Blog 5

1.Concept Map:

2.South Carolina Standards which are relevant to WebQuest 4 are in the attached lesson plan.

3.Essential learning from Support Documents (Grade 8 Science) is also included in the lesson plan which accompanies this blog.

4. Through this WebQuest the students will work in small teacher-selected groups through a series of inquiry- based tasks. Each task will build on the previous task and will promote collaborative work in setting a group goal and working together to attain it.

The resources which I selected were chosen for their high degree of color, movement, invitation to interaction, multimedia options, and scientific reliability. Even the students who lack knowledge of NASA and lunar science should find the WebQuest stimulating and easy to navigate. The Group products will demonstate collaboration and encouragement from student to student, and from teacher to individuals and to the group.

5.Some students have little idea of NASA's past, present, and future missions. Some may feel that space exploration is a luxury which we can no longer afford. I hope they will come to realize, as I do, that our country cannot afford to let our space missions lapse. Other countries will not be complacent, instead moving forward as we fund wars instead of the exploration of space. Of course I want the students to form their own opinions and reach their own conclusions as to the necessity of keeping space exploration in the forefront, rather than on the back burner. The final space shuttle launch in July, 2011 will spur discussion of this topic. I feel that the WebQuest lesson will enable the students to speak with scientific knowledge as their guide through thoughtful introspection of the topic.

6. I learned many new things from the construction of this lesson:
purpose and goals of a Web Quest
how a WebQuest connects concepts
cross-linking of ideas
encouraging tolerance of divergent views
concept mapping as a group goal

7.What type of global partnership is involved in the Chandaryaan Mission?
The European Space Agency, China, Japan, India and NASA (United States) all woked together on India's fist foray into space exploration.

When will the M3 Mission goal of mapping the entire Moon surface be met?
The Chandaryaan-2 Mission will begin in 2013. It will utilize the mapping information that has been returned to Earth by M3 since its launch in 2008 and will continue the task of mapping the lunar surface.

8.Through the development of WebQuest 4, I learned how to construct a high-interest inquiry-based lesson which is adaptable to a variety of learning styles and student background levels. The value is in the process of research, not just the products the groups will produce and demonstrate at the conclusion.

Blog 4

Blog 4

1. Concept Map was emailed to Cyndi Hall.

2.from SC State Department of Education Science Support Documents Grade 8:

8-1.1 Design a controlled scientific investigation. Determine the effect of an independent variable in an experiment when all other variables can be controlled. Every controlled scientific investigation provides information(data). Data includes both scientific observation and inferences.

8-1.2 A scientific investigation that is conducted accurately involves: using appropriate tools safely and accurately, making careful measurements, using mathematical formulas appropriately, representing numbers with appropriate units of measurement, and recording data in organized graphs, tables, and charts.

8-1.3 Inferences are sometimes needed to help students from a valid conclusion. An inference is an explanation of the data that is based on facts, but not necessarily direct observation.

8-1.4 Questions that can help the student decide what further investigations may be warranted: Can the procedure or product be improved? What would happen if another independent variable were tested? What are you wondering now?

8-4.4 Day, year, and phases of theMoon, and the effects of these motions

8-4.6 The Moon has a greater effect on Earth's tides than the Sun becuase it is closer to the Earth.

8-4.7 The Moon being closer to the Earth than the Sun has the greatest pulling effect on tides( spring tides and neap tides).

8-4.8 Weight can change if an object is located on another object in space, for example the Moon or Mars.

8-4.10 Astronomers use telescopes, satellites, space probes and spectroscopes to make observations and collect data about objects in the solar system and outside of the solar system. These tools and the associated technology that allow astronomers to analyze and interpret the data help scientists learn about the solar system and the universe.

3. from the Support Documents it is essential for students to understand:

a day is based on the 24 hours it takes Earth to rotate

Earth rotates on its axis counterclockwise from west to east

a year is based on 365 1/4 days it takes Earth to revolve around the Sun

Earth revolves around the Sun in an elliptical orbit

the Moon revolves with Earth around the Sun as the Moon is revolving around the Earth.

the Moon revolves around the Earth in 29 1/2 Earth days

as the Moon revolves(similar to Earth) it is rotating and spinning on its axis

the rotation time for the Moon is a little more than 27 Earth days

because the Moon rotates and revolves in nearly the same amount of time, the same side of the Moon always faces Earth

Refracting and reflecting telescopes collect visible light, then use convex lenses or mirrors to focus the light to produce longer, brighter images of distant objects in space.

Radio telescopes receive radio waves emitted from objects in space, including waves from very distant stars and galaxies.

Other telescopes "read" infrared or x-ray signals, but must be placed where Earth's atmosphere does not block or absorb the signals.

Satellites are placed in orbit around Earth with special instruments and telescopes which collect information from space which is then sent back to Earth where it is interpreted.

Data gathered from satellites is not hindered by Earth's atmosphere.

Space probes contain instruments to collect data and travel out of Earth's orbit to explore places that would be too dangerous for astronauts.

