Matariki
You might ask, "Where's the science in Matariki?" Here's some ideas. You might want to post some additional ones too. Pete.
✡️Star patterns (constellations like Matariki) were used for orientation (with respect to N, S, E, West) and for ocean and land navigation. These link to Observations, Recording, Naming and Grouping/Classification and some form of recollection of past correlations. [
???? Activities around star constellation recognition; orientation with respect to the compass and navigation.]
✡️Star patterns are used for knowing the time of year/seasonality and ‘connect' to activities at certain times of the year, e.g. harvest. [????Activities to model Earth’s orbit around the sun and how different parts of space can be seen at different times of the year; similarly, models to show why we only see stars at night (which will therefore be those facing away from the sun); model to show Earth’s tilt and how this links to the seasons.]
✡️You can create models of star patterns, showing the fallacy that they have some sort of 'higher meaning' (since they are only apparently grouped in space; in reality the stars in a given constellation are usually varying distances from us and not really grouped). [????Critiquing, Critical Thinking.]
The Matariki new moon happens sometime in June. Upcoming dates: Matariki begins on 15 June in 2018. In 2019, Matariki will begin on 10 June.
Here are the labels for the star group:
