Biography_Merian_ENG.pdf Biography: Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) Maria Sibylla Merian was a prominent German naturalist, an excellent artist - a painter, engraver and publisher. She is considered as one of the first entomologists, studying the metamorphosis of insects. She described a cycles of 186 species of insects and was a pioneer of scientific research expeditions. Her trip to Surinam (1699-1701) led to the discovery of many unknown species of plants and animals, and her classification of the butterflies and moths is in force to this day. She gave the scientific names to many plants. Her paintings of plants, insects, spiders, amphibians and reptiles until today perceived as masterpieces, are collectible and admired around the world. Her most important work, Insectorum Surinamensium Metamorphosis (1705) is considered as one of the finest natural history books, ever published. It brought her worldwide fame among naturalists and collectors of art. The most valuable part of the publication - collections and watercolors were purchased by the Tsar of Russia and belong to the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, Two further collections are placed in London, in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle and at the British Museum. Biologist Kay Etheridge in his article of 2011, said: Maria Sibylla Merian can be considered as the first environmentalist in the world, as she documented interactions between different species, highlighting what we call food chain. Maria Sibylla Merian was born on April 2, 1647 in the German city Frankfurt am Main, in the family of artists and engravers. Her father, Matthäus (Mathias) Elder Merian was a Swiss engraver, publisher, artist and topographer (the author of: Theatrum Europaeum and Topographien). A year after the death of his first wife, Mary Magdalene, in 1645, he remarried to Catherine Johanna Sibylla Heim (mother of Maria Sibylla). When Maria was born her father was 54 years old and was known throughout Europe in engravings, depicting urban landscapes and wildlife, scientific books and illustrated editions of The Great Expeditions. He died when Mary was only three years. Her mother quickly remarried (1651) for an excellent Dutch flowers' painter Jacob Marrel (1614-1681), a widower, having three young children. He was painting still lifes, dealt with copperplate engravings and art trade. It is thanks stepfather, who recognized her talent, Maria explored the secrets of drawing, the use of watercolors, painting still lifes and chalcography. His disciple, Abraham Mignon (1640-1679) also supported her enthusiasm and trained her in the art of painting and engraving. Pedantic mother taught Mary and her half-sister homework, embroidery, management and care of children. Her half-brothers Mathias Younger and Caspar Merian who were engravers, publishers, artists-painters as the men could travel around the world in order to learn science, and in 1653, they made llustrations to the Historia Naturalis de Insectis Johna Jonstona). Maria stayed at home, however, many unique experiences have provided her collections of reproduction of paintings and books from the family library, belonging to her father and stepfather. From an early age she was fascinated by the world of insects and plants. Her interests were unusual, because people at that time still believed that insects were created from dirt and mud. Her observations started in 1660 in Frankfurt. At 13, she started to study the metamorphosis of insects, for example, the development of silkworms fed with the leaves of mulberry and lettuce. In the preface to Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium she writes: From my youth, study of insects occupied me constantly. At first they were silkworms in my hometown, Frankfurt am Main, then I watched much more beautiful butterflies and moths that hatched from other type of larvaes. This encouraged me to collect all the caterpillars that I could find, in order to study their metamorphosis and develop my painting skills, so that I could sketch them live and represent the true color. On May 16, 1665, at the age of 18, Maria married older 10 years than she painter, Johann Andreas Graff, another stepfather's student, who later specialized in the works of painting and engraving of architectural objects. Until 1670, the couple lived in Frankfurt, where in 1668, Maria gave birth to their first daughter, Johanna Helena. Soon after, they moved to Nuremberg, the hometown of Graff. There, Maria Sibylla continued the study the life cycle of butterflies. Conducted observations of insects, finding and sketching of caterpillars in the garden, bringing them to her laboratory to feed them with the appropriate plant leaves, record their behavior and to sketch and paint in various stages of development. She reported a variety of details of metamorphosis and illustrated their steps in his sketchbook and plants, which fed on caterpillars. On the basis of this sketchbook, her first book Blumenbuch, containing detailed images of plants was edited (1675). She also painted on parchment and on linen canvas, embroidered and engraved, and taught a group of women, one of them was the daughter of publisher- engraver Clara Regina Imhoff. Joachim Sandrart - painter - then wrote about her: Not only with talent she created watercolors and oil paintings, linen canvas paintings and engravings, and not only managed to give the shape and color of flowers, plants and insects, but also was a shrewd observer of the habits of caterpillars, flies, spiders, she was the right woman, a good housekeeper. Her first book, which was published under the name "Maria Sibylla Graffin, the daughter of Mathias Merian elder" was published by her husband. It was a three-volume (the parts were published in the years 1675, 1677 and 1680) collection of engravings, without text, Blumenbuch, showing single flowers and garlands, bunchets and bouquets. Flowers and added to them sometimes caterpillars, butterflies, spiders, and other creatures are reproduced beautifully and accurately. Each piece contained 12 plates in quarto format. In 1678 Maria gave birth to a second daughter, Dorothea Maria. At the same time she continued to research on metamorphosis of insects, resulting in publishing (1679) her first scientific book Der wunderbare Raupen Verwandelung sonderbar Blumen und - Nahrung (Miraculous transformation of caterpillars and their unique plant-based diet). The first part of the book, Caterpillar containined 50 tables, all engraved and etched by her with the description of insects, mostly moths, butterflies, and their larvaes. Second part was published in Frankfurt in 1683. On each of the hundred copperplates (each containing 50 tables) Maria presented one or more species of insects painted from nature, in various stages of development, including plants, which the insects were nourish. The central theme of each drawing, there was one plant, usually in a flourishing condition and sometimes fruiting. At each plant, could be seen the name in German and Latin. Often, Maria added colors herself. The book, which was colorized by the author was a new phenomenon at that time. Nuremberg luminary Arnold Chistopher named her work as "a magnificent" … In 1681, her stepfather Marrel died, and Maria Sybilla moved from Nuremberg to Frankfurt to help her mother. Marriage