Phase II:
Creation and Testing of Prototype Exhibits

In Phase II, several fully functional and temporary instrument-like exhibits will be experimented with and installed. Six will be exhibits on naked-eye astronomy, one will be a four directions/four virtues homage to César Chávez, one will be a traveling season-related life science based exhibit, and one will be a traveling exhibit on the sky, ancient civilizations and seasonal celebrations.

Astronomers, engineers, social scientists and youth educators will work together to develop and test the prototypes of the exhibits as well as to provide the performance standards the exhibits must meet. These are all meant to serve as launching pads to stimulate the imagination, to encourage dialogue, and to solicit Phase III design proposals.

All of the naked-eye observatory instruments will be paired with learning modules on the intriguing cultural and historical stories associated with the quest for knowledge of sun, moon and earth.

Each of the proposed exhibits and companion informal learning activities will serve as a link and entry point to the others.

Only the most basic information will be integrated into the architecture of the site itself. User friendly information and companion informal learning activities will be available on the website (downloadable in written form), through PodCast tours, and seasonal radio features, all of which will help drive people to the solar calendar site and to other venues.

EXHIBITS & INFORMAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES

A. Astronomy and Perception Exhibits

1. THE CENTER PIECE: LIGHT & SHADOW EXHIBIT

As the visitor enters the site, their attention will be drawn to the center of the inner circle, to the heart of the site. There, one will encounter a multi-dimensional exhibit that is best utilized mid-day (11 to 1 pm). The shadow cast from a 16' high gnomon will vary in shape and length over the course of a year. The shadow will intersect with a meridian across the north/south axis of the circular plaza, with markings indicating solar months, seasons, and differential seasonal shadow patterns.

A visitor will be able sit down on a rather small seat with their back to the base of the gnomon (becoming a part of it). That vantage point will allow the visitor to look out at the length of the shadow (more dramatic in winter, 30 feet?) and experience its movement along calibration marks on the perimeter of the center circle. If one plans, or is lucky enough, to be there at the right time, the Solar noon spot appears on the north/south meridian for just 2-minutes each day (weather permitting). Even 2-minutes can challenge today's busy urban attention span. The Solar Noon spot is based on meridianas found in cathedrals all over Europe (i.e., holes in the roof of a cathedral that allows a spot of light to shine on a meridian in the floor of the cathedral at noon).

All these elements should work together to produce, with repeated experiences over time, a different perceptual mind-set, serving to dramatize the movement of the earth on its axis and around the sun, and to correct a profound and widespread misunderstanding about the relation of sun, earth and moon.

The Center Piece will be artistically interpreted in Phase III.

ISE Activities:
Reasons for the Seasons I
Solar Noon & Seasons
Shadow on the Move
Season and Shadow Shape

Historical & Cultural Stories:
Anasazi Method of determining direction
The Story of Calendar
The Mapmakers
The Sun In The Church

2. HORIZON CALENDAR EXHIBIT

From the vantage point of the very center of the Circle, the visitor will be able to look out at "V" shaped cuts along the crest of the perimeter berms. The six cuts are aligned with each of the solstice and equinox points on the eastern and western horizon. By minimally framing these precise focal points on the horizon, emphasis will be added to significant yearly events, the beginning of the seasons. Since most people do not know that the sun appears to change position on the horizon over the course of a year, the drama will be enhanced when the interpretative sculptural frames are added in Phase III. The horizon alignments also work well for a viewing by a large group of people. And it connects us directly, in a timeless sort of experience, with the experience of our ancient ancestors. To experience each seasonal event would minimally take six viewings over at least a year.

ISE Activities
Reasons for Seasons II
Convergeance (Sun"set" / Full Moon "Rise"
My/Our Horizon Point(s)
Variation of Seasonal Length: Benches on the perimeter of central plaza
graphically show variable length of season (aphelion/perihelion)

Historical & Cultural Stories

3. FULL MOON RISE CYCLE EXHIBIT

Looking out from the center circle, temporary stone elements come into view along the crest of the eastern berm. These, along with companion exhibit information, will calibrate and dramatize the variation in the apparent full moon rise points on the horizon over an 18.5 year cycle, the phases of the moon, the perceptual distortion of the size at rise, and a first and third quarter moon mental exercise. Of particular interest will be the often wonderful monthly convergence of full moon rise in the east with the simultaneous setting sun in the west- another powerful reminder of a spinning earth. In Phase III, these temporary elements will be artistically interpreted into a sculptural installation.

ISE Activities
Earth Spin/Full Moon Point on Horizon/Moon Size
Moon Phases/Third Quarter Mental Exercise
My Full Moon Point
Oceans and Tides

Cultural & Historical Stories

4. STAR CLOCK EXHIBIT

In the northern quadrant of the center circle, the visitor will encounter a temporary scientific instrument for sighting the North Star and the "perceived" nightly and seasonal movement of the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia. The instrument will have its own elevated edge against which one can help understand that it is the earth that is in motion. And it will be the only instrument that draws the visitor there after dark. Additional activities will be provided to help the visitor explore how ancient mariners, land explorers, and escaping slaves used stars as guidance systems.
The Star Clock Exhibit will be artistically interpreted in Phase III.

