169-180 Last Days (Exams, Awards etc.)

End of Quarter Exams (review 4 days, test 4 days) & Awards Assembly

Science word wall activity

Directions I wrote on the board and the sign up list:

Give students 5 x 5 white construction paper squares, colored pencils/crayons and their textbooks, notebooks or other resources.

Examples:

Next: Summer Vacation!!!!

167-168 Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge (Pseudoscience)

I use the Bill Nye Video (Pseudoscience) to open a discussion of the differences between Scientific and Nonscientific thinking.

Some possible discussion questions:

1. List some examples of pseudoscience from the video.
2. Why do Scientists repeat experiments?
3. Explain the term: empirical evidence.
4. Why (and how) do hypotheses change?
5. Explain the difference between Science and Pseudoscience.

Next up: Exams and the final days....

165-166 Electromagnetic Spectrum

Today our goal was to look at the characteristics and applications of the Electromagnetic Spectrum. 

We had a choice of watching one of these videos:

Brain Pop - Electromagnetic Spectrum

NASA Video - Tour of the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Generation Genius - Electromagnetic Spectrum

Then we completed an EM Spectrum Layered Foldable:

Next up: Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge (Pseudoscience)

163-164 Space Technology

This section is really big!  Space Technology and Telescopes.  I need more time....

First we watched: Untamed Science - A Little Outer Space Here on Earth

*Update: Unfortunately this video used Flash which is no longer available.  This NASA video that shows new technology.

Then we made a Space Technology Foldable

and filled in Cornell Notes using the (NASA Spinoff PowerPoint)

The next section of the lesson was about telescopes.

We watched Brain Pop Telescopes and compared reflecting/refracting telescopes with a cut & paste activity.

Next up: Electromagnetic Spectrum....

157-162 History of Space Exploration

We took Cornell Notes on the history of Space.

then watched the 1995 Apollo 13 Movie. (Trailer)

Discussion questions (Credit: moviesheets.com)

1. Who was the commander of the 1st manned spacecraft to land on the moon? 
2. How long does it take to get to the moon?
3. Why was the Apollo 13 crew changed at the last moment?
4. Where do they launch from?
5. Where is Mission Control located?
6. Explain “lift off” in terms of Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion? (draw a diagram)
7. Why did the helmets float away from the crew? 
8. What does the crew have to dock with when they get to space?  Why?
9. What event led to the explosion on the command module? 
10. What is venting from the space craft into space?
11. What do they have to do to save both power and O2?
12. Why did the LEM (Aquarius) become a “lifeboat”?  
13. Why were communications lost on the far side of the moon?
14. The "lifeboat" that the three astronauts used to survive in on their way back to Earth, was only designed for two astronauts. What was the life threatening problem that developed?
15. How did Houston solve the problem?
16. What point of reference does Lovell use to guide the LEM during the short engine burn?
17. What was the problem with powering up for the re-entry sequence?
18. Why is there condensation on the windows of the Command Module?
19. What does the Command Module look like as it enters Earth’s atmosphere?  Why?
20. How long did the Apollo 13 mission last?

Next up: Space Technology...

149-156 Rockets

Our learning goal was to explain how rockets were developed, and to demonstrate how a rocket works.

To introduce the lesson we watched the 1999 October Sky Movie (see previous post).

then we built water rockets using NASA Plans,

 & launched...

Next up: History of Space Exploration....

147-148 History of Rockets

To introduce the history of rockets, we watched the 1999 October Sky Movie (movie trailer).

And answered Video Questions (Credit: Terence W. Cavanaugh Ph. D.)
1. What country launched the world's first man-made satellite, Sputnik, into Earth orbit on October 4, 1957?
2. Because Sputnik travels at 18,000 mph, it can make an orbit of Earth every ___ minutes.
3. Satellites passing overhead are visible in a clear dark sky one hour after ________ and one hour before ________.
4. Sputnik travels at a height of ______ miles above the Earth.
5. Describe what Sputnik looked like passing through the sky:
6. What did Homer use as the fuel for his first rocket?
7. What happened to the Vanguard rocket launched by Dr. Werhner Von Braun?
8. Rocketry was invented by the ____________, as early as 1000 AD.
9. Homer learns about potassium chlorate and sulfur to use as ________ for his rockets.
10. Draw the rocket and match/label the parts:

