Our Solar System!
10/26/15 - Introduction to Our Sun
Today we will begin studying our Solar System by looking closely at our own Sun. This will benefit you as you create your own planets later on during the semester. The pdf is below!
10/27/15 - Day 2 of Our Sun and Stars Cycles
Here are the rest of our notes for this tiny unit. You will have a mini-quiz tomorrow that will encompass your notes over the past two day, as well as the stellar life cycles we studied last week.
10/28/15 - The Teeny Quiz of Stellar Destiny!
Just for you, just for today, because I like you a lot and you are great tiny humans: I will allow you to use your OWN HANDWRITTEN NOTES on a very teeny quiz tomorrow regarding our Sun and the stellar life cycles. This quiz will be on Blackboard. Since you can use your notes, you get one chance to take the quiz. ONE. If the wifi messes up, I will reset your quiz during class only. This will NOT take you the entire class.
10/29/15 - Group Powerpoint Projects over Planets
Today, we will divide into 9 groups to create your own powerpoint presentations over the nine planets (I am including Pluto, because Pluto is cool and I think the downgrading was WACK!) Groups will present over Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus & Pluto! You will begin presenting these on Monday. YOUR PRESENTATION MUST HAVE AT LEAST 18 SLIDES.
Rubric:
100 = ALL 18 Slides included, with video inserted and pictures as appropriate.
There is a focus on pertinent details regarding the planet, such as distance from the Sun, gravitation, orbital pattern,
days/nights, temperature, material composition and other fascinating facts. Are there moons that orbit the planets?
75 = You managed 12 Slides, maybe at least included pictures as appropriate.
There is a focus on pertinent details regarding the planet, such as distance from the Sun, gravitation, orbital pattern,
days/nights, temperature, material composition and other fascinating facts.
50 = You sort of slapped 12 Slides together and there is some sort of picture looking something on there. But really, it's not
very interesting and you didn't really put any effort into the situation. Maybe you manage to discuss distance from the
Sun, gravitation, orbital pattern, days/nights, temperature, material composition and other fascinating facts.
25 = You just didn't care - at all - and totally tanked on the project. Your whole opportunity to rock this business went
straight down in flames.
Rubric:
100 = ALL 18 Slides included, with video inserted and pictures as appropriate.
There is a focus on pertinent details regarding the planet, such as distance from the Sun, gravitation, orbital pattern,
days/nights, temperature, material composition and other fascinating facts. Are there moons that orbit the planets?
75 = You managed 12 Slides, maybe at least included pictures as appropriate.
There is a focus on pertinent details regarding the planet, such as distance from the Sun, gravitation, orbital pattern,
days/nights, temperature, material composition and other fascinating facts.
50 = You sort of slapped 12 Slides together and there is some sort of picture looking something on there. But really, it's not
very interesting and you didn't really put any effort into the situation. Maybe you manage to discuss distance from the
Sun, gravitation, orbital pattern, days/nights, temperature, material composition and other fascinating facts.
25 = You just didn't care - at all - and totally tanked on the project. Your whole opportunity to rock this business went
straight down in flames.
11/05/15 - That extra credit opportunity...
I chose to extend an opportunity for extra credit to my Astronomy classes to assist in replacing one grade with a 100.
The reason I am still providing this extra credit is because I actually do what I say I will do. I follow through on what I tell you. This is an important element of self-discipline and self-respect.
The button below will link you to a personality test based on the Meyers-Briggs test, an off shoot of the Jungian typology profile. Answer all the questions then determine your results. There aren't wrong answers to this, rather it is one of many ways to show you how you function as a human being.
By 4:10 FRIDAY, send me your type, along with exactly what the 4 letters mean in relation to your own life. Yes, you will need to send me complete sentences that demonstrate you read and understood what the letters stated and how they reflect a portion of your own personality. It is wise to figure out how you operate, so you can then make appropriate choices in the future.
The world has enough people staring mindlessly at their cell phone and learning nothing. Seriously, we're good on that one, we've got it covered. We've got so many mindless cellphone users it's ridiculous. What we really need are people that are capable of clear thinking, through both logic and creativity, that can solve problems created by [guess who?] the people staring at their cell-phones while accomplishing nothing.
SO WHO Exactly Do You Want To BE?
The reason I am still providing this extra credit is because I actually do what I say I will do. I follow through on what I tell you. This is an important element of self-discipline and self-respect.
The button below will link you to a personality test based on the Meyers-Briggs test, an off shoot of the Jungian typology profile. Answer all the questions then determine your results. There aren't wrong answers to this, rather it is one of many ways to show you how you function as a human being.
By 4:10 FRIDAY, send me your type, along with exactly what the 4 letters mean in relation to your own life. Yes, you will need to send me complete sentences that demonstrate you read and understood what the letters stated and how they reflect a portion of your own personality. It is wise to figure out how you operate, so you can then make appropriate choices in the future.
The world has enough people staring mindlessly at their cell phone and learning nothing. Seriously, we're good on that one, we've got it covered. We've got so many mindless cellphone users it's ridiculous. What we really need are people that are capable of clear thinking, through both logic and creativity, that can solve problems created by [guess who?] the people staring at their cell-phones while accomplishing nothing.
