Through a series of explorations, students will examine our relationship with the celestial bodies and consider how these bodies have benefited humanity and influenced life on Earth. Students will compare traditional Creation stories with Western explanations regarding the origins of the universe and consider how other traditional stories about celestial bodies have informed our relationships with the land and environment. Subsequently, students will consider the night skies, light pollution and its consequences for life with a focus on taking responsibility for our interactions with the Earth by studying animals that are adversely affected by light pollution or that are culturally significant to Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island. All life on Earth is affected by astronomical events (days/nights, seasons, etc.) and human culture has been influenced by the stars since the dawn of time. By the end of the explorations, students should be able to answer the inquiry question:
How do our values and beliefs affect our relationships with Earth and with space beyond Earth?
This series of explorations is geared towards the Grade 6 units Space and Biodiversity and to the Grade 4 units, Habitats and Light (and Sound). Other expectations may be drawn from the Energy Conservation/Energy units in Grades 5 and 6, respectively.