview from a family member. If the student wants to use a piece of an interview verbatim, they may want get permission from a family member. If the student has a memory of their own of the same event but from a different point of view, it might be very interesting to use it in this section.

Assessment

The students will have many grades for their work during this unit. They will receive points for the works in progress as well as the final products. The pieces that will be included are:

Sun/moon watcher journal,

Horizon Charts,

Phases of the moon,

Interviews of family members,

Notes from research,

Writings of research, myth, and memory,

Artwork,

Final presentation.

Each student's portion of the Research, Myth, and Memory book will be a part of the student portfolio. The portfolio, which was recently adopted by our English department, is intended to go with the students from grade to grade as an example of their best work. The portfolio pieces should include all drafts, with or without grades or comments.

Conclusion

Research, Myth, and Memory is not a unit intended to teach astronomy, archaeoastronomy, mythology, or research methods as singular interests. Instead, I intend to approach this unit as an interdisciplinary way to help the students find out about themselves. Many students do not know their family's history or their own culture. In teaching them about the science, mythology, and history of the Kiowa people through one man's voice and intentions, I hope to inspire the students to learn about their own.

Through the course of this unit the students will learn the general basics of astronomy, archaeoastronomy, mythology, and research methods. Perhaps the students will acquire an interest in one or more of these topics and pursue them.

Resources for Teachers:

Momaday, N.Scott. The Ancient Child. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1989

Williamson, Ray A., "American Indian Astronomy: An Overview"; from Stars Above Earth Below, Bol, Marsha C. ed., Niwot, CO: Roberts Rinehart Publishers for Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 1998

Zeilik, Michael, 7th edition, Astronomy the Evolving Universe, New York, John Wiley and Sons, Inc, 1996

Web Sites:
http://www.psyeta.org/sa/sa1.1/lawrence.html
"Animal Symbolism in Plains Indian Sun Dance"
(for a comprehensive bibliography)

http://hyperion.advanced.org/15215/Culture/dance.htm
"The Sun: Man's Friend and Foe"

Seminar Text:

Malville, J. McKim and Claudia Putnam. Prehistoric Astronomy in the Southwest. Johnson Printing Company. 1989, 1993

Student Text:

Momaday, N.Scott The Way to Rainy Mountain. Albuquerque, NM.: The University of New Mexico Press, 1969.