of Graffs returned to that city to engage the family and property matters. Jacob Marrel left the house, money, a huge library and art gallery. The bequest was, however, burdened with debts. But, in 1683 the second part of Maria book Caterpillar containing another 50 tables and accompanying text appeared. It was published by Johann Andreas in Frankfur. Maria continued her observations, learned to paint a group of girls from Frankfurt and wrote the letters to friend Dorothey Maria Auerin, the painter in Nuremberg. At that time, however, marital problems appeared. In the same year (1685), Maria Sibylla broke up with her husband, and with her mother and two daughters moved to the property Wieuwerd in the Netherlands, hoping for admission to the Community of Labadysts (radical protestant community in the Dutch province of Friesland), whose member since 1677 was her widowed brother Casper. Wieuwert Castle was owned by Cornelis van Sommelsdijk, governor of Suriname. Thanks to him Maria Sibylla was able to go to Suriname, where he became acquainted with the flora and fauna of tropical South America. In 1691, Maria and her daughter left the community of Labadysts and moved to Amsterdam, where they quickly gained a reputation among many owners of showrooms in the city, as a painters of plants and animals, both exotic and native. Here, in 1692, her eldest daughter Johanna Helena married Jacob Hendrik Herolt, who was also a former member of the community of Labadysts in Wieuwerd and traded with Suriname. Maria has conducted research in entomology, bred the caterpillars from the vicinity of Amsterdam and expanded her observations on ants. She returned to teaching and painting, from which derived income during the Nuremberg and Frankfurt time. Her watercolor were constantly earning buyers. In 1699, at the age of 52, in spite of friends and family, who advised against the trip, she made her will and boarded the ship to Surinam (Dutch colony in America) with her younger daughter Dorothe. Purpose of the trip was to study the development cycles of tropical insects and painting of exotic insects and plants. Trip was facilitated by the loan granted by the city of Amsterdam. As noted by Davis, this trip was not only unusual for a woman in her position, but it was unprecedented for any European naturalist After arriving in the capital of Suriname, Maria Sibylla and her daughter Dorothe, lived in the house in Paramaribo. During his stay in South America Maria led observations not only in her own garden, but also set off a forest full of birds, just outside Paramaribo. She traveled around the Dutch colony, sketching local animals and plants. She visited plantations along the Suriname River in search of new caterpillars. She started with a 40-mile canoe expedition up the river to the plantation of Providence in April 1700, together with her daughter she made a lot of trips to the hinterland, during which drew up numerous descriptions, drawings and watercolors among others the metamorphosis of insects. In Suriname she worked on the collection, observations and painting more than 90 species of animals and 60 or more species of plants. In Suriname she stayed no more than 21 months, because became seriously ill, possibly suffering from yellow fever (other sources say that malaria). In June 1701, together with her daughter left Suriname and returned to Amsterdam, bringing images on parchment and collection of specimens (butterflies preserved in brandy, a bottles of crocodiles and snakes, lizards, eggs, root crops, pupae, and boxes of desiccated insects), which she intended to sell. Gathered in Suriname huge documentation allowed Maria Sibylla, publish in Amsterdam in 1705 her most important work: Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, considered by most scholars as her magnum opus. Beautiful, richly illustrated book of 60 plates was printed on transparencies in Latin and Dutch. It brought her international fame among naturalists and collectors of art. Indeed, it is considered as one of the finest natural history books, ever published. It is clear, has a straightforward writing style, its five editions were issued with original tables, the last in France in 1771. However, the high price of the book caused that few people bought it, and Maria Sibylla had to keep up with the teaching of painting, sales of paint supplies and medicines, which are made of plants and animals. In vain also sought sufficient number of subscribers for any edition of this book in German and English. Even in the last years of her life, Maria Merian was working on a third book about the European Caterpillar book that her daughter Dorothea published after the death of Mary in 1717r. Nevertheless Maria managed to translate the first two volumes of books about caterpillars into Dutch and publish them in the 1713 / 1714. Actively worked until 1715, when she had suffered a stroke. After a long illness, died at his home in Amsterdam on January, 13, 1717 at the age of 70. The register of death was listed at her as poor, but she still had its own grave (which no longer exists). Unfortunately, she not reached the second edition Insectorum Surinamensium, which was published in Amsterdam in 1719. Maria Sibylla Merian's during the lifetime became famous as a great naturalist and artist. When she died, her watercolors and books were widely known in Europe. Just a few weeks before her death, Peter the Great, tsar of Russia ordered his doctor Robert Erskine, to buy original drawings of Merian (all her original works were purchased). When the tsar died, they were exhibited in the museum of Russia, where they remain to this day. References Nathalie Zemon Davis, Metamorphosen. Das Leben der Maria Sibylla Merian. Wagenbach Verlag, Berlin 2003. Natalie Zemon Davis, Kobiety na marginesie: Trzy siedemnastowieczne życiorysy. Wyd. Naukowe PWN 2012. Florence F.J.M. Pieters, Diny Winthagen, Maria Sibylla Merian, naturalist and artist (1647-1717): a commemoration on the occasion of the 350th anniversary of her birth. Archieves of Natural History 1999, 26 (1): 1-18. Kay Etheridge, Maria Sibylla Merian: The first ecologist? In: Women and Science. 17th Century to Present: Pioneers, Activists and Protagonists, D.S. Andreolle and V. Molinari, eds. Newcastle upon Tyne, Cambridge Scholars Publishing , 2011,31-49. Kay Etheridge, Maria Sibylla Merian and the metamorphosis of natural history. Endeavour, 2011, 35:16-22. Encyklopedia Columbia, wydanie 5, 1993. Dostępne pod adresem: http://web2.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw. National Museum of Women in the Arts. "Maria Sybilla Merian." Dostępne na: http://www.nmwa.org/legacy/bios. Biography: Maria Sibylla Merian is based, in part on Historical Background: Sibylla Merian written by Timo Engels. Biography: Maria Sibylla Merian was written by Marlena Zielińska with the support of the European Commission (project 518094-LLP-1-2011-1-GR-COMENIUS-CMP) and Polish Association of Science Teachers, Poland. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Biography: Maria Sibylla Merian 5 Storytelling Teaching Model: wiki.science-stories.org © 2012, S@TM Research Group EN_Guidelines_coccons.pdf Suggestions to Teachers (Sibylla Merian and Cocoons) 1 Storytelling Teaching Model: http://science-story-telling.eu Suggestions to Teachers (Sibylla Merian and Cocoons) Expected results After the lesson, the students are expected to: 1. Describe the stages of the metamorphosis of insects. 