StarMatter Book Project

BOOK COVER

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.

AUTHORS Leslie Brown, Gordon Mac Lellan, Tom Mason, Chris Vis.
ARTWORK and the explanation of the graphics, Gavin Frankel.

SYNOPSIS

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StarMatter offers concepts and ideas for developing an awareness
and appreciation of where we came from and where we are going.
It discusses some of the big questions that historically have
occupied our minds as a species, yet is broader in scale and sweep
than just science.

The approach adopted is non-human centered with explanation
of such fascinating concepts and systems as Deep Time, the
planets, stars and the origin of matter that even we humans are
composed of. These concepts are portrayed through the arts thus
encouraging scientific discipline and the arts to be viewed as
allies, not adversaries. The work is aimed at anyone interested in
understanding ourselves, our world, its history, and our place
in the universe.

StarMatter contains fascinating facts and ideas, with pointers and
suggestions for those wishing to apply these concepts to educating
young people. It may also provide inspiration to explore and
learn more about the events and wonders it examines.

DISCLAIMER

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While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information herein, we do not hold ourselves liable for any inadvertent errors. Neither the authors nor the publishers can accept responsibility for any loss occassioned to any person, howsoever caused, or arising as a result of, or consequence of action taken or refrained from in reliance on the contents of this work. The listing of a person or organization in any part of this work does not imply any form of endorsement by the authors or the publishers of the material, products or services provided by that person or organization. Similarly,links to other websites have been inserted for your convenience and do not constitute endoresement of material at those sites,or any associates' organization, production or service.

AN EXPLANATION OF THE GRAPHICS

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The graphics in the book are comprised of five basic images. When put in sequence they tell a short story, that of day becoming night and the following dawn. The images introduce the concepts of StarMatter and Deep Time using simple symbols and hand gestures. The story can be mimicked by casting shadows on a wall, a visual exercise that could be used for example to teach these concepts to children. The graphics may be read separately from the text while leafing through the book.

First in the sequence are two hands reaching out to catch a bird. As night approaches, the hands let the bird fly away and one reaches up with interest towards the first bright star. Gathering darkness then brings gestures of fear and worry. The night sky continues to press down, crushing the hand, until eventually day melts into night. The stars shine out cold and bright.

Reversal of the image sequence tells the story of day break. It produces the opposite emotional effect, leaving a very positive and childlike impression. It starts with a night sky full of stars. Then a hand appears and begins to push up the darkness. As the night lifts and starts to disappear the hand bids farewell. Then, as if lonely, it reaches out to try and grasp the last fading star. But it's too late, night has gone and daylight fills the sky. The hands catch the bird instead and they start to play, the star forgotten.

The aim is to show a simple human story, with struggle and hope, and a childlike reaction to surroundings and place in time. The bird flying through the images symbolizes time passing and the night day sequence puts the story on a time scale we understand. This is a very meagre interval of time when measured against the universe, but it's what we know.

The layout design of the book echos this cycle. The single images are printed one by one throughout the book. These images are then put together to form a sequence strip which is printed on the page opposite. This sequence is in turn used to make a patchwork of stars, which is printed at the start and at the end of the book, with a zoomed-in version across the centre double page spread. This layout shows where in the story we are, and places the single image within the 'bigger picture'.

The front cover is a collage of these graphics and is built on three planes of interpretation, or depth. In the foreground there is a hand reaching towards a red star. They are separated by a white arch that represents the division between Earth and space, or perhaps our immediate reality and a greater awareness. Behind this hand a patchwork of stars floats by. The story as told above is encapsulated within each of these stars, illustrating the idea that we, and everything, are made from stardust. In the distant background there are still more stars. They are so far away that they only figure as dots, much like the stars we see in our own night sky. Do they tell the same story as the near stars? Do they even still exist? Perhaps all we are looking at is their light travelling through time....

APPRAISALS

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Appraisal by Dr Ian Sanders, Senior Lecturer in Geology, Trinity College, Dublin

This book is an imaginative invitation to primary school teachers to develop in their children an understanding of cosmology, geology and evolution, of their place in the grand scheme of things, and of the frailty of human civilization - all through art and drama. The authors share a common purpose in their desire to share their awareness of the remarkable niche in time and space that we inhabit, and their equal awareness that our 'normal' lifestyle threatens the continued existence of that niche.