Nose cone

Body tube/combustion chamber

Nozzle

11. The purpose of the nozzle in a rocket is to direct the flow of _____________.
12. Miss Riley says, "Science requires __________."
13. What do the boys build at Cape Coalwood to use for launching rockets?
14. When potassium chlorate and sugar are combined with heat, oxygen and expanding gases are produced, making an effective rocket ____________.
15. What lab safety equipment do the students use in the classroom?
16. When the rockets exploded, heat from the exhaust was melting the ___________.
17. When rocket fuel combusts, the nozzle directs a hot river of gas that reaches the speed of ______.
18. If the mass of the propellant compared to the mass of the rocket is too little, increase the _______ of the rocket.
19. The properties of alcohol are that it is stable and dilutes ____________.
20. What measurement do the rocket boys make during the rocket flights to calculate the height of the rocket?
21. Who told Homer at the national science fair "Congratulations and good luck"?
22. What happened to Miss Riley during the science fair?
23. What career did Homer end up having?

Next up: Building Rockets...

133-146 State Testing

We reviewed for several days using:

• Lab Station Activities
• Crosswords (Matter, Nature of Science, Matter, Space)

            

• Board games

Testing lasted for 4 days with a limited schedule and no new content

Next: Back to Science....

128-132 Tides and Testing

To introduce tides we watched Study Jams or Brain Pop

  

Students complete Cornell Notes and a Cut, Paste and Sort on Tides in their notebooks.

To practice we reviewed tide data in the local paper and predicted future tides.

 

During our next few classes (130-132) we will be testing...

126 - 127 Phases and Eclipses

Our learning goal was to explain what causes the phases of the moon and to describe solar and lunar eclipses.

We watched Brain Pop Moon Phases

then modeled the Moon Phases with Oreo Cookies.

Next we watched Brain Pop Eclipses

and took notes in a brochure format:

Next up: Tides...

124-125 Rotation and Revolution

We're back from Spring Break :)

Watched: Bill Nye Seasons or Brain Pop Seasons (subscription required)

Completed the Rotation & Revolution Vocabulary (Frayer Model)

Next: Phases & Eclipses...

113-123 End of 3rd Quarter

End of 3rd Quarter only 51 days to go....

Getting ready for finals

• Portable Word Wall
• Vocabulary Flashcards
• Crossword Puzzles (Nature of Science, Matter & Space)
• Board Games with released Questions
• Labs on difficult topics

Next: Spring Break

111-112 Solar System Models

Watch: Astronomy's Biggest Stars Spaced Out: A Cosmic Scene

Kagan Structure (Strategy) Give One Get One

Ask students to make a tic tac toe grid in their notes before the video.  After the video have them write 3 facts they remember then ask classmates to fill in facts (Use Kagan Structure: Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up)

In our notebooks we filled out the Cornell Notes Outline.

 

Next: District Testing *If we have extra time - Watch the Pluto Files :)

Solar System Scale Model

It was cold and rainy outside so I couldn't do the toliet paper Solar System Scale Models so I came up with Plan B....

We watched Spaced Out: Planets are Spatial

If you don't have a lot of time watch 209 Seconds That Will Make You Question Your Entire Existence....

Generation Genius: The Solar System also is a good video - although it requires a subscription.

After the video, I gave students a 61.5 cm piece of adding machine paper and asked them to make a model of the Solar System. *most models were planet order, some were size but none were distance

After comparing the different models, I then gave them directions and they flipped the paper over and did it again. 

(Adapted from: https://mcdonaldobservatory.org/sites/default/files/ScaleDistancesSolarSystem-teacher.pdf)

I had students compare their initial and final models and make observations.

Update: I made a version that students could complete at home with easy to follow directions and all the supplies that they needed (just 2 pieces of paper).

Next up: Rotation and Revolution...

109-110 Small Solar System Objects

Watch: Bill Nye Comets and Meteors or Brain Pop Comets & Brain Pop Asteroids

    

Created a Solar System Objects (comets, asteroids, dwarf planets, meteors) Foldable

Next: Models of the Solar System...