My Science Homework

Day 118: Layers & Heat Sources of Earth

Mr. G — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:00:23 +0000

Thank you to all the students and parents who sent lunar eclipse photos last night! I was able to incorporate them all into today’s slides for class and it was a fantastic way for students to see the full extent of the eclipse…well, at least the first half of it before clouds moved in around 9:15 and prevented us from seeing the rest.

In setting up our work in the geology unit over the coming weeks, we examined the formation and layers of the Earth in class today. We also then discussed the three primary sources of heat for the Earth:

The Sun: causes weather, heats the surface, etc…
Radioactivity: Radioactive elements inside the earth contribute small quantities of heat.
Heat from Formation: Heat that is left over from the formation of the earth - heat that resulted from the friction between colliding particles - is still trapped deep in the Earth and is slowly leaking out.

We closed class by watching a 5.5-minute video clip about “Earth Systems”: ocean currents, weather, geologic phenomena, etc… and wrote a response to it. This video acted as a preview for the upcoming geology unit.

Homework: None.

Day 117: Lunar Eclipse Tonight!

Mr. G — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:24:56 +0000

Tonight is the big night for the lunar eclipse! The next one won’t come around until December of 2010. The only wild card is the weather. Clouds are already streaming into southern Kansas in advance of tomorrow’s storm, but we can hope they hold off just long enough to allow viewing of the eclipse. The goal is to have as many students as possible view and photograph it.

For a reminder: The full moon will rise in the eastern sky around the same time as the sun is setting to the west tonight. Around 7:45, the moon will begin to enter the outer edge of the Earth’s shadow (like the image to the right). By 9:26pm, it will be fully within the deepest, darkest part of the shadow (the “umbra” - like the middle image) and throughout the 9pm hour, the moon will appear a very deep, copper-reddish hue. By around 10pm, it will begin to emerge from the shadow (left image) and by 11pm, it will have returned fully to its “full” phase.

Photos: I have encouraged all students to take pictures if possible. For those that are emailed to me, I’ll include them in tomorrow’s class slides. Please note the TIME that the photo was taken if you send them my way, that way I can sequence them for the class. All photos can be sent emailed to me - my email address is on the school website.

After discussing the upcoming snowstorm (maybe an inch or two of snow tomorrow?) and the clouds that may inhibit our eclipse viewing this evening, we completed a quiz on the phases of the moon.

Homework: None

Image credit: www.mreclipse.com

Day 116: Phases Flip Book

Mr. G — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:08:22 +0000

Today’s focus was two-fold: discuss and preview upcoming important astronomical events and to complete construction of the phases of the moon flip book.

We started by looking at some images of the space station as it passed overhead on Friday. Several students reported seeing it high in the sky on Friday at the scheduled time (6:48pm) and the entire boys’ basketball team was even able to get outside for a view of it following their Friday game - way to go guys!

Next on the list was the lunar eclipse for tomorrow night. We reviewed the physics of an eclipse and also viewed images of what tomorrow evening’s eclipse should look like and when it will occur (7:45pm-11pm). For much more detailed look at the upcoming eclipse, check out the NASA Lunar Eclipse page.

Also on the list of upcoming astronomy events is the planned shoot-down of a US spy satellite. As the satellite continues to fall toward earth after its main computer failed shortly after liftoff in 2006, its orbit will eventually take it back into the earth’s atmosphere. Before that occurs, the US plans to fire on the satellite with a missle in hopes of shattering the school-bus-sized satellite into thousands of pieces that would burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere on re-entry. The shoot-down may happen as early as Wednesday Evening: Navy waits for satellite kill shot.

Homework: Prep for the Phases of the Moon quiz on Wednesday (tomorrow).

Day 115: Phases of the Moon Flip-Book

Mr. G — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:05:44 +0000

After completing our notes on the Phases of the Moon yesterday, today students analyzed not only the names and descriptions of each phase, but also their position in the Earth-Moon-Sun system during each phase. Questions we tackled included “what phase would be visible high in the sky at midnight (full)” and “Which phase would be found on the Eastern horizon around sunrise (new)” and others.

Students then spent time beginning to construct a “Phases of the Moon” flip-book: A small booklet with 28 pages: one for each day of the lunar cycle. We will continue construction on this flip book in class on Tuesday, following the long weekend.

Homework: None. We will tackle a quiz over phases of the moon on Wednesday

Day 114: Phases of the Moon

Mr. G — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:28:30 +0000

What causes the Phases of the Moon? That was today’s big question. We began by naming the 8 phases of the moon:

New Moon
Waxing crescent
First quarter
Waxing gibbous
Full moon
Waning gibbous
Last quarter
Waning crescent

…and finally back to the new moon. We also demonstrated the phases in class with a large group demonstration utilizing a soccer ball (moon), globe, and a flashlight. Tomorrow we’ll continue our discussion of the phases and begin construction of a phases of the moon flipbook.

For a fantastic animation of all eight phases, check out out this Phases of the Moon Interactive Tutorial.

Homework: None.

Day 113: The Moon and Earth

Mr. G — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:24:44 +0000

The focus for today’s class was how the moon affects life on Earth. To many, the moon’s role in life on Earth is perceived as relatively trivial, but after closer examination, it is recognized that the moon is actually critical for life on Earth. From regulating tides to generating light at night, to stabilizing the Earth’s rotational axis at ~23.5 degrees, the impacts the moon has are profound.

Students completed the worksheet as we watched the second half of “If We Had No Moon” in class today.

Homework: None.

Day 112: Formation of the Moon

Mr. G — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:20:09 +0000

After completing the astronomy test yesterday, a lighter lesson was in store for today. Students watched the first half of a film about the moon. The film, titled “If We Had No Moon” is a Discovery Channel production. Today’s portion of the video focused on the current scientifically-accepted theory of the moon’s formation: that another planet (”Orpheus”) collided with the Earth soon after its formation and “splashed” out a great deal of material - rock and magma that eventually solidified into what we now know as our moon.

Students completed a worksheet while the movie played

Homework: None.

Image Source: http://www.joshshill.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/moon-formation.jpg

Day 111: Astronomy Test

Mr. G — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 22:26:12 +0000

Today students completed the test over the Astronomy unit. Tomorrow we will begin transitioning toward the Earth, but first we have to go through the moon. We will begin by discussing the formation of the moon.

Any students who missed today’s test are reminded that they must make it up within the week.

Homework: None.

Day 110: The Sun Song & Test Prep

Mr. G — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:18:25 +0000

The Sun Song was the lesson for today. The song by They Might Be Giants chronicles a great deal of scientific information about the sun and it is virtually all accurate - a great way to get a handle on some of the important information about our star. Students were able to read the lyrics on the back of the scorecard for The Sun Model project that they are currently completing.

Homework: Complete the sun model by Tuesday (02/12/08) and prepare for Monday’s astronomy test. See the Astronomy Test Study Guide for details.

Day 109: The Sun

Mr. G — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 19:14:17 +0000

Students continued working on their model of the sun in class today after we briefly discussed the three surface features of the sun: Sunspots, Solar Flares, and Prominences. The definitions of each were chronicled in our notes and each should appear on the student-constructed sun models. See the Sun Model scorecard for more information. Remember the criteria for the model:

Include all 6 layers with labels
Include all 3 surface features with labels
Can be 2D or 3D
No larger than a regular sheet of paper (2D) or a shoebox (3D)
Due on Tuesday, 02/12/08

Homework: Continue progress on the sun model. Organize resources and study for the upcoming astronomy exam (Monday, 02/11/08).