Year 7 Science · Unit 4 · Lesson 11
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Learning Goals
Sort the statements
Read each statement. Decide whether it best describes the Yolngu Cultural Knowledge, the scientific account, or whether it is shared by both. Tick one column.
| Statement | Yolngu Knowledge | Scientific account | Both |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passed on through story, song and Lore on Country | |||
| Explains the tides using the idea of the Moon's gravity | |||
| Built from careful observation of the sky over a long time | |||
| Recognises a real link between the Moon's phase and the tides |
Real-world context
The Yolngu People of north-east Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory, live on Country beside the sea. Over many thousands of years they observed that the rising and falling of the tides matches the position and phase of the Moon. This Knowledge, passed on through story, song and Lore, helped people know when the water would be high and when it would be low, for fishing, gathering shellfish and travelling safely. Modern science describes the same link, explaining that the Moon's gravity pulls on the Earth's oceans to make the tides, and that the Sun, Earth and Moon line up at new and full Moon to make the largest tides.
(a) Give two practical reasons why knowing the tides would be useful for people living beside the sea.
(b) The scientific account says the Moon's phase is linked to the size of the tides. Explain this link, using the words new Moon, full Moon and spring tides.
(c) Both the Yolngu Knowledge and modern science noticed the same link between the Moon and the tides. Explain why two very different ways of knowing could both notice this.
1. Why is it more accurate and respectful to say "the Yolngu People hold this Knowledge" than to say "Aboriginal people believe this"?
2. Give one more example of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander astronomy from the lesson, and say what it was used for.
Wrap Up
In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?