Spectroscopes collect light from distant stars and separate that light into bands of different color; by studying these bands, astronomers identify elements.

4. Various activities from the Support Documents to help students aquire and develop their essential understandings:

activity on Sunlight and Shadows
activity on Determining Hours of Daylight

activity on Sunlight and Seasons

activity on A Year Viewed from Space

activity on Choosing a Mission

activity on Exploring Outer Space

Text, Tilt, and Temperature Lab

Write Traits: Use knowledge gained from research and activities to argue for or against future Moon landings.

What explorations would you like to see in the future of NASA?

I would modify to meet the needs of individual students by placing them in cooperative learning groups where they could alternately lead and follow others, feel comraderie and support from peers as they work together to achieve a goal, then present the results of their efforts to a genuine audience.

5.Most students of this generation have scant knowledge of the current and planned projects of NASA. Those who are fortunate enough to have visited Cape Canaveral or the National Air and Space Museum will have a better grasp than others, but I plan to utilize many types of media to help those who lack those experiences. Some misconceptions which we will disprove :

The Apollo Moon Landings may have been a hoax

Aliens have visited Earth and may live among us

There is a man in the Moon

The aforementioned activities will negate the myths while providing scientifically correct knowledge at an appropriate level for true understanding.

6. Through the research that I conducted to plan the Selene Mission, I learned that many steps are involved in bringing an idea to fruition. Much lobbying to seek funding is needed, and that as national security expenses escalate, funding for space exploration tends to decrease. The WebQuest taught me how the science instruments aboard the Mission would function, showing me the large number of people involved in a successful mission. This brigs back memories of actual photography in side NASA's Mission Control when we have experienced successes as well as tragedies.

7.Questions I still have are:

How can we get an unmanned mission to launch back from the Moon surface, therefore supplying us with more lunar samples?

This will be very difficult, but some scientists really want a permanent robotic presence on the Moon more than a return. The cost would be 1/2 billion dollars compared to $150 billion for a manned mission. This is economically feasible and could bring us vast knowledge. We could also maintain our international presence in space exploration.

Does NASA have plans for many missions in the future? If so, to what destinations?

1.MAVEN( Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission)

2.NuStar( Nuclear Telescopic Telescope Array)

3.MSL(Mars Science Laboratory)

4.GRAIL(Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory)

8.I was pleased to learn about NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day(http://sohwww.nascom/nasa.gov/

This will be an ongoing journal assignment for my students who will describe and analyze one image per school day. The journal will be submitted weekly for an ongoing project grade, and should be interesting and informative.

Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan:

SPECTROMETER SEEKING MOON MINERALS

Big Idea

Students will learn the purpose, composition, and value to scientists of NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper.

State Standards

8-1.1 Scientific Inquiry

8-1.2 Scientific Investigation

8-1.3 Forming Inferences in Science

8-4.10 Astronomers use Telescopes, Satellites, Space Probes and Spectrometers to Make Observations and Collect Data

8-6.7 Absorption and Reflection of Light Waves Resulting in the Human Perception of Color

8-6.8 Comparison of Wavelength and Energy of Waves within the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Connection to Curriculum Support Document

Students will be able to design an controoled scientific investigation and determine the effect of an independent variable in an experiment when all other variables can be controlled.
Students will analyze and compare the purposes of scientists' tools and technology utilized to study space.

Students will explain how the absorption and reflection of light waves by various materials result in the human perception of color.

Students will compare the wavelengths and energy of waves in various parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Focus Questions

How does a spectrometer work?

How will the entire surface of the moon be mapped?

Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills

A student must already know and be able to:

utilize the scientific method

explain phases of the Moon, tides, eclipses, motion

show knowledge of the electromagnetic spectrum

use basic geometry (angle and length measurement)

Overview of Lesson

This is a WebQuest designed to engage Middle Level learners in pursuit of an undertsanding of Spectroscopy. It involves Cooperative Groups involved in hands-on activities. Through the process students will learn how to apply reflective spectra to identify minerals which make up the Moon. They will make their own simple spectrometer and use it, allowing them to become scientists in action.

Assessment Procedures

There is a Rubric for group work which will provide guidelines to achieve a successful outcome and product.

The Concept Map (created though Inspiration) will be evaluated wholistically with oral presentation before peers and teacher.

Lesson Preparation

Materials: computers for 30 students

Inspiration software on all computers

cereal boxes, aluminum foil, protractors, rulers, CDs, scissors, and tape to make spectrometer

Hook: Introduce lesson with space images from the M3 while playing Space Music (http://www.nasa.gov/)

Duration: 5 days

Activate student interest: Play Cool Cosmos game ( http://coolcosmos.com/)

Overview: Explain how to work effectively within a cooperative group on a WebQuest

Procedures

1.Introduce WebQuest/assign groups

2.Build spectrometer

3.WebQuest search

4.Development of group project/concept map

5.Presentationof concept map and findings

Resources

http://m3.jpl.nasa.gov/

http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_games/

http://nasa.gov/mutimedia/videogallery/index/html?media_id=785

http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/cosmiccolors/er/

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA12158

http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/ir-photo-album/er

http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_games/spectra/makeGrating.htm

Conclusion

Students will do the work of scientists to analyze data and interpret the meaning and implications of the data. The experience of setting a goal with your group and working cooperatively to achieve that goal will be rewarding, and will allow students to contribute in the manner which makes each most comfortable. The pressure of an individual oral presentation will be negated, allowing every student to feel comraderie and success, the reward of a job well done.

