Teaching sequence

10 minutes - Tune in: In the beginning, there was ???
25 minutes - Find out: First Nations stories and the evolution of our understanding of the origins of the universe
10 minutes -Take action: What can we learn from First Nations astronomers?
5 minutes – Reflection: How has your understanding of astronomy changed?

Tune in: In the beginning, there was ???

Step 1.

Show students the following video:

The Beginning of Everything - The Big Bang, Kurzgesagt - In a Nutshell (youtu.be/wNDGgL73ihY)

Step 2.

After showing the video, display the following image (this image can also be found on Slide 2 of the attached slide deck)

^{Cosmic Timeline Illustration. Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss (chandra.harvard.edu/xray_astro/dark_matter/index5.html)}

Step 3. Ask students:

Before watching the video, what was your understanding of how the universe began?
What do you think now?
What role, if any, did the video and image have in shaping that opinion?
Give reasons for your point of view.

Step 4.

Explain to students that humans are constantly building their knowledge about everything in our world. Each generation believes they know more than the previous generation. One of the most fundamental questions our species has ever considered was how the universe came into being. Estimates of the size and age of the universe have changed over time as new technologies allow us to gather more. In the rest of this lesson, we’re looking at the universal origin stories of some First Nations peoples.

Find out: First Nations Origin stories and the evolution of our understanding of the origins of the universe

Step 1.

Show the following image of Bayami and read the following to students:

(The image can also be found on page 4 of the attached slide deck)

For many First Nations peoples, the sky is home to many ancestral creator beings that came down to make the world, the animals and the people during a period referred to as the ‘Dreaming’ or ‘Creation Time’. The ancestral creator's names and actions vary significantly across the Australian continent. One such being is known as Baiame. The Darkinjung, Awabakal, Worimi, Birrpai, Wiradjuri, Wonnarua, Kamilaroi, Eora and Wiradjuri peoples of south-eastern Australia know this Dreamtime Ancestor.

“In the beginning, Bayami stepped down from the sky and created the land, formed the mountains and valleys, filled rivers with water, and created all living things. Everything Bayami created had a purpose; plants of all shapes and sizes were placed on the land. He also placed men and women on the special places he had created and made the first laws that governed the way Aboriginal people lived, which remained unchanged through thousands of years of Aboriginal life.

Bayami stayed and ensured all living things he created lived together in harmony. When satisfied, he stepped back into the sky from which he came, where he remains now watching over his people and the wonderful place he created.”

Bayami was a powerful god. The white circle below his belly, white armbands and the outlines of tools, the stone axe and the hunting boomerang identify him as male. His outstretched arms signify the bringing together of his people, and the seven white lines under his armpits symbolise the seven nearby tribes; Darkinjung, Awabakal, Worimi, Birrpai, Wiradjuri, Wonnarua, Kamilaroi.

The story above and the image of Bayami have been copied with permission from the Worimi people of the Worimi Nation. For more information about this story, please visit worimiconservationlands.com.

Step 2. In the following Jigsaw Activity, assign groups of students 1 of the 5 topics to study. The groups can collate their research on their assigned topic using a collaborative document tool, such as Google Docs, Microsoft OneNote or a large piece of butcher’s paper.

Once students have completed their research, collate and assemble their work in the sequence below to give an understanding of the evolution of human thought regarding the universe's origin. Students can use this document for reflection and study purposes.

Allocate five groups, then allocate each topic below to each group. Topics 1 & 2 may be considered for students with introductory knowledge, 3 & 4 for most students and topic 5 for advanced students.

Topic 1: Ancient Civilisations
Topic 2: Religion
Topic 3: The scientific revolution
Topic 4: The Big Bang
Topic 5: The James Webb Telescope

Students can present their information using words or images. A variety of formats increases engagement and deepens learning retention.

Topic 1: Ancient civilisations

All ancient civilisations have creation stories. Why do you think this is? Research and compare evidence from two ancient civilisations to substantiate your conclusion. Choose from; Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Polynesia, Ancient Hindu and Ancient Sumeria. How big did they think the universe is? How old did they think the universe is?

Topic 2: Religion – 700 AD

The Koran and Bible have creation stories. How are they similar? How are they different? How big did they think the universe is? How old did they think the universe is?

Topic 3: 1666 - The scientific revolution

Isaac Newton’s theory of motion and universal gravitation changed our understanding of the solar system. How did this broaden our understanding of the universe? How big did they think the universe is? How old did they think the universe is?

Topic 4: 1927 – The Big Bang

Compare the two theories of the origins of the universe: Steady State and the Big Bang. How big did they think the universe is? How old did they think the universe is?

Topic 5: 2023 – The James Webb Telescope

How does the James Webb Telescope (webbtelescope.org) add to our understanding of the origins of the universe? How big do we now think the universe is? How old do we now think the universe is?

Take action: What can we learn from First Nations astronomers?

Step 1.

Split the class into two groups. Group A does Step 1, Group B does

Step 2.

Set up a collaborative Venn diagram. See where the two groups intersect and where they differ.

Group A

Introduce the quote below;

“It is a common misconception that The Big Bang was the origin of the universe. In reality, The Big Bang scenario is completely silent about how the universe came into existence in the first place. In fact, the closer we looked to time “zero” the less certain we are about what actually happened because their current description of physical laws do not yet apply to such extremes of nature.” Source: Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (lweb.cfa.harvard.edu/seuforum/faq.htm)

From your reading of this quote and readings and discussions so far, how would you define the science of astronomy from a Western science perspective? What is the purpose of astronomy?

Group B

Introduce the quote below;

“Cultural astronomy is the study of the effect of astronomical knowledge or theories on ideologies or human behaviour. It incorporates the sub-disciplines of archaeoastronomy (the study of past cultures, relying heavily on the archaeological record), ethnoastronomy (the study of contemporary cultures, relying heavily on the ethnographic record) and historical astronomy (the study of written records about astronomical objects and phenomena).” Source: Did Aboriginal Australians Record a Simultaneous Eclipse and Aurora in Their Oral Traditions? Robert S. Fuller and Duane W. Hamacher

From your reading of this quote and readings and discussions so far, how would you define the science of astronomy from an Indigenous science perspective? What is the purpose of astronomy?

Reflection

Read the following quote - “We are stardust brought to life, then empowered by the universe to figure itself out—and we have only just begun.” - Neil Degrasse Tyson.

(This quote can also be found on Slide 5 of the accompanying slide deck)

Ask the students:

When considering this quote and what you've learned in this lesson, what do you think it is about the night sky, stars and the universe that unites peoples from across the planet and for such a long part of our history as a species?

Ask the students to discuss their answers with their partner.

First Nations Astronomy: Universal Origin Stories

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