Star Matter is what we are made of - literally. Human civilization has existed for just a few thousand years, culminating in the industrialized society we know today. Yet these few thousand years - the whole of recorded history - amount to an ephemeral blip in the context of the time span of Earth's existence and of the slow gradual evolution of life during most of that long period. The true beginning of history - at least of our planet - goes back several thousand million years! It goes back to the formation of the Solar System out of the dusty residues from many long-since vanished stars. These stars, in their explosive death-throws, shed their matter into space where it drifted and mixed for a while before gravity reassembled it into a new generation of stars. One of these stars, along with its entourage of planets, was the Sun.

We know this because the technology developed by our industrialized society has allowed us to observe our surroundings in incredible detail - on enormous scales using telescopes and on the tiniest scale using microscopes. The wealth of this observation is truly amazing; it has fired our curiosity, and has driven us in the process of trying to rationalize all that has been seen into a self-consistent story. This process is Science.

Yet the technology that has led to this understanding of our origins, and let us see ourselves in the context of the timescale of the Earth's existence, has come at a cost. The industrially-based system that has allowed scientific observation and enquiry to thrive, is posed to undermine our continued existence. For example, despite knowing that the burning of fossil fuels will lead to ecological disaster, man seems incapable of ceasing the quest to find and extract the last drop of oil!

If there is to be a tolerably happy future for our children and grandchildren, then their generation must be equipped with the knowledge and understanding that will lead to sound policy and sustainable living. To that end, Star Matter is an altruistic endeavour to develop a new dimension in the education of young children, through the media of art, music, dance and drama. These children urgently need a knowledge of their astronomical and geological inheritance, if they are to fulfil their future role as custodians of the planet.

The aims of Star Matter are not immediately apparent from a reading of the first chapter, and its structure seems a little arbitrary and haphazard. Yet the book is ahead of its time in terms of the ideas it is promoting, it is factually correct, and it offers some wonderful suggestions on how to engage children in discovering their ultimate origins. Star Matter should be made widely available to teachers who share a desire to keep our life support system going for a while longer.

© Ian Sanders 2006

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Appraisal by Gillian Somerville-Large

StarMatter begins by questioning the division that has arisen between arts and science. In the Renaissance a philosopher artist like Leonardo da Vinci had no difficulty in combining the two concepts. But over the years scientific research has drifted away from the arts, and the popular science which makes an attempt to bridge the ever increasing gap, has proved to be inadequate.

The authors of this beautifully presented book explore how this disharmony can be remedied through specialist eductation that approaches scientific knowledge through collective creativity. This concept described as 'outreach' combines dance, and song, drama and art in the task of addressing the receptive minds of children and young people to awareness of our relationship with the natural world. The authors instruct on the promotion of science and the perception of spiritual aspects of our universe through group performance, workshop activities, art, and other means of encouraging
creativity and aquiring holistic experience. The message of StarMatter is clearly and simply expressed and the result has to be exhilerating for teachers and pupils alike.

© Gillian Somerville-Large 2005

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Appraisal by Richard Rolfe, Headmaster, Le Rocquier School, Jersey

A very difficult book to read at first but when I got involved I
realised that it was a unique book that offered challenges, new ideas,
creativity and depth. It wove science, awe and wonder together so as
to produce a very useful resource.

© Richard Rolfe 2005

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Appraisal by Andrea Hanks, teacher and a founding member of Thornham Field Center, UK

It was when trying to explain the latest earthquakes to my class of 7 and 8 year olds that StarMatter began to have relevance and importance to me. Suddenly we were in the world of tectonic plates that struggled to contain the pressures within until they moved and changed. It was like opening floodgates of interest and there was a frantic scrabbling for knowledge and understanding. These children had so recently seen pictures of tsunamis, hurricanes, droughts and other evidence of their world changing and they wanted to know the how and why.

I couldn’t answer all their questions, no teacher ever can, but having read StarMatter, I felt confident to talk about this world, the universe and other issues of deep time.

StarMatter is the kind of book that gives you the confidence to explore with children. A real and honest case study shows how children can be inspired to think out of the box, integrating art, literature and drama into their scientific investigations. A child who has been asked to reproduce the colours of a piece of rock, or think of rock jokes, is more likely to remember that experience than they will being told that they are holding a piece of gneiss and it is very old.

I would recommend this book to all teachers and those involved in science inset. It is worth reading for both the knowledge it imparts as well as the ideas on how to encourage children to understand the world they live in and not just believe it is an inexhaustible resource they live on.

