NASA’s Universe of Learning Science Briefing: March 2019

The resources in this list pertain to the presentation given on March 14, 2019, titled, "The Native American Sky".

This material is based upon work supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AC65A to the Space Telescope Science Institute, working in partnership with Caltech/IPAC, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and Sonoma State University. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 1

NASA's Universe of Learning is a program which will integrate NASA's Astrophysics Science Mission Directorate programs, and will advance STEM learning and literacy by creating and delivering a unified suite of education products, programs, and professional development that spans the full spectrum of NASA Astrophysics. NASA's Universe of Learning is partnering with the Museum Alliance to provide professional development briefings for the informal science education community. These briefings provide current NASA Astrophysics themes, content, and resources to the informal community. These curated lists present the resources described during the briefings. To find the briefings, you can go here: http://universe-of-learning.org/science_briefing.

Featured Resources

Indigenous Education Institute: “The Indigenous Education Institute (IEI) was created in 1995 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) institution with a mission to preserve, protect and apply traditional Indigenous knowledge in a contemporary setting, that of Indigenous peoples today, around the world. IEI has developed numerous projects that preserve traditional knowledge, protect the knowledge in terms of Indigenous protocol, and apply it to areas such as astronomy and other science disciplines.”

Cultural Connections: The Northern Lights: Lifelong learners discover the wonders and science of the aurora, or northern lights, through the perspective of Inupiat culture. The Northern Lights video, available via the website, showcases Inupiat culture and language. From the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

Little Singer Community School STREAM Program Expo at Birdsprings Chapter Dome: Little Singer Com. School elementary students presented various, award-winning STREAM projects at the Birdsprings Chapter Dome community center. The students were listened to by elders, family members, community members, and representatives from various, supportive and collaborative organizations. Participants experienced an eventful evening of community celebration. From the NASA Space Science Education Consortium.

NASA’s Universe of Learning Science Briefing: March 2019

The resources in this list pertain to the presentation given on March 14, 2019, titled, "The Native American Sky".

This material is based upon work supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AC65A to the Space Telescope Science Institute, working in partnership with Caltech/IPAC, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and Sonoma State University. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 2

Exploring the Solar System: Hide and Seek Moon: An engaging way for early childhood learners to experiment with some of the tools scientists use to study objects that are very, very far away, and to learn about how cultures around the world have viewed the Moon. Especially see the Cultural Moon info sheet. From the National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Net).

AstroDash: This game takes a popular game format for tweens, teens and adults (Balderdash), and changes the question categories to focus on observational astronomy, with a focus on native American, native Hawaiian, and native Alaskan cultures. This format allows for a focus on being exposed to the similarities and differences in sky stories across cultures, rather than focusing on getting the right answer. This game has been tested in libraries across the country (including with multiple indigenous populations), and our libraries recommend it for ages 13+. From the Space Science Institute.

Viewspace Video: Dark Constellations: This Viewspace video, part of the “Shadows” playlist, explores constellations from different indigenous peoples of North and South America and connects them to imagery from modern telescopes.