Descriptor:
Students will present mythological stories and Indian legends about bears. Then they will create and present imaginary constellations of their own to explain their perceptions and ideas about past and future bear management at Yellowstone National Park.

Objectives:
The student will . . .

• View the night sky's constellations, identifying the Ursa Major and Ursa Minor constellations.

• Explain the significance of constellations in mythology.

• Describe attributes/behavior that people of more ancient times assigned to bears in their stories and legends.

• Work in a small group to illustrate an imaginary constellation and to write an accompanying story that describes the evolution of Yellowstone National Park's management of bear populations through the 20^th Century.

• Work collaboratively with classmates to illustrate an imaginary constellation and to create an accompanying mythological story that explains what would be an "ideal" Bear Management Program for Yellowstone National Park in the 21^st Century.

Background

Our modern constellation system comes from the ancient Greeks. The oldest description of the constellations is found in a poem, Phaenomena, written about 270 BC by the Greek poet Aratus. However, in his poem, Aratus indicates that the constellations originated long before his time. In 150 AD, the Greek scientist Ptolemy published The Almagest, a book that arranges 1022 stars into 48 constellations. These constellations form the basis of our modern constellations system.

Today, astronomers recognize 88 constellations. Represented in these constellations are fourteen men and women, nine birds, two insects, nineteen land animals, ten water creatures, two centaurs, one head of hair, one serpent, one dragon, one flying horse, one river, and 29 inanimate objects. Interestingly, most star patterns bear little likeness to the figures they represent. It appears that the "constellation-designators of old" sought to use stellar patterns, not as literal descriptions, but as a way to preserve their own culture in myths and legends.

Among the best-known constellations are Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. The Big Dipper, the most recognizable star pattern, is not actually a constellation itself, but is part of Ursa Major--Great Bear to the Greeks. These seven stars of the Big Dipper have inspired many stories. The British call the "dipper" a plow. In Southern France, it is called a saucepan. The Skidi Pawnee Indians saw a stretcher on which a sick man was carried. To the ancient Maya, it was a mythological parrot. Hindu sky lore called it the Wise Men. To the early Egyptians, it was the thigh and leg of a bull. The Chinese saw it as a special chariot for the Emperor of Heaven. For several North American Indian tribes, the bowl of the Big Dipper was a bear, and the stars in the handle represented hunters tracking the bear. And in the 19^th Century, the Big Dipper became a symbol of freedom for runaway slaves, who "followed the Drinking Gourd" to the northern states.

So there you have it; just about any shape you want to imagine can be assigned to the stars. And for every shape there are countless stories. What bear constellation and story will you create?

Procedure

Prior to the Electronic Field Trip, the teacher will . . .

• Share Background with students.

• Have students identify Ursa Major, the Great Bear, and Ursa Minor, the Lesser Bear, on a Night Sky Chart. Encourage them to look for these constellations in the night sky.

Note: Finding the Great Bear is easy on a clear, summer night, when its stars are higher in the sky. Simply look north at the huge dipper-shaped constellation. The bowl stars of the Big Dipper form the bear in Native American legend, while the stars in the handle are the hunters chasing it. If you look at the two stars forming the beginning of the bowl and follow along the line that they make, you will see Polaris, or the North Star as it is often called. The star forms part of the tail of Ursa Minor--Lesser Bear to the Greeks. With the exception of our Sun, Polaris, as an ageless compass, has proven itself to be the most utilized star.

• Select student volunteers to present readings of bear myths and Native Indian legends. Possible sources include: student handouts included in this lesson, They Dance in the Sky: Native American Star Myths by Jean G. Monroe and Ray A. Williamson; The Sacred Paw by Paul Shepard and Barty Sandy; American Indian Mythology by Alice Marriott and Carol K. Rachlin; Tonweya and the Eagles and Other Lakota Tales by Rosebud Yellow Robe; Tales of the Grizzly by Tim Clark and Denise Casey; Blue Horizon: Myth & Legends of the Sun, Moon, Stars and Planets by Dr. E.C. Krupp; and Metamorphoses (Book II) by Ovid.

• Select a student volunteer to facilitate a class discussion on the meanings of the legends. Include the characteristics that were assigned to the bears.

Electronic Field Trip, the teacher will . . .

• If possible, have students participate in the on-line version April 10-12, 2002, in order that they might post bear-related questions on our message board during the 3-day special session.

• If you missed the April 10-12 dates, students may still explore the Bears of Yellowstone at www.windowsintowonderland.org.

Following the Electronic Field Trip, the teacher will . . .

• Select a student to facilitate a class discussion of the park's management of bears.