2. Write a text, describing how silk is produced, based on the suggested resources or on the research in the web. 3. Make inquiry in the web and write a text for the history of silk production from the ancient years until today. 4. Underline in the text the innovative contribution of the Sibylla’s book for the study of the insects in correlation with other similar books of this time. 5. Underline in the texts the lesson activities, the factors which contributed to the creation Sibylla’s work and discuss them. 6. Underline in the texts of the lesson activities, which concern the role of women in the research and the science in the Baroque Era. 7. Write the reasons which contributed to the progress of the biological studies in the Baroque Era. 8. Describe the characteristics of Nature of Science, based on the narration as well as the lesson activities, according to the McComas’s list. 9. Research the possibilities of professional employment for the young people in your country, which concern the production and the trade of silk. About the activities of students The proposed students' activities are indicative and they aim at the accomplishment of the above expected outcomes. Moreover, the teacher may choose some of them for the teaching process in relation to its aims, the needs of students and the available time. Finally, she/he can create her/his own activities. About the emergence of the characteristics of science in the narration, these characteristics are quoted in the website, comprehensively (in classification of the stories by NOS). About the locating of the characteristics of Nature of Science in the proposed activities, indicatively, we can quote the following: A) The activity 2 concerns the characteristic of Nature of Science: “Science demands and relies on empirical evidence”. B) The activity 5 concerns the characteristics of Nature of Science: a) “Scientific knowledge is tentative but durable”, b) “There are historical, cultural, and social influences on science”, c) 2 Suggestions to Teachers (Sibylla Merian and Cocoons) Storytelling Teaching Model: http://science-story-telling.eu “Science has a subjective element”, d) “Science demands and relies on empirical evidence” and e) “Science is a highly creative endeavor”. C) The activity 6 concerns the characteristic of Nature of Science: “There are historical, cultural, and social influences on science”. D) The activity 7 concerns the characteristics of Nature of Science which are quoted in the above activities 2, 5 and 6. E) The activity 8 concerns mainly the characteristics: a)“Science and technology impact each other, but they are not the same”, b) “Science demands and relies on empirical evidence” and c) “Science is a highly creative endeavor”. Suggestions to Teachers (Sibylla Merian and Cocoons) were written by Aikaterini Rizaki and Panagiotis Kokkotas with the support by the European Commission (Project 518094-LLP-1-2011-1-GR-COMENIUS-CMP) and the NKUA of Greece. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained there in. EN_LA_Coccons.pdf Student’s Learning Activities (Sibylla Merian and Cocoons) 1 Storytelling Teaching Model: http://science-story-telling.eu Student’s Learning Activities (Sibylla Merian and Cocoons) Activity 1 You will watch a video with narration or listen to a story from your teacher about Sibylla Merian and the metamorphosis of cocoons. Please write the most important points of the narration according to your view and discuss them in your group. (Indicative points of the narration: the description of the metamorphosis of cocoons, the description Sibylla’s work, the detection of time during which Sibylla’s work was developed,..) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………… Activity 2 Based on the narration you have heard, please write down the way of metamorphosis of insects. For an accurate description you could use the following indicative resources: a. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZCAgDBv-CU b. http://www.google.gr/imgres?imgurl=http://www.silkwormshop.com/images/lifecycle.jp g&imgrefurl=http://www.silkwormshop.com/silkworm_info.html&h=344&w=454&sz=4 6&tbnid=dvgh2H9kZedMoM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=125&zoom=1&usg=__TsCdCMFvp1k14P7 ITfaZThGP__g=&docid=KFoucLhWtPALjM&sa=X&ei=2KhdUoerN4jPtAbx0oGABQ&ved=0 CC4Q9QEwAA c. http://www.google.gr/imgres?imgurl=http://growingwithscience.com/cocoon.jpg&imgref url=http://blog.growingwithscience.com/2008/11/the-silkworm-story-a-thread-through- history/&h=285&w=320&sz=18&tbnid=uuyCY_8p1yARhM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=101&zoom =1&usg=__bz2wLcxInKlhEh-AqPIunISODks=&docid=0nvOeO7- ZJSXaM&sa=X&ei=D3VdUrK6Eqnw4QST34GQBQ&ved=0CDYQ9QEwAQ ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZCAgDBv-CU http://www.google.gr/imgres?imgurl=http://www.silkwormshop.com/images/lifecycle.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.silkwormshop.com/silkworm_info.html&h=344&w=454&sz=46&tbnid=dvgh2H9kZedMoM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=125&zoom=1&usg=__TsCdCMFvp1k14P7ITfaZThGP__g=&docid=KFoucLhWtPALjM&sa=X&ei=2KhdUoerN4jPtAbx0oGABQ&ved=0CC4Q9QEwAA http://www.google.gr/imgres?imgurl=http://www.silkwormshop.com/images/lifecycle.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.silkwormshop.com/silkworm_info.html&h=344&w=454&sz=46&tbnid=dvgh2H9kZedMoM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=125&zoom=1&usg=__TsCdCMFvp1k14P7ITfaZThGP__g=&docid=KFoucLhWtPALjM&sa=X&ei=2KhdUoerN4jPtAbx0oGABQ&ved=0CC4Q9QEwAA http://www.google.gr/imgres?imgurl=http://www.silkwormshop.com/images/lifecycle.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.silkwormshop.com/silkworm_info.html&h=344&w=454&sz=46&tbnid=dvgh2H9kZedMoM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=125&zoom=1&usg=__TsCdCMFvp1k14P7ITfaZThGP__g=&docid=KFoucLhWtPALjM&sa=X&ei=2KhdUoerN4jPtAbx0oGABQ&ved=0CC4Q9QEwAA http://www.google.gr/imgres?imgurl=http://www.silkwormshop.com/images/lifecycle.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.silkwormshop.com/silkworm_info.html&h=344&w=454&sz=46&tbnid=dvgh2H9kZedMoM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=125&zoom=1&usg=__TsCdCMFvp1k14P7ITfaZThGP__g=&docid=KFoucLhWtPALjM&sa=X&ei=2KhdUoerN4jPtAbx0oGABQ&ved=0CC4Q9QEwAA http://www.google.gr/imgres?imgurl=http://www.silkwormshop.com/images/lifecycle.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.silkwormshop.com/silkworm_info.html&h=344&w=454&sz=46&tbnid=dvgh2H9kZedMoM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=125&zoom=1&usg=__TsCdCMFvp1k14P7ITfaZThGP__g=&docid=KFoucLhWtPALjM&sa=X&ei=2KhdUoerN4jPtAbx0oGABQ&ved=0CC4Q9QEwAA http://www.google.gr/imgres?imgurl=http://growingwithscience.com/cocoon.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blog.growingwithscience.com/2008/11/the-silkworm-story-a-thread-through-history/&h=285&w=320&sz=18&tbnid=uuyCY_8p1yARhM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=101&zoom=1&usg=__bz2wLcxInKlhEh-AqPIunISODks=&docid=0nvOeO7-ZJSXaM&sa=X&ei=D3VdUrK6Eqnw4QST34GQBQ&ved=0CDYQ9QEwAQ http://www.google.gr/imgres?imgurl=http://growingwithscience.com/cocoon.