Ethinc Study course
DUE AFTER 4 hours
Solar/Lunar Observation Project: This exercise is designed to give students practical experience in understanding seasonal Earth – Sun – Moon relationships across space and time and connect their experiences and observations to Ancient and current American Indian Solar/Lunar observations. Each student is going to observe and record the seasonal variation in the timing and relative position on the horizon of sunrises, sunsets, or the movement of the moon.
Once a week, for 6 weeks, you are to record the timing and relative horizontal position of 6 sunsets or sunrises or to note the relative position of the moon. If you choose to do sunrises, please only watch sunrises, do not mix and match.
Choose a viewing area that has a clear sight to the horizon. Make sure there are some permanent fixtures such as hills, buildings, cell towers, or trees on the horizon to act as points of reference. A good choice might be to identify a high point, such as the top of the hill next to Pioneer Heights, where there is a clear sight to the horizon.
At sunset (or sunrise) note the time and make a sketch of the sunset (or sunrise) from your vantage point. You should make your observations at an oblique angle—DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN AS THIS CAN BE HARMFUL TO YOUR EYES. Be sure to make your observations from the same spot each time, do not move around. The time of sunset (or sunrise) should change each week, as should the relative position of the sun with regard to the horizon. You should space out your observations at least 4 to 5 days apart; anything less than that and the changes you are tracking may not be as readily observable. Please get started as soon as possible as you only have 6 weeks to make 4 the observations and there will most likely be some cloudy days when observations are not possible; if you miss a day, just make your observation on the following day—as long as there are at least 4-5 days in between observations you should be ok. Please record the time of sunset (or sunrise) and make your sketch in the boxes provided in Blackboard.
You are then expected to write a 4 – 6 page met commentary that will connect your observations and experiences to Ancient and/or current American Indian science. The report must: a) define “science” from a philosophical and practical perspective; b) connect to a specific American Indian Tribe; and c) examine the interplay of native science and western science (i.e., are they working together or are they some times in conflict or some combination of the two); and; d) explain the relationships between your observations, American Indian examples, and from what other researchers and writers have written.
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