Sky
ABOVE
Earth
THE MAYAN CALENDAR
AND DEC 21ST
Noreen Grice, Traveler’s Science Dome at the Gengras Planetarium
Imagine that you could travel back
in time about twelve hundred years
and explore places between Mexico
and parts of South America. You
might meet some of the local
people called the Mayans. Just
like in your hometown, the Mayans
had communities made of people and
buildings. Some of the buildings were their
homes, but other buildings were temples
and palaces. The tallest buildings were
pyramids.
The Mayans were very interested in
the night sky. They built observatories
so they could watch the movement of the Sun, Moon, planets and stars. They were
especially interested in observing the planet Venus because it looked like a very bright
star. Nowadays people call Venus “the morning star” if you can see it around sunrise
and “the evening star” if you can see it around sunset. Back then, the Mayan people
tracked the position of bright objects like Venus and recorded their location in the sky.
Have you ever made a secret code with a friend and sent letters in code to each
other? Mayans had their own language and wrote messages in a special code of
picture symbols called glyphs. Each glyph represented a word or idea.
Like many other civilizations, the Mayans used calendars. They had different
calendars for different events. Some of their calendars tracked different longer
and shorter sets of days, while other calendars were based on the movement of sky
objects, such as the planet Venus or the phases of the Moon. By matching certain
cycles on their calendar, the Mayans were able to record a variety of celestial events.
What do you do with your calendar at the end of each month? You turn the page
to start a new month. Like your calendar at home or at school, the Mayan calendars
ran out and sometimes had to be restarted, like turning a page. One of the Mayan
calendars ends this year, on December 21, 2012. Then the next day, a new calendar
begins just as you would turn the page of your new calendar on January 1st.
Is it scary to turn a page to start a new calendar? Does that mean bad things will
happen? Some people were worried when 1999 became 2000, but everything was
fine, just as it will be this year. It’s kind of fun thinking about the future. What will you
be reading about on this day next year?
BELOW
DID YOU KNOW?
December 21st also marks the first day of winter, the winter solstice.
This is the shortest day of the year for people who live in the Northern
Hemisphere. The sun sets earliest this time of year.
Ancient people became concerned when the sun traveled a low path
across the sky. Some people thought that the Sun was weak so they lit
fires to help strengthen the Sun. Many winter holidays include symbols of
fire and light. Can you think of a few?
FUN THINGS TO DO
The Mayans used different calendars to track different events. You
can make your own calendar too, for one month or for a full year.
For this activity, you will need a white poster board, some colored
pencils or markers and a ruler. Decide what shape your
calendar will have. Will it be shaped like a rocket ship or
a dragon, your favorite animal or something else? Use a
colored pencil to make the outline of the calendar’s shape.
Now choose a shape for each of the days in your calendar.
For example, the days might be represented by circles,
triangles or stars, instead of the squares seen in most
calendars. Be sure to include the correct number of days for
the particular month or months you choose.
For added effect, attach different textures
like cotton balls, felt and glitter to make a calendar that you can touch.
Be creative and have fun!
FIND IT IN THE NEWS
Look through this week’s Hartford Courant to find:
• How calendars are used in weather forecasting
• An article about the night sky
Visit the New Children’s Museum in West Hartford!
• Journey beyond Connecticut in the Traveler’s Science Dome
• Check out the Mars Timeline Exhibit!
Next Page -
January 16th
For students who are blind, learning disabled or print challenged, visit CRIS Radio at
http://www.crisradio.org and click Kids On-Demand for a free audio version of Communicate Your Character
Sky Above Earth Below is a three part science literacy series presented by NIE in collaboration with
The Children’s Museum. For more information about NIE, visit www.courantnie.com or 860.241.3847