SO WHO Exactly Do You Want To BE?
11/09/15 - Solar System Model Planning
Today you will begin planning a scale model of the solar system using a 2D schematic for a 3D solar system. The link below will help you find a scale amount. You may choose to use a 12" diameter Sun, for example, to calculate the sizes of the rest of the planets.
Use the sizes to determine what you will use to make you own INDIVIDUAL project. Yeah, we're over group projects, since too many students are doing nothing while one or two complete the entire thing.
By the end of class today, you need to show me you 2D plan, that includes the type of objects you will use for your models. Then you will have the week to construct your models.
Use the sizes to determine what you will use to make you own INDIVIDUAL project. Yeah, we're over group projects, since too many students are doing nothing while one or two complete the entire thing.
By the end of class today, you need to show me you 2D plan, that includes the type of objects you will use for your models. Then you will have the week to construct your models.
11/10 - 11/15 - Scale Model Building
These next three days, you have the opportunity to build you models in class. In fact, you are expected to build these in class.
For each day squandered, you will receive an overall project grade reduction of 10%.
Please remember that your project is due on Friday, 11/13/15.
Thank you for your efforts made in class to complete your work, I greatly appreciate your work!
Your FINAL PRODUCT should include tags with names of each planet, their actual size in comparison to the Sun, and the size in inches or cm/mm. How you put it together is up to you, and the Sun does not have to be attached to your models. You can use anything you want for the objects. I will help you on Wednesday (11/11/15) with creating wire armatures for papier mache, if the occasion should arise.
For each day squandered, you will receive an overall project grade reduction of 10%.
Please remember that your project is due on Friday, 11/13/15.
Thank you for your efforts made in class to complete your work, I greatly appreciate your work!
Your FINAL PRODUCT should include tags with names of each planet, their actual size in comparison to the Sun, and the size in inches or cm/mm. How you put it together is up to you, and the Sun does not have to be attached to your models. You can use anything you want for the objects. I will help you on Wednesday (11/11/15) with creating wire armatures for papier mache, if the occasion should arise.
11/17/2015 - Scale Sizes of Distance
Look up the Distances between the planets and the Sun. Note that the distance between the Sun and Earth is measured as 1AU (or 1 Astronomical Unit). Determine the distances from the sun to every planet, including Pluto, in km, the figure out a way to convert those to Astronomical Units.
1.) Find the Distance from the Sun to Mercury in km
2.) Determine the ratio of km to AU and then find the AU distance.
3.) Show all work and then write a measurement of comparison by which puny humans on planet Earth could actually relate.
Be prepared to submit this tomorrow, when we begin our presentations.
1.) Find the Distance from the Sun to Mercury in km
2.) Determine the ratio of km to AU and then find the AU distance.
3.) Show all work and then write a measurement of comparison by which puny humans on planet Earth could actually relate.
Be prepared to submit this tomorrow, when we begin our presentations.
12/07/15 - Essay over Scale Sizes
Today, 12/07/15 and tomorrow in class, you will write an essay, or short story, to describe the differences in units of length used in space. You may be creative in your explanations, using a short story as an example would be entertaining and fantastic! Alternately, you can remain fully technical and compare and contrast.
Your essay should be 2 typed pages, double spaced, 12 pt. Font. You can use a font other than Times New Roman, and that your font should still be roughly the same size as TNR @ 12pt.
Please keep in mind that I absolutely loathe Comic Sans. It was such a bad 90's creation. So don't use that one.
You must Submit an OUTLINE/DRAFT that will be counted as a DAILY GRADE.
You must also Submit your FINAL DRAFT that will be counted as a TEST GRADE.
THIS IS DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS ON WEDS.
You must discuss the following terms and how they're used in Astronomy:
Kilometers, Astronomical Units, Parsec, Parallax, Perihelion, Aphelion, Elliptical, and Orbit(s)
Your essay should be 2 typed pages, double spaced, 12 pt. Font. You can use a font other than Times New Roman, and that your font should still be roughly the same size as TNR @ 12pt.
Please keep in mind that I absolutely loathe Comic Sans. It was such a bad 90's creation. So don't use that one.
You must Submit an OUTLINE/DRAFT that will be counted as a DAILY GRADE.
You must also Submit your FINAL DRAFT that will be counted as a TEST GRADE.
THIS IS DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS ON WEDS.
You must discuss the following terms and how they're used in Astronomy:
Kilometers, Astronomical Units, Parsec, Parallax, Perihelion, Aphelion, Elliptical, and Orbit(s)
12/15/15 - Special Interests Paper (Single Page) Due by 12/17/15
Your last 2 daily grades for the third six weeks (and semester, too) are to write a 1 page paper describing your main interests for next semester. (The paper is single sided if hand-written; or double-spaced if typed) We will definitely be creating our own planets that orbit a real star or star-system.
We will also spend time discussing space-time, parallel universes and other exciting and bizarre topics. What I want to know is what excites you and why.
On one page. For two grades. For real. Right Now. (It's a blessed bonus!)
We will also spend time discussing space-time, parallel universes and other exciting and bizarre topics. What I want to know is what excites you and why.
On one page. For two grades. For real. Right Now. (It's a blessed bonus!)