© Andrea Hanks 2005

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Appraisal by Eva Cagianese, Haldane High School, Cold Spring, New York

StarMatter arrived in the mail, an unexpected and delightful surprise. The cover of the book was beautiful and the explanation of the graphics by artist Gavin Frankel gently introduced me to the concepts of Deep Time. I continued to read about the beginning of the earth; the class poem appeared and I rejoiced. As a poet and a teacher, and a strong advocate of creativity in the schools, I recognized true involvement, focus and concentration. The simplicity and power of the poem complemented Gavin's shadow puppets. I reached the page from Herbert Read's book 'Education through Art' and read once again the familiar concepts. I had used the same book many years before as the center of a Masters Thesis in Education. Excited, I followed the artist teachers through their Deep Time projects .

My Masters Thesis was a special program organized by The University of San Francisco, a project/thesis; create a project and write a thesis about the project. My project was a nontraditional handbook for teaching French using songs, stories, pictures, poems and theater games entitled "Dans le Jardin, Au Bord de la Mer, Le Soleil Brille" {In the Garden, By the Ocean, Shines the Sun}. This book is not about science but uses the same creative methods as StarMatter, developing the right and left side of the brain. I finished the book in1981 and have been using these methods with my students for over thirty years. The key is involvement, creating the class with the teacher. The class becomes a community where each individual is respected for their uniqueness and expected to participate. The concept of community does not undermine the artist teacher's position of knowledgeable guide and organizer. The students share the responsibility of creating the class by participating; these methods teach both responsibility and respect through the experience of education.

Do these creative methods educate children? Do the students acquire knowledge, take ownership of the information, and develop the ability and interest to communicate these ideas to others? From my own experiences in a variety of schools, both traditional and nontraditional, these creative methods bring positive energy to education. The students respond positively and are interested and engaged. School becomes exciting and time passes quickly. I brought StarMatter to my classroom and discussed the concepts through a community forum with the students. Many of the students had recently participated in a school theatre production; I began the discussion by asking them about their involvement and the power of drama. Their faces and words openly expressed their enthusiasm. I then suggested creating a class centered around theater, referring to the Gordon MacLellan production in StarMatter. The class embraced the idea.

Creative education is exciting. The concept of Deep Time including the idea that we are StarMatter is an inspiration for a multitude of creative projects.I strongly endorse StarMatter and encourage the circulation of this publication to educators, scientists, parents, and children.

© Eva Cagianese 2007

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AUDIO RESOURCES:
MacGillis, Miriam Therese. To Know the Place for the First Time: Explorations in Thomas Berry's New Cosmology.
(Sonoma: Global Perspectives).
MacGillis, Miriam Therese. Earth Economy, Human Economy -closing the gap. (Sonoma: Global Perspectives).
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Swimme, Brian. Canticle to the Cosmos. (Boulder: Sounds True Audio, 1995).

FILM AND VIDEO RESOURCES:
Ancient Futures: Learning from Ladakh. John Page (International Society for Ecology and Culture).
Answers about Gaia. James Lovelock. (Schumacher College).
Blue Planet. Alistair Fothergill (BBCE).
Deep Answers. Arne Naess. (Schumacher College).
Ecological Economics. J. Robertson & R. Douthwaite.
(Schumacher College).
Ecology, Theology and Soul. T. Berry & T. Moore.
(Schumacher College).
Economics and Globalisation. M. Khor & R. Sandbrook. (Schumacher College).
Global Power, Local Promise. H. Nodge, W. Sachs & M. Wackernagel. (Sc humacher College).
Mind and Matter. S. Kumar, B. Goodwin & D. Peat. (Schumacher College).
Natural Capitalism. A. Lovins &J. Elkington. (Schumacher College).
Permaculture in Practice. Michael Baldwin. (Iota Pictures 1996).
Questions about Gaia. James Lovelock. (Schumacher College).
SolarMax. John Viley. (Museum of Science and Industry).
Women Cr Ecology. W. Laduke & W. Harcourt. (Schumacher College). Written in Stone. Gillian Marsh. (RTE and Videogram, 1996).

USEFUL MAGAZINES AND JOURNALS:
Earthlight.
Ecologist, The.
Gaia Circular.
Nature, London.
New Scientist.
Ocean Arks Annals of the Earth.
Permaculture Magazine.
Positive News.
Resurgence.
Watershed Sentinel, The.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

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LESLIE BROWN
Leslie Brown is an artist with a background in social science and an interest in bridge-building between Arts and Sciences - facilitating children within the workshop module in particular.