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blog.growingwithscience.com/2008/11/the-silkworm-story-a-thread-through-history/&h=285&w=320&sz=18&tbnid=uuyCY_8p1yARhM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=101&zoom=1&usg=__bz2wLcxInKlhEh-AqPIunISODks=&docid=0nvOeO7-ZJSXaM&sa=X&ei=D3VdUrK6Eqnw4QST34GQBQ&ved=0CDYQ9QEwAQ http://www.google.gr/imgres?imgurl=http://growingwithscience.com/cocoon.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blog.growingwithscience.com/2008/11/the-silkworm-story-a-thread-through-history/&h=285&w=320&sz=18&tbnid=uuyCY_8p1yARhM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=101&zoom=1&usg=__bz2wLcxInKlhEh-AqPIunISODks=&docid=0nvOeO7-ZJSXaM&sa=X&ei=D3VdUrK6Eqnw4QST34GQBQ&ved=0CDYQ9QEwAQ http://www.google.gr/imgres?imgurl=http://growingwithscience.com/cocoon.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blog.growingwithscience.com/2008/11/the-silkworm-story-a-thread-through-history/&h=285&w=320&sz=18&tbnid=uuyCY_8p1yARhM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=101&zoom=1&usg=__bz2wLcxInKlhEh-AqPIunISODks=&docid=0nvOeO7-ZJSXaM&sa=X&ei=D3VdUrK6Eqnw4QST34GQBQ&ved=0CDYQ9QEwAQ http://www.google.gr/imgres?imgurl=http://growingwithscience.com/cocoon.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blog.growingwithscience.com/2008/11/the-silkworm-story-a-thread-through-history/&h=285&w=320&sz=18&tbnid=uuyCY_8p1yARhM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=101&zoom=1&usg=__bz2wLcxInKlhEh-AqPIunISODks=&docid=0nvOeO7-ZJSXaM&sa=X&ei=D3VdUrK6Eqnw4QST34GQBQ&ved=0CDYQ9QEwAQ 2 Student’s Learning Activities (Sibylla Merian and Cocoons) Storytelling Teaching Model: http://science-story-telling.eu …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………… Activity 3 Please research in the internet for the proper websites about the way of the production of the silk. Write a text (500 words) describing the way of this production. Indicative websites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1RTqAWKenM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wbmEjTvszI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BibC0CqZhPI ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………… Activity 4 Please research in the internet to find proper websites about the story of the production of silk from the ancient years until today. Write a text for this theme (500 words). ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1RTqAWKenM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wbmEjTvszI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BibC0CqZhPI Student’s Learning Activities (Sibylla Merian and Cocoons) 3 Storytelling Teaching Model: http://science-story-telling.eu …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………… Activity 5 Please read the following text and underline the most important points which indicate the contribution of Sibylla’s book in comparison to other books which were published at the same time. “The first books dealing solely with insects were published not before the end of the 16th century. Very few books gained as much success as these from SibyllaMerian. One of the most recognized books about insects had many fathers. In the late 16th century the English physician Thomas Moffet (also Mouffet and Muffet) compiled a book on insects using several unpublished sources. Yet he could not get it published. It appeared 30 years after his death, published by the famous physician Théodore de Mayerne. …this work published in 1634 contained information that was gained some generations earlier. This can be taken as indication that only very few people were engaged in observing insects, especially holometabolic insects. By the middle of the 17th century one can find an increasing number of published works on insects. Jan Swammerdam, a Dutch scholar, wrote in 1669 his ‘Historia Insectorum Generalis’ about the transformation of insects from the egg to the grub and finally the grown insect, using use optical equipment like magnifying glasses and micro-scopes for observation. The metamorphosis of insects was a topic of Johannes Goedaert as well as Swammerdam. Goedaert published a book the ‘'Metamorphosis Et Historia Naturalis Insectorum” which was published in 1662.But it was Francesco Redi who was the first to show, that there was no such thing as abiogenesis, the creation of insects out of nothing. Using experiments with covered and uncovered meat, he showed, that insects only appeared where insects before laid their eggs. Without doubt, Sibylla Merian was not the first to observe the metamorphosis of insects, but this cannot diminish her accomplishments. She was one of the first to observe the importance of specific host plants for the insects. Perhaps even more important is the extremely high quality of her illustrations and associated with this, the accuracy of her observations. Wherever possible she painted from the living insects and did not limit herself to the dead ones in collections. The works of Sibylla Merian were received in a very positive way by the republic of letters. As the historian Londa Schiebinger points out, there were also very few resentments due to her female gender up to the 19th century.” One can conclude that the Baroque was a time where it was possible for women to participate in science, mostly as passive consumers, though”. 4 Student’s Learning Activities (Sibylla Merian and Cocoons) Storytelling Teaching Model: http://science-story-telling.eu ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………… Activity 6 Please read the following text and underline reasons which contributed to development of the work Sibylla Merian: «Although sibylla was an untitled woman, born and raised in the household of a craftsman and artisan made her way into natural history. Two aspects seem to be of great importance. On the one hand, caterpillars, silkworms to be precise, were economically interesting. From the knowledge of the origin of silk the wish for European silkworm-cultivation emerged. One can assume that Sibylla Merian visited such a breeding station. Later she was always interested in an alternative to the silkworm. On the other hand she was the daughter of a famous engraver and got a professional training at the workshop of her stepfather, who also worked as a painter and engraver. ..This time was the Baroque time where it was possible for women to participate in science, mostly as passive consumers, though. ….. Especially Amsterdam as the place of residence in her late years was close to ideal. The Netherlands were one of the leading maritime powers of the time and one of the most important trading points for goods from the Americas. Therefore it was possible for her to go to Surinam the Dutsch colony in America. Studying the butterflies and their metamorphosis was the main reason for this journey, on which she was accompnied by one of her grown up daughters. Goods from other continents did not only satisfy the curiosity of the time, but also were economically important. The search for cures for the new diseases that appeared in the colonies was of great importance for the colonial empires. Those plants could also generate great profit in the old world. As example may serve the cacao, that came as a medical tonic to Europe and then turned into a beverage. Naturally the indigenous population was not eager to cooperate with their suppressors. They could be pressed to work, but not to reveal their knowledge. Sibylla Merian was one of the few naturalists who made friends with parts of the indigenous population. Later she criticized the repression of the natural population by their colonial masters. It should be mentioned, that the appetite for new knowledge had its limits. Some knowledge was not suitable for transfer in the eyes of most of the authors. The native people could prevent and abort pregnancies for example, using some plants. One of the very few reports about this was written by Sibylla Merian. Although she was not the only one to report this, the knowledge was not transferred to Europe. One can conclude that the Baroque was a time where it was possible for women to participate in science, mostly as passive consumers, though”. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………… Student’s Learning Activities (Sibylla Merian and Cocoons) 5 Storytelling Teaching Model: http://science-story-telling.eu …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………… Activity 7 Please write an abstract of 500 characters in your group to answer the question: What science is. The text should be based on the narration and the learning activities of today’s lesson. Each group should give its own answer. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………… ……… Activity 8 (project) Please research in your team about the professional employment of young people with the production and the trade of the silk, today. Discover the professional prospects for this theme in your country. We propose to publish the results of your research with proposals in order to help the young people for their professional employment with the production and the trade of the silk. Student’s Learning Activities (Sibylla Merian and Cocoons) were written by Aikaterini Rizaki and Panagiotis Kokkotas with the support by the European Commission (Project 518094-LLP-1-2011-1-GR-COMENIUS-CMP) and the NKUA of Greece. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained there in. Historical background sibylla merian.pdf Background Sibylla Merian 1 Storytelling Teaching Model: http://science-story-telling.eu Background Sibylla Merian Sybilla Merian was born in an epoch that was recognized as an emergence in a new era, not only by today’s historians but also by its contemporaries. They saw themselves surrounded by lively ideas, new knowledge and upheavals in many areas. The social change in the early modern times, especially the Baroque led to a large interest in the exotic, the miraculous and, in the literal sense the remarkable. Besides multiple causes, it was not least of religious reason. One assumed to recognize the principles of creation in every single piece of it. This could be expressed with the term of the Macrocosm in the Microcosm (Macrocosmos in Microcosmo). Consequently a large number of so called ‘cabi- nets of wonder’ or ‘cabinets of curiosities’ were formed, that are to some extent the ancestors of modern museums. They differ from the me- dieval treasuries in that they contain objects of little financial value but high appreciation. Ini- tially precious metals, jewels, pearls, etc. had been collected; pieces that have a value besides their processed form. However, since the Re- naissance pieces of art, stuffed animals, ma- chines, dried plants, optical apparatuses, etc. (that did not necessarily have a material value) were collected and displayed in the cabinets. Those cabinets can be found with different characteristics. These were prestigious cabi- nets of the nobility (e.g. the Medici), but also collections of members of the republic of let- ters, like those of the Jesuit Athanasius Kircher or the Dane Ole Worm. Moreover there were also collections for educational purposes, such as those of the Franckesche Stiftungen in Halle (Germany).1 Some attention must be paid to the collection of the before mentioned Athanasius Kircher. By the middle of the 17th century he had estab- 1 See Grote, Macrocosmos in Microcosmo. lished the largest and best-known cabinet of won- ders of the time. It was the place to go for the no- bility and for scholars on a trip to Rome. With his position at the Collegium Romanum, the famous Jesuit college, Kircher was in the center of one of the most powerful scientific and political networks in the world. With its claim for active Christianization, the church sent friars as missionaries all over the known world and even to the not yet discov- ered parts of it. Especially the Jesuits, who took themselves as the spearhead of the counterreformation, were active not only in Europe but also in Africa, China and the Americas. Information about all those countries, their cultural, scientific and technological level, and of course the flora and fauna were sent to Rome. Beside written re- ports they sent porcelain, stuffed animals, plants or at least illustrations of them. All these artifacts and information, insofar it was of any interest for scholars, accumulated on the desk of Athanasius Kircher, who wrote (and pub- lished) about it and included it in his cabinet. The fascination about China in the Baroque, for example, was triggered not at least by Kirchers ‘China Illustrata’. This book contains a colorful description of China and its culture. From a modern point of view, the picture was a quite distorted one. As Kircher had only written rec- Figure 1: Cabinet of Ole Worm. Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Musei_Wormia ni_Historia.jpg, accessed: 06-03-2013 Figure 2 Sybilla Merian on the 500 DM German banknote. Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wi ki/File:Merian_500DM.jpg , ac- cessed: 06-03-2013 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Musei_Wormiani_Historia.jpg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Musei_Wormiani_Historia.jpg 2 Background Sibylla Merian Storytelling Teaching Model: http://science-story-telling.eu ords and some artifacts, this does not come as a surprise.2 Often, artifacts passed through many hands before they were integrated in a collection. This opened the door for errors and frauds that may look quite bizarre from a modern viewpoint. For example, the bones of the Narwhal were identified as the horns of the unicorn. Fre- quently they were displayed, mounted on a stuffed pony. The skeletons of mermaids could be found as well as bones from giants (fossil bones). Another error concerned the paradise bird. For quite a long time it was assumed, that it had no feet. European collectors were fooled by the custom of the indigenous hunters to cut off the feet before stuffing the body.3 Besides dead animals and plants, living plants were of great interest. In the late 17th century there was a run on tulips in the Netherland. Even for wealthy persons, it was easy to run into bankruptcy, developing an obsession for tulips.4 The investigation and description of insects 2 See Findlen, Athanasius Kircher. 3 Findlen, „Natural history“, 456. 