ISE Activities
Star Clock
Finding Longitude/Latitude
Making a sextant

Cultural & Historical Studies
The Dipping Gourd

5. SOLAR TIME & CLOCK TIME EXHIBIT

This exhibit has three components: (a) Plotting the Analemma: A 1-year effort to plot the path of the analemma along the center plaza meridian (i.e., the figure 8 shadow pattern caused by the difference between solar and clock time over the course of a year). It is another element in the overall effort to come to a new understanding of the movement of the earth and the equation of time. (b) Analemmatic Sundial: As a visitor enters through the southern break in the berms, s/he will encounter a different sort of sundial. By standing on the appropriate month marker their body will cast a shadow on hour numbers arranged in an arc, their own body serving as the gnomon. (c) Vertical Sundial: At the southern entry to the site one will first encounter a sundial placed vertically on a temporary wall. It will provide the visitor the first exposure to the relation of sun to time (i.e., the 24- hour rotation of the earth).
The Solar Time & Clock Time Exhibit will be artistically interpreted in Phase III.

ISE Activities:
I Am The Gnomon
The Figure Eight
Sundials
Making a Sundial

Cultural & Historical Stories

6. REASONS FOR THE SEASONS EXHIBIT

Unlike the 5 previous permanent exhibits, this traveling exhibit will (pending approval) take up a rotating seasonal residency at such sites as Lawrence Hall of Science, The Exploratorium, The Solar Calendar, Chabot Space & Science Center and four main public libraries sites in the East Bay. The exhibit will help change the pervasive misconceptions (mind-set) on the relation of sun, earth and moon, and act to promotionally drive visitors to the Solar Calendar site. The exhibit will also show different cultural conceptions of the shape the earth and explain how its spherical shape was eventually proven. The 16th century globe will provide a bridge to "modern" astronomy.

ISE Activities:
Shape of the Earth (Latitude, Longitude and Triangulation
Is Our Planet Round?
Sun/Earth/Moon Globe
Clocks, Calendars & Time

Cultural & Historical Stories

B. Life Science and Perception Exhibits

7. THE SEASONS & LIFE EXHIBIT

This is also a traveling exhibit that will call attention to the seasonal influences on living creatures and plants, as well as the seasonal arrival, departure and habits of various living creatures in the East Bay, particularly threats to their survival. Educational information will cover various bird species, gophers, mice, insects, butterflies, as well as the seasonal variation in plant life, allergens, etc. around the solar calendar site itself.

ISE Activities
Season and Migrations
Plant Life and Season
Wind, Weather & Season
Agriculture and Season
Environmental Destruction

C. Cultural Astronomy & Perception Exhibits

8. HOMAGE TO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ EXHIBIT

Upon entering the center circle, the visitor will in time notice a single word placed in each of the four cardinal corners of the site. Single words pose such questions as "Why is that word here?" "What does it mean?" Eventually, through signage or a handout the visitor discovers that each word represents one of the virtues of César Chávez.

While many of our ancestral cultures may differ on some of the particular metaphors associated with each of the four cardinal directions, nevertheless, there is a considerable amount of common metaphorical agreement on these meanings. For example the association of a season with a direction. Based on these common metaphors, four key virtues of Chávez were selected that match these meanings. The four virtues are:

Hope=East (Spring)
Determination=South (Summer)
Courage=West (Autumn)
Tolerance/Non Violence=North (Winter)

The words will eventually be artistically interpreted in some way (e.g., sculptural surfaces, or be configured into word shadow effects that move across the central plaza or berms in concert with the daily and seasonal movement of the earth).
The learner may choose to sequentially face the four directions and reflect on each of the four virtues from the center circle. The center is the crossroads of the four virtues - the coming together of their meaning for each visitor.

ISE Activities:
Directional basics
Determining Direction (Anasazi Method)
Cultural & Historical Stories
Directional meaning (ancient culture)
Four Virtues Homage

9. ANCIENT SKY CALENDARS/SEASONAL CELEBRATIONS EXHIBIT

This will be the third traveling exhibit that will change residency seasonally. It will include (a) seasonal learnings on the architecture, astronomy, math and engineering involved in ancient sky calendars around the world, including the entire concept of "calendar" itself; and (b) informal educational activities on the link between global cultural celebrations and their roots in the equinoxes and solstices.

ISE Activities:
Archaeoastronomy (Four Seasons/Four Sites)

Cultural & Historical Stories
Spring Celebrations Around the World
Summer Celebrations
Autumn Celebrations
Winter Celebrations

Modern Technology and the Solar Calendar site:

The site itself will primary function as a naked eye observatory of the sky and the environment around us - largely free of modern instruments and technology. The concept is for it to be a place of quiet reflection that will facilitate a form of virtual time travel, back to a time when nature and culture were more intimately interconnected.

However, a balance will be needed with the obvious benefit of modern technology. While abbreviated information will always be available at the site, the website will be a primary means of achieving this balance. All the activities listed above will be available in written form. Visitors will be able to easily download them and bring them to the site to enhance their educational experience. Highly produced and downloadable Podcast Tours will also be available. And it may be that the tours could also be downloadable on cell phones directly at the site, but that might be pushing the balance too far. Lastly, seasonal public radio features will be aired to help supplement one's understanding. They will also help drive people to the solar calendar site.

Phase III:
Final Artistic Interpretation of Prototypes