Ancient Astronomers
In modern-day society, TV, online, and newspaper reporters interview one or more individuals when they are trying to find out all of the details about an important event, person, or story. In this activity, you will need to imagine that you are a reporter who lived during the time of one of the ancient cultures of astronomers that you studied in this topic. Pretend that you are getting ready to write an important news story about that time and you have been given the opportunity to interview an individual.
Follow these steps to complete this assignment:
- First, compose a set of questions to conduct an interview with an astronomer or other person about the important astronomical events and advancements during that period. Your list should include three to four questions focused on these topics. Since you are conducting an interview, the questions should be written in the second-person (i.e. As part of the Islamic civilization, what did you think about the position of the Moon during the Middle Ages?)
- Then, pretend that you are the interviewee, and answer those questions how you think he or she would have answered them. Make sure that you are as detailed as possible. Since you are answering interview questions, your responses should be in the first person (i.e. I put forth the earliest description of the workings of the Solar System.)
You interview should cover one or more of the following topic areas:
- The significance of the movement and/or position of celestial objects
- Any traditions or practices related to or involving the sky and its elements
- Any monuments or temples that display the culture's beliefs regarding the skies
- Related ideas of humans' place among the universe
Before you begin, access the Ancient Astronomy Interview Checklist to make sure that you include all of the items required for full credit. You may need to use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment. If so, please submit a Works Cited document. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing any resources that you use.
Once you have completed your interview questions and interview answers, please submit your work to the dropbox.