4 Kerner, Seidenraupe, Dschungelblüte. was a fairly new area for natural philosophers. The first books dealing solely with insects were published not before the end of the 16th centu- ry. Very few books gained as much success as these from Sibylla Merian. One of the most recognized books about insects had many fathers. In the late 16th century the English physician Thomas Moffet (also Mouffet and Muffet) compiled a book on insects using several unpublished sources. Yet he could not get it published. It appeared 30 years after his death, published by the famous physician Théodore de Mayerne. On the front page of the book with the title ‘Theatrum Insectorum’ (Theater of Insects) one can also find the names of Conrad Gesner, Edward Wotton, and Thomas Penny. Gesner and Wotton died al- ready in the middle of the 16th century. This means that the work of 1634 contained infor- mation that was gained some generations ear- lier. This can be taken as indication that only very few people were engaged in observing insects, especially holometabolic insects. By the middle of the 17th century one can find an increasing number of published works on in- sects. To give an example, Jan Swammerdam, a Dutch scholar, wrote in 1669 his ‘Historia Insectorum Generalis’ (General History of Insects) about the transformation of insects from the egg to the grub and finally the grown insect. He was one of the first to use optical equipment like magnifying glasses and microscopes for obser- vation. The metamorphosis of insects was a topic of Johannes Goedaert as well as Swammerdam. Goedaert published a book sole- ly dedicated to this transformation, the ‘'Meta- morphosis Et Historia Naturalis Insectorum’ (Metamorphosis and Natural History of In- sects), which was published in 1662 But it was Francesco Redi who was the first to show, that there was no such thing as abiogen- esis, the creation of insects out of nothing. Us- ing experiments with covered and uncovered meat, he showed, that insects only appeared where insects before laid their eggs. Figure 2: Titlepage of Moffets work. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Theater_of_Insec ts.jpg , accessed: 06-03-2013 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Theater_of_Insects.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Theater_of_Insects.jpg Background Sibylla Merian 3 Storytelling Teaching Model: http://science-story-telling.eu Without doubt, Sibylla Merian was not the first to observe the metamorphosis of insects, but this cannot diminish her accomplishments. She was one of the first to observe the importance of specific host plants for the insects. Perhaps even more important is the extremely high quality of her illustrations and associated with this, the accuracy of her observations. Wherev- er possible she painted from the living insects and did not limit herself to the dead ones in collections. The works of Sibylla Merian were received in a very positive way by the republic of letters. As the historian Londa Schiebinger points out, there were also very few resentments due to her female gender up to the 19th century. Not by chance most of the abovementioned scholars were physicians. The study of medi- cine was the only academic discipline, provid- ing an understanding of nature and natural history. If this is the case, the question arises, how an untitled woman, born and raised in the house- hold of a craftsman and artisan made her way into natural history. The answer is, for sure, multi-faceted. Two aspects seem to be of great importance. On the one hand, caterpillars, silkworms to be precise, were economically interesting. From the knowledge of the origin of silk the wish for European silkworm-cultivation emerged. One can assume that Sibylla Merian visited such a breeding station. Later she was always inter- ested in an alternative to the silkworm.5 On the other hand she was the daughter of a famous engraver and got a professional train- ing at the workshop of her stepfather, who also worked as a painter and engraver. Engravers and illustrators were sought after in the 17th century for the production of books. Yet in these times, painting from nature and not from a description was quite important. Therefore 5 Kerner, Seidenraupe, Dschungelblüte. careful observation and painting from nature was part of her training. Often the engravers were not only contractors but publishers on their own risk. This often led to alterations in the books of scholars to match the assumed taste of the time.6 Merians father for example published a book on flowers. The same did the daughter some decades later. Those books did not only serve as textbooks but also for the enjoyment of the readers. Sibylla Merians so called Blumenbuch (Book on Flowers) was meant mainly as a stich chart for upper class women.7 One can conclude the Sibylla Merian had a good basis to start with the investigation of plants and insects. Especially Amsterdam as the place of residence in her late years was close to ideal. The Netherlands were one of the leading maritime powers of the time and one of the most important trading points for goods from the Americas. Therefore it was possible for her to go to Surinam the Dutsch colony in America. Studying the butterflies and their metamor- phosis was the main reason for this journey, on which she was accompanied by one of her grown up daughters. 6 Johns, „Coffeehouses and print shops“. 7 Kerner, Seidenraupe, Dschungelblüte. Figure 5: Plate 23 from Merians Metamorphosis insecto- rum Surinamensium. Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Merian_Metam orphosis_XXIII.jpg , accessed:06-03-2013 Figure 4: Plate from Goedaert’s Metamorphosis. Source: 3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Geodart_Metamorpho sis_1663.png , accessed: 06-03-2013 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Merian_Metamorphosis_XXIII.jpg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Merian_Metamorphosis_XXIII.jpg 4 Background Sibylla Merian Storytelling Teaching Model: http://science-story-telling.eu Goods from other continents did not only satis- fy the curiosity of the time, but also were eco- nomically important. The search for cures for the new diseases that appeared in the colonies was of great importance for the colonial em- pires. Those plants could also generate great profit in the old world. As example may serve the cacao, that came as a medical tonic to Eu- rope and then turned into a beverage. Naturally the indigenous population was not eager to cooperate with their suppressors. They could be pressed to work, but not to re- veal their knowledge. Sibylla Merian was one of the few naturalists who made friends with parts of the indigenous population.8 Later she criticized the repression of the natu- ral population by their colonial masters.9 It should be mentioned, that the appetite for new knowledge had its limits. Some knowledge was not suitable for transfer in the eyes of most of the authors. The native people could prevent and abort pregnancies for example, using some plants. One of the very few reports about this was written by Sibylla Merian. Although she was not the only one to report this, the knowledge was not transferred to Europe. One can conclude that the Baroque was a time where it was possible for women to participate in science, mostly as passive consumers, though. 8 Schiebinger, „Scientific Exchange in the Eighteenth- Century Atlantic World“; Schiebinger, „West Indian Abortifacients and the Maikin of Ignorance“. 9 Schiebinger, „West Indian Abortifacients and the Maikin of Ignorance“, 150. References Balsiger, Barbara Jeanne. The Kunst- und Wunderkam- mern: a catalogue raisonné of collecting in Germany, France and England, 1565 - 1750 / by Barbara Jeanne Balsiger. Ann Arbor, Mich: University Microfilms, 1971. Bepler, Jill, Jochen Bepler, Herzog Braunschweig- Lüneburg-Bevern, Barocke Sammellust (1988. 05.28- 10.30 : Wolfenbüttel), und Ausstellung. Herzog August Bibliothek (1988. 