• Divide students into small groups. Invite each group to create and illustrate an imaginary constellation. The constellation should explain Yellowstone National Park's management of bear populations through the years.

• Have one student from each group present and explain their constellation.

• Facilitate a class discussion on what would be the "ideal" bear management for Yellowstone National Park in the 21^st Century.

• Have students collectively design an ideal "21^st Century Bear Management Constellation". Some students may do the artwork, others may write the mythological story to explain the constellation, and still others may present the work formally to the teachers/parents.

Extension

• Share with Yellowstone National Park the students' constellations and mythological stories for possible park publications. Prior to public use of any student-produced materials, the National Park Service would obtain student and parental releases. Materials may be mailed to: National Park Service, Education Office, PO Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 82190

Student Handout: Ancient Legend of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor

Adapted from the work of Roman Poet Ovid--See Metamorphoses, Book II

One day Zeus, the King of the Gods, saw Callisto, a young and beautiful nymph. He fell in love with her. But Callisto was a virgin follower of the virgin goddess Diana. Zeus, taking the form of Diana, approached her, and they conceived a child.

Diana, while bathing with her nymphs, realized what had happened. She sent Callisto away. With the birth of Callisto's son (Arcas), Zeus's wife (Hera), understood that her husband had been unfaithful. In her anger and jealous rage, Hera turned Callisto into a bear--a magnificent bear at that! Though a bear in form, Callisto had the heart of a human and the love of a mother. She lived a horrid existence, constantly running from the many hunters who sought to capture her.

Years later Callisto, still a bear, crossed paths with Arcas. When she raised up on her hind legs to embrace her son, he drew back his arrow, for he did not recognize the bear as his mother. Zeus, taking pity on the two, changed Arcas into a bear and hurled both mother and son into the sky by their tails. For this reason, both have long tails. Arcas, frozen in the sky, still holds his bow in his little paws.

Hera was filled with anger when she saw Callisto glittering with the stars. She went to the ocean to seek help from Oceanos and Thethys--the controllers of the sea. She asked that the Great Bear never be allowed to reach the water and rest as the other inhabitants of the sky. Indeed, in the Northern Hemisphere, the constellation of the Great Bear never touches the ocean.

Student Hand-Out: The Great Bear

(3 versions of an Iroquois myth)

Version A

A very long time ago, when the earth was young, a giant bear was chased day after day by a giant Indian chief. One day the Chief caught the bear by his little tail. As the bear roared, the chief swung the bear around his head. Faster and faster, he swung the bear until his tail was stretched long. Then the chief hurled the bear up into the sky where it got stuck. And the bear has been going around every since.

Even today the Great Bear spins in a big circle around the northern sky. High overhead, then down towards the horizon, the two bright stars of his body continuously point towards the North Star.

Version B

While most say there are four main stars in the body of Great Bear and three stars in his tail, we say these three stars are not the tail, but three Indians hunting Great Bear. The three Indians work as a team with a single aim--bear for dinner! The first Indian carries a bow and arrow to shot Great Bear. The last Indian carries a load of firewood to build a fire. And the middle Indian carries a pot on his shoulder to cook the bear in. A faint star next to the middle Indian is the pot.

Our story begins when time began, back when the first Indian shot his arrow, struck Great Bear in his side, and began the chase. Because the wound was not serious, day after day Great Bear runs from the pursing Indians. The Indians have never gained a step nor gotten close enough for a second shot. As the Indians chase Great Bear around the night sky, the whole sky seems to turn. As the weeks pass, Great Bear begins each night at a slightly different place in the sky.

It is in the autumn season every year, with Great Bear crouched low in the northwest, that unusual things happen. The arrow wound opens slightly, allowing a little blood to trickle down upon the land. The blood stains the leaves of the trees, turning them red.

We tell this story so that we won't forget. It is Great Bear that reminds us when it is time to store up food for the cold winter.

Version C

A very long time ago, Great Bear wandered freely throughout the night sky. He fished and hunted in heavenly rivers and lands. He filled his belly and was happy. What he did not know was that three young braves had seen him feeding. Because winter was coming, they desired Great Bear's skin for clothing and shelter and his meat to feed upon.

Suddenly, as though from nowhere, the braves ran out after Great Bear. All summer long, Great Bear ran from the hunters. Eventually, when the first autumn came, the braves' arrows pierced Great Bear. His blood spilled out of the sky and colored the leaves with red and orange. The trees dropped all their leaves in mourning for their friend, Great Bear.

The following spring, Great Bear was reborn, as is always the case with bears. And the Indians braves pick up their chase. Every year they do this. Today, if you look into the night sky, you will see the three braves trailing behind Great Bear.

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