By Sarah Alejandro
When it comes to Astrology, I instantly think of horoscopes
but it is so much more than that. Astrology is defined by the OxfordDictionary as
“the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world.” Meaning it’s the study of movements by the sun, moon, stars, planets, and constellations to predict events and casting horoscopes. When I looked deeper into the subject, I found that “The first developments of mathematical astronomy came during the Mesopotamian and Babylonian civilizations, especially during the Seleucid Kingdom (ca. 320BC to ca. 620AD)” (Mathematical Techniques in Astronomy,1999) Since then, we have advanced so far with technology that we can now see these planets, stars, and galaxies.
Using advanced telescopes, Astrologists can identify the
positions and movements of these planets and stars as well as their distance. They do this by using mathematics but specifically geometry. ”In these cases, one has to know the size of an object, then one measures the angles at which one sees the two sides of the object, and from the difference between the angles, one gets the distance” (Feuerbacher,2003).
positions and movements of these planets and stars as well as their distance. They do this by using mathematics but specifically geometry. ”In these cases, one has to know the size of an object, then one measures the angles at which one sees the two sides of the object, and from the difference between the angles, one gets the distance” (Feuerbacher,2003).
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To find out more about this topic, I visited the Expanding
Universe Hall in the Perot Museum located in Dallas. As I walked around the
exhibit, I noticed that this would be a great source for teachers to use for
teaching geometric concepts. Since my focus is elementary grades, I walked
around to see if I could find something that an elementary teacher or even a
middle school teacher would be able to use. There was a particular section of
the exhibit that caught my interest. It dealt with identifying the visible
distance between
stars in angles or degrees by simply using your hand. I thought this could be a
great lesson on teaching distance and angles. The students could try doing this
at night and come back the next day to discuss about the different distances
between stars they discovered. Another idea would be to buy a star projector
lamp, which aren’t too expensive, and use it in class to have the students
demonstrate how to find the angles between the stars. This would be a fun and
engaging way for students to learn angles through Astrology. For elementary, the TEKS put geometry and measurement in the same category so there could be a lesson that focuses on measuring time. The students could discover how to tell time without a clock by using a shadow cast from the sun’s light. The students could create their own sundial and tell time during the day.
Astrology is more than just the horoscopes we read at the
back of a magazine. It is the study of movements and positions of the stars,
planets, and gallaxies. There are so many ways students can learn geometry
through Astrology. We wouldn't know as much as we do now if it wasn't for
Astrologists using mathematics to find out distances, size, and mass of stars,
planets, and galaxies. Think about the fun activities your students could do
just by going outside into the sunlight or looking up at the stars.
Feuerbacher, B.
(2003, October 26). Determining Distances to Astronomical Objects. Retrieved
March 3, 2015, from http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/astronomy/distance.html
Mathematical
Techniques in Astronomy. (1999). Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://www.hps.cam.ac.uk/starry/mathematics.html
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