05.28-10.30 : Wolfenbüttel). Barocke Sammellust. Ausstellungskataloge der Herzog-August- Bibliothek ; 57 Ausstellung. Weinheim: VCH, Acta hu- maniora [in Komm.], 1988. Bredekamp, Horst, und Ausstellung Theater der Natur und Kunst - Theatrum Naturae et Artis. Wunderkam- mern des Wissens (2000. 12.10-2001.03.04 : Berlin). Theater der atur und unst: atalog. Theater der Na- tur und unst : Wunderkammern des Wissens; eine Ausstellung der Humboldt- niversit t zu Berlin; 10. Dezember 2000 bis 4. M rz 2001, Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin Theatrum naturae et artis hrsg. von Horst Bredekamp . . Berlin: Henschel, 2000. Buberl, Brigitte, Ausstellung „Palast des Wissens. Die Kunst- und Wunderkammer Zar Peters des Großen“ (2003. 01.25-04.21 : Dortmund), und Ausstellung „Pa- last des Wissens. Die Kunst- und Wunderkammer Zar Peters des Großen“ (2003. 08.01-11.16 : Gotha). Palast des Wissens : die unst- und Wunderkammer Zar Pe- ters des Großen Beiträge. Palast des Wissens : die Kunst- und Wunderkammer Zar Peters des Großen; [Beitragsband zur Ausstellung „Palast des Wissens. Die Kunst- und Wunderkammer Zar Peters des Großen“, Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte der Stadt Dortmund, 25. Januar 2003 - 21. April 2003, Schlossmu- seum Gotha, Gothaer Kulturbetriebe, 1. August 2003 - 16. ovember 2003] hrsg. von Brigitte Buberl ... ; Bd. 2. München: Hirmer, 2003. Findlen, Paula. „Anatomy theaters, botanical gardens, and natural history collections“. In The Cambridge history of science; Vol. 3: Early modern science, herausgegeben von Katharine Park. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press,, 2006. ———. Athanasius ircher : the last man who knew eve- rything, o. J. ———. „ atural history“. In The Cambridge history of science; Vol. 3: Early modern science, herausgegeben von Katharine Park. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press,, 2006. ———. „Scientific spectacle in Baroque Rome : Athanasius Kircher and the Roman College“. Jesuit science and the Republic of Letters (2003): 225. Fischer, Lili, und Ausstellung Kleine Wunderkammern (1990. 02.16-03.16 : Delmenhorst). Kleines Wunder- kammer-Verzeichnis. Delmenhorst, 1990. González-Palacios, Alvar, und Exhibition (1981. 06.10- 07.31 : London). Objects for a Wunderkammer; Works of art. London: Colnaghi, 1981. Background Sibylla Merian 5 Storytelling Teaching Model: http://science-story-telling.eu Grote, Andreas. Macrocosmos in Microcosmo: Die Welt in der Stube - Zur Geschichte des Sammelns 1450 - 1800. 1994. Aufl. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 1994. Johns, Adrian. „Coffeehouses and print shops“. In The Cambridge history of science; Vol. 3: Early modern sci- ence, herausgegeben von Katharine Park. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press,, 2006. Kerner, Charlotte. Seidenraupe, Dschungelblüte. 2., in der Ausstattung veränd. Aufl., 11. - 13. Tsd. Weinheim: Beltz und Gelberg, 1995. Kramer, Mario. Die letzten Wunderkammern. Sammeln als Institution, 2006. Müller-Bahlke, Thomas J, und Klaus E Göltz. Die Wunder- kammer : die unst- und Naturalienkammer der Franckeschen Stiftungen zu Halle (Saale). Halle/Saale: Verl. d. Franckeschen Stiftungen, 1998. Putscher, Marielene. Ordnung der Welt und Ordnung der Sammlung: : Joachim Camerarius und die unst- und Wunderkammern des 16. und frühen 17. Jahrhunderts / von Marielene Putscher, 1974. Schaukal, Barbara, Werner ekes, und Ausstellung „Die Wunderkammer des Sehen - Aus der Sammlung Werner ekes“ (2003. 11.07-2004.03.21 : Graz). Wunderkam- mer des Sehens. 1. Aufl. Graz: Landesmuseum Joanne- um, 2003. Scheicher, Elisabeth, und Christian Brandstätter. Kunst- und Wunderkammern der Habsburger. Wien [u.a.]: Molden, 1979. Schiebinger, Londa. „Scientific Exchange in the Eight- eenth-Century Atlantic World“. In Ethik – Geschlecht – Medizin. Körpergeschichten in politischer Reflexion, 41–69. Berlin: LITVerlag, 2010. ———. „West Indian Abortifacients and the Maikin of Ignorance“. In Agnotology : the making and unmaking of ignorance. Stanford Calif.: Stanford University Press, 2008. Schlosser, Julius von. Kunst- und Wunderkammern der Spätrenaissance. 2., durchges. u. verm. Aufl. Braun- schweig: Klinkhardt & Biermann, 1978. Seipel, Wilfried, Gerhard Stradner, Karin Zeleny, und Ausstellung „Für Aug’ und Ohr“ (1999. 07.07.-10.31 : Wien). Für Aug’ und Ohr:: Musik in unst- und Wun- derkammern ; eine Ausstellung des unsthistorischen Museums Wien. Wien: Kunsthistorisches Museum [u.a.], 1999. Background Sibylla Merian was written by Timo Engels with the support of the European Commission (project 518094-LLP-1-2011-1-GR-COMENIUS-CMP) and the University of Flensburg, Germany. This publication re- flects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Historical Ressources.pdf A Primary Sources Merian, Maria Sibylla: Neues Blumenbuch, Nürnberg 1680,online available: http://slubdd.de/katalog?libero_mab215813855. Merian, Maria Sibylla: Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, Amsterdam 1705, online available: http://lhldigital.lindahall.org/cdm/ref/collection/nat_hist/id/1049. B Secondary Sources Findlen, Paula: Anatomy Theaters, Botanical Gardens, and Natural History Collections, in: Katharine Park (Hrsg.): The Cambridge History of Science; Vol. 3: Early Modern Science, Cambridge 2006. Findlen, Paula: Natural history, in: Katharine Park (Hrsg.): The Cambridge History of Science; Vol. 3: Early Modern Science, Cambridge 2006 Schiebinger, Londa: Scientific Exchange in the Eighteenth-Century Atlantic World, Ethik – Geschlecht – Medizin. Körpergeschichten in politischer Reflexion, Berlin 2010, S. 41–69. links.pdf http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t295MDi1YDM& Sibylla and The Cocoons.pdf Story Sibylla and The Cocoons 1 Storytelling Teaching Model: http://science-story-telling.eu Story Sibylla and The Cocoons Sibylla woke – the room was still pitch black in the early morning but she was very excited and just couldn’t sleep any longer. She listened and heard her family members breathe while they were still asleep. She smiled when she noticed that she didn’t hear a different sound: The rain wasn’t pouring down onto the roof any longer, it had finally stopped and she would be going on the trip that her stepfather had promised they would make later that day. Sibylla was 13 years old and she loved to draw. Initially that had been a problem, as her mother didn’t want her to spend hours and hours working on her pictures. Only when her stepfather, who was a painter himself, praised her pictures and said she might be able to earn her living with these one day, her mother reluc- tantly gave in to her dream. Only a couple of weeks before she had drawn a flower so pre- cisely and well that her stepfather had told her he would be able to use the picture as a sample for a book he was currently working on. As a reward he wanted to visit a silkworm farm with her, so she could take a look at the animals that were responsible for the production of silk … Slowly the dawn came and she could already hear the first carriages rumble down the streets. Sibylla heard her mother get up and she saw the glow of the petrol lamp that was light- ing the fire in the hearth. Even though the fami- ly was able to make a reasonable living off the money that her stepfather earned with the production of pictures for science books, life was