GAVIN FRANKEL
Gavin Frankel grew up in rural Ireland, a time and place that has ever since been a source of inspiration to him. He studied law at university, followed by a photography course in Paris. He was taught by the master printer George Fevre. When he returned to Ireland he held a successful exhibition of his street photography, images of everyday life in Paris. Frankel's first professional commission was to photograph 800 old houses for the National Architectural Archives. He then went to Dublin and began to photograph fashion and portraits. His second exhibition featured aspects of Irish country life: portraits and landscapes. Frankel then married and went to live in Seoul, South Korea for two years. He started to work for magazines, photographing architecture, fashion and travel stories. He has recently returned to Europe and has settled in Paris with his wife and children. Exhibitions of his personal work include: Paris Street Scenes (Cork 2000); Faces (Dublin 2001); Bamboo Forest By Night (London 2003).

GORDON MACLELLAN
Gordon MacLellan has been described as one of Britain's leading environmental educators. As 'Creeping Toad', Gordon works with groups to find ways of celebrating the relationships between people and the places where they live and work and play. He has a reputation for creating settings where people can challenge themselves, learning new skills, renewing their connection with the world and stepping beyond perceived limitations to dance, tell stories, lead processions, perform with
puppets...Gordon's work is increasingly international with work in Slovakia, South Africa and the USA in recent years.
He is well-known as a trainer and writer, with three books in print; Talking to the Earth and Sacred Animals (both published by Capall Bann) and The Piatkus Guide to Shamanism, (Piatkus). He is currently working on Celebrating Nature, a manual for creating community celebrations Gordon is a trained ecologist and experienced teacher. With an additional background as an artist, storyteller, puppeteer and dancer, his work in celebrations allows him to combine both scientific and expressive fields to create exceptional situations for the groups he works with.

TOM MASON
Dr. Tom Mason is a geologist. He trained at the Queen's University of Belfast, and spent 22 years in South Africa teaching at the University of KwaZulu Natal in Durban. He has extensive experience as a geological research professor, working on palaeontological topics ranging from the description of the earliest fossils on Earth to mammal-like reptiles of the Karoo and using their trace fossils to describe ancient environments. Having returned to Ireland in 1996 to take up his present post as Director of the Armagh Planetarium. He set up and trained the Planetarium's team of Educational Outreach staff who now provide a curriculum-broadening programme that is available to all schools and community groups throughout Ireland. He has worked with all age groups, has run science training workshops for Primary and Special Needs teachers and regularly presents interactive science workshops at special needs schools. Tom Mason sees his prime function as spreading the knowledge that science is in a constant state of flux which makes it a fun topic to study and enjoy.

CHRIS VIS
Chris Vis studied at the Royal College of Art, the Hague, Holland. After a career in advertising in Dublin he became Head of Art at St. Columba's College, Co. Dublin, till his retirement in 2001. Since 1993 he has been the Visiting Examiner for Art in Ireland for the International Baccalaureate Organisation from which duty he retired in 2005. He has a special interest in the value of Art within the larger educational framework.

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The Thornham Geology Rock Trail

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>> The Thornham Geology Rock Trail

Photographs by Josie Allen - DoMedia

>> The Thornham Geology Rock Trail

POUSSIERE D'ETOILE: VERS UNE NOUVELLE DIMENSION

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.

Œuvre commune de scientifiques et d’artistes, Poussière d’étoile poursuit l’objectif suivant : éveiller les consciences des professions enseignantes à des concepts tels que la « poussière d’étoile » ou le « Deep Time » (en astrophysique, notion de temps impossible à mesurer car elle dépasse la conception temporelle humaine). Ce livre incite les enfants à utiliser leur créativité artistique afin d’explorer des sujets liés à l’étude du vivant et des sciences de la terre, mais avec une approche pas uniquement centrée sur le point de vue de l’homme.

Recommandé par le Dr Ian Sanders, professeur de géologie au Trinity College de Dublin:

Cet ouvrage, destiné aux enseignants du primaire, souhaite aider les enfants à mieux comprendre la cosmologie, la géologie, l’évolution, la place que chacun occupe dans le grand ordre de la vie, la fragilité de la civilisation des hommes, tout cela à travers l’art et le théâtre. Le but commun des auteurs ? Le désir de faire comprendre que nous occupons une bulle remarquable sur l’échelle du temps et de l’espace, et la conviction que notre manière de vivre menace sa pérennité.
Nous sommes faits de poussière d’étoile – littéralement. La civilisation humaine n’existe que depuis quelques milliers d’années, pour atteindre son apogée à l’époque des sociétés industrielles dans lesquelles nous vivons aujourd’hui.

