Unit 1  Earth’s Place in the Solar System Lesson 6 Australia’s First

Astronomers

How did Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander Peoples use the night sky?

1 With a partner, discuss what these words mean to you.

Vocabulary

astronomy Indigenous Dreamtime Southern Cross

stars culture spirits Celestial Emu
galaxy navigation Milky Way Greek myths
constellations natural resources Moon astrology

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 Unit 1 Earth’s Place in the Solar System Lesson 6 Australia’s First Astronomers

2 Look at the image to explore the night sky. Discuss the question prompts with
your class.

How many stars

What do do you think
you
know abo we can see at
ut
the word night with the
What do you How can star
astronom naked eye?
y? wonder about gazing be
the stars useful in
at night? everyday life?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are thought to be the oldest
continuous culture on Earth. This makes them the first astronomers in the world.
Some Dreamtime stories and traditions that have been passed down orally by
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People interpret the night sky. These stories
explain an understanding of how astronomy can assist them to live in harmony
with the land by indicating the change of seasons, food availability, explaining
tides, eclipses, and the rising and setting of the Sun and Moon.

3 Read the article, then watch the video about ancient astronomy in Australia.
a Why is astronomy important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ daily lives?

b How is the Celestial Emu important to Indigenous groups of Australia?

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Unit 1 Earth’s Place in the Solar System Lesson 6 Australia’s First Astronomers

4 Listen to a Dreamtime story about the Southern Cross. Think and talk about how
the story by James Miller explains the importance of the Southern Cross to Indigenous
People.
Read about the Southern Cross constellation.
Draw the Southern Cross constellation, then use the mind map to show how and why
it is significant.

The Southern Cross

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Unit 1 Earth’s Place in the Solar System Lesson 6 Australia’s First Astronomers

For thousands of years, the Torres Strait Islander

Peoples have used the night skies as maps to
help navigate their way across land and sea and
to guide their daily lives.

5 Read the article ‘Shark in the stars’, then complete the conversation starters.

Th e To r res S t ra i t Isla nds a re … The stars te ll Islan de rs w he n to …

Draw the shark constellation, Baidam, then sketch and label the food the Islanders
would plant when Baidam appeared in the night sky.

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 Unit 1 Earth’s Place in the Solar System Lesson 6 Australia’s First Astronomers

Zodiac signs are based on the mythology of ancient

Greeks. Some of these constellations have
commonalities with the oldest living cultures
around the world.

6 Use the website to compare an Indigenous interpretation of the zodiac
constellations and Greek mythology. Illustrate the constellation, then compare the
two stories.

Constellation

Greek mythology Aboriginal tradition

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 Unit 1 Earth’s Place in the Solar System Lesson 6 Australia’s First Astronomers

7 The Southern Lights (Aurora Australis)

is a light phenomenon that occurs in the
most southern skies of the Southern
Hemisphere. The same phenomenon
occurs as Northern Lights (Aurora
Borealis) in Northern Hemisphere skies.

a Read about how some Indigenous

groups refer to the lights as a fire in
the sky.

b Use the link to view this amazing phenomenon.

c Explain what makes the night sky turn all of these amazing colours.

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