still quite tough for a girl in 1660. Sibylla got up quickly, got dressed and hur- ried to her mother who was a little surprised because usually Sibylla wasn’t the one who left her bed first. Finally, her stepfather also came to the table and Sibylla instantly asked: “Sir Father, it doesn’t rain any more, will we visit the silk farm today?” Jacob Marrel – that was the name of her stepfather – smiled but her mother was already criticizing her: “First of all you will say good morning, young lady.” But Jacob interrupted, “Come on, leave her alone, I can understand her and it really is a pity that it has been raining all this time. Yes, we will leave right after breakfast.” Three hours later they stood in front of a big wall with a couple of strange trees behind it. Jacob Marrel knocked on the gate and shortly afterwards someone opened up: “Right”, the old man behind the gate said, “Jacob! You wanted to come along with your daughter. Is this her?” Sibylla stepped forward and curtsied. “Good day, my name is Sibylla and I want to see the silkworms, please.” “Well then, come on” the man said and gave way. Two hours later Sibylla was still enthusiastic. She had seen the silkworms, how they pupated and how the silk threads were pulled out of the cocoons and were then spun. But at the same time she was annoyed by herself because she had forgotten her drawing book at home and she would have loved to draw those silkworms. Sibylla asked if she might be allowed to take one of the silkworms home in order to draw it – but the old man shook his head and said: “No that is out of question, I guess you want to start your own silkworm breed?” Sibylla shook her head and said: “No, I would only like to draw the silkworms. They move so slowly and look so pretty, I would love to try it.” The old man first chuckled and then coughed: “Draw? Draw my silkworms? Nobody has ever asked to do this before.” Sibylla was disappointed by this reaction but then her father said: “You know, she really is a good artist and if she continues this way she will reach my level in a couple of years.” Such praise made Sibylla feel proud and then the old man rose from the table and said: “Well, then wait a minute.” He left the room and her stepfather smiled and winked at Sibylla. Some time passed but then he returned and held a little box in his hand: “Here you have some silkworms, but take good care of them.” Sibylla was very happy and took the box into her hands and carefully opened the lid. In the box there were some twigs from the trees that grew in the garden; she carefully lifted one of them and there was a silkworm crawling around. She smiled but the elder man said: “Now listen: These silkworms only eat the leaves from these trees that grow in my garden. You won’t be able to keep them for very long unless you return every third day to collect some new leaves.” Sibylla nodded, yes, she would do that. 2 Story Sibylla and The Cocoons Storytelling Teaching Model: http://science-story-telling.eu The entire way home she carefully carried her box with the silkworms. But at home she encountered a new problem because her moth- er wouldn’t let the silkworms into the house. Apparently the animals were bugs. Sibylla was confused, mother didn’t seem to mind wearing the silkworms silk. Finally, her father suggested Sibylla could keep the silkworms in the attic if she wanted because they couldn’t do any harm there. Her mother still didn’t agree but ulti- mately she gave in. Sibylla often went to the attic in the coming weeks in order to observe and draw her silk- worms. The animals moved a little in their box and ate the leaves, and now and then, their skin broke and a new caterpillar emerged from the remains and kept on eating. Sibylla was more and more fascinated by the animals and tried to understand them better through her observa- tions. At the same time she tried to draw a real- ly good picture of a silkworm, which wasn’t exactly easy even though they moved very slowly. Sometimes she would start to draw the strange leaves on the branches that the silk- worms were eating and sitting at. And then one day the silkworms started to spin themselves into a cocoon. The elder man had predicted this would happen when she collected the leaves a couple of days earlier but Sibylla hoped to be able to keep observing and drawing the animals. So she went to the farm and knocked on the gate. The old man opened the door some time later and Sibylla said: “Good day, today I will probably be here for the last time because my silkworms have spun themselves in.” The old man nodded and said: “Well, that’s how it goes, there is a time for eve- rything”. Sibylla produced her drawing that she had brought along with her from under her cape and gave it to the man. “Here you go. This is one of the pictures I drew from your silk- worms.” The old man glazed at the picture for some time and then he said: “Gosh, you really are an artist already. You know what? I will fetch some new silkworms for you if you want to.” Sibylla nodded and shortly afterwards she ran home, looking forward to observing the new silkworms. About a week later Sibylla entered the attic like she did every day and looked at her silk- worms. Suddenly she noticed something unu- sual with the cocoons that she had set aside: Something moved inside the cocoon. Sibylla squatted and observed them very carefully: She saw how the cocoon seemed to rip from the inside very similarly to when the silkworms were shedding their skin. But that couldn’t be real. She kept looking and finally the cocoon had reached the point where an animal crawled out, but that certainly wasn’t a silkworm. Sibylla held her breath when the animal had emerged completely and crawled up a little. Suddenly the animal spread its wings and Sibyl- la realized that it was a butterfly. How could this be true? She had seen that a silkworm had spun a cocoon around itself and now a butterfly came out of the cocoon. Sibylla went downstairs to collect her drawing utensils and then she drew the butterfly that was sitting there hardly moving at all. Soon it became too dark to draw in the attic and Sibylla went downstairs and reported her observations over dinner. However, nobody quite wanted to be- lieve her. The next day she went back up to the attic and now there were three butterflies that were flying around and three broken cocoons lay there. How could this be? Sibylla decided to inspect this phenomenon some more and to observe it even closer. Maria Sibylla Marian started observing and drawing silkworms, caterpillars and butterflies at the age of thirteen. Nineteen years later the first volume of her work “The caterpillars’ wonderful transformation and curious flower nutrition” was released, in which she described the principle of metamorphosis illustrated by a number of drawings. Story Sibylla and The Cocoons was translated by Anna Grohmann and edited by Don Metz and it is based, in part, on Historical Background: Sibylla Merian written by Timo Engels and on Biography: Sibylla Merian written by Mar- lena Zielinska. Story Sibylla and The Cocoons was written by Peter Heer- ing with the support of the European Commission (pro- ject 518094-LLP-1-2011-1-GR-COMENIUS-CMP) and the University of Flensburg, Germany. This publication re- flects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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