Ces milliers d’années – l’Histoire telle qu’elle est écrite jusqu’à aujourd’hui- ne sont qu’un éphémère point lumineux sur l’échelle de durée de vie de la planète, de sa lente évolution au cours de cette période. En vérité, l’Histoire – du moins celle de notre Terre – remonte à plusieurs centaines de milliers d’années, à la formation du système solaire à partir des restes de poussière d’étoiles disparues depuis longtemps. Ces dernières, en explosant, répandirent leur matière à travers l’espace. La poussière dériva, se recombina jusqu’à ce que la gravité la force à se rassembler pour former une nouvelle génération d’étoiles. L’une d’entre elles – mais aussi bien d’autres planètes – s’appelle le Soleil.

Nous savons tout cela aujourd’hui grâce aux technologies développées par nos sociétés industrielles : elles nous ont permis d’observer notre environnement avec une incroyable précision, de l’infiniment grand – à l’aide de puissants télescopes – à l’infiniment petit – au moyen de microscopes. La richesse de ces observations est stupéfiante : elles ont nourrit notre curiosité et nous ont permis d’élaborer un processus de rationalisation de tout ce qui est étudié pour aboutir à des données cohérentes. Ce processus s’appelle la science.

Néanmoins, les technologies permettant de parvenir à ce degré de compréhension de nos origines et de nous positionner dans ce contexte d’échelle de temps d’existence de la planète ont un prix. Les sociétés modernes à l’origine de l’observation scientifique et des progrès de la science sont une réelle menace sur notre survie même. Par exemple, l’homme sait que continuer à brûler les énergies fossiles conduira forcément à un désastre écologique, mais il ne peut freiner sa quête, cherchant à extraire jusqu’à la dernière goutte de pétrole !

Si l’on souhaite offrir à nos enfants et petits-enfants un avenir serein, ils doivent posséder les clés de la connaissance et de la compréhension, qui les guideront vers la conduite de politiques rationnelles et le développement durable. Grâce à l’art, la musique, la danse et le théâtre, Poussière d’étoile tente de développer cette approche auprès des plus jeunes. Ils doivent absolument connaître leur héritage astronomique, géologique s’ils veulent continuer à remplir leur rôle de citoyens de la planète.

À la lecture du premier chapitre, les objectifs de Poussière d’étoile ne sont pas clairement compréhensibles, sa construction semble arbitraire et aléatoire. Pourtant, si l’on considère les idées qu’il défend, cet ouvrage est en avance sur son temps : les données qu’il expose sont exactes, et il regorge d’idées permettant d’inciter les enfants à découvrir leurs origines. Poussière d’étoile devrait être largement proposé aux enseignants désireux de voir perdurer encore un temps le système dans lequel nous évoluons.

© Ian Sanders, 2006.

Recommandé par Gillian Somerville-Large:

Poussière d’étoile commence par poser la question de la division entre l’art et la science. Au cours de la Renaissance, l’artiste philosophe Léonard de Vinci n’avait aucune difficulté à combiner les deux concepts. Mais au fil du temps, la recherche scientifique s’est éloignée des arts, et la science populaire, qui a tenté de les rapprocher malgré un fossé de plus en plus important, n’y est pas parvenue.

Les auteurs de cet ouvrage remarquable étudient les différentes manières de remédier à cette discordance grâce des méthodes éducatives spécialisées faisant appel à la créativité collective. Ce concept, décrit comme un « dépassement », associe la danse, le chant, le théâtre et l’art, dans le but d’éveiller les esprits naturellement ouverts des enfants et des adolescents à la conscience de leur relation avec la nature. Les auteurs enseignent la science et la perception des aspects spirituels de notre univers à travers des travaux de groupe, des ateliers, l’art, mais aussi un certain nombre d’activités ayant pour vocation d’encourager la créativité et l’acquisition d’une expérience holistique. Le message de Poussière d’étoile, clair et simplement exprimé, est la promesse de découvertes exaltantes, tant pour les professeurs que pour leurs élèves.

© Gillian Somerville-Large, 2005.