Differentiation

Careful arrangement of cooperative groups so that any student who is likely to experience dificulty will have a buddy to aid them

Tailor instruction to student interest, readiness(concrete to abstract), and learning styles (visual, kinesthetic, auditory, and tactile)

Teacher oversight and support of small groups to ensure modifications, if needed

Extension activities of student choice from NASA or CoolCosmos websites

Webquest 3

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WebQuest 3

Take Me to the Moon

Task #1

A. It lights up. It is far away from the Earth. It is big and has dark spots. It is grey and cold.

B.1) What is its source of light? Does it make its own light?

2) How far away is it?

3) Why does it look different throughout a month?

C.1) How did NASA scientists ever figure out how to get to the Moon?

2) What did we expect to find out about the Moon before we sent unmanned spaceships there?

3) Where are all of the Moon samples and what did they teach us?

Task#2

I selected two unmanned missions because these allowed the Apollo astronauts to later travel there. Both are in the Surveyor series of Lunar Missions that took place during the 1960s. This was a time of nervous excitement and anxiety over the space race with our Cold War rival USSR.

Surveyor 1 ( launched May 30, 1966, landed June 2, 1966) wa the first U.S. spacecraft to land safely on the Moon. It returned 11,240 photographs and lasted for two lunar days. It landed in the Ocean of Storms at 2degrees 28minutes 45.59 seconds S and 43 degrees 20minutes 28.92 seconds W

Surveyor 7 (landed January 10, 1968) was the fifth and final spacecraft of the Surveyor series. It landed in the highland region near Tycho: a large lunar crater which is visible with the naked eye from Earth. It returned 21, 038 images and more than 100 hours of surface composition data. Landing site 40 degrees 51minutes 36.49 secondsS and 11degrees 28minutes 12.57 secondsW

Task #3

My mission to the Moon is called Selene (after the Greek Moon Goddess, and meaning Spark Extra Learning and Encourage New Exploration). After selecting this name from mythology, I found that the Japanese have used Selene as part of the name of their recent mission. I think they made an appropriate choice. Hopefully through interesting lessons and with an increased government interest in exploring space, we can challenge the next generation of scientists.

1. The Lunar Mission will be robotic. As is evident in the Concept Map, the planning and funding for a robotic mission are significant. Within the current economic times, I doubt that a manned mission could be on the horizon for NASA, but in the future, we can hope....

2.The spacecraft will be landing on the surface of the Moon at the Aristarchus Plateau (20 degrees 55 minutes 03.30 secondsN and 58degrees 48 minutes 39.48 secondsW) where large pyroclastic deposits will be studied. Their composition offers telling insight into the make-up of the lunar interior. Pyroclastic ash could be useful if the Moon is ever inhabited by humans.

3.This geographically diverse region will lend itself to many scientific experiments and it is close to resources which could be used by future lunar settlers. * when I was a child we had television shows, books, and even cartoons(the Jetsons) about living on other planets.

4. Goals: to photograph ancient rocks to help prove the theory of collision

to reignite public interest in and Congressional support for the space program

Sadly, on this 50th anniversary( May 25, 2011) of President Kennedy's address to Congress in which he said, "We intend to be first...to become the world's leading space-faring nation...We have a long way to go in this space race. But this is the new ocean, and I believe that the United States must sail on it and be in a position second to none."

From USA Today (5/25/11)

Apollo Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell, amd Gene Cernan authored an article stating that,"Kennedy launched America on that new ocean. For 50 years we explored the waters to become the leader in space exploration. Today, under the announced objectives, the voyage is over. John F. Kennedy would have been sorely disappointed."

All 3 of these astronauts commanded lunar missions. Armstrong was the first human to reach the lunar surface and Cernan was the last to leave it.5. Quite a few science instruments will be utilized including: television camera

bar magnets

horseshoe magnets

spectrometer

video and radio communications

mirrors

cameras

magnetometer

6. Yes, the mission will employ an orbiter to communicate with Earth through pictures and computer images which are translated and enhanced.

7.NA/ Due to current budgetary constraints this will be a robotic/unmanned mission.

8.No, there will be no way for the lander to launch from the Moon. The images will be so spectacular and new that the mission will stimulate Congress to allocate funding for the continued exploration of space.

Task#4

The Lunar Mission Selene is named in deference to the ancient astronomers who made bold predictions in the face of scepticism and queries, laughter and criticism. The Greek Moon Goddess Selene is a link from then to now, and to those who will study space in the future.

In the 1600s Kepler made a prediction that must have appeared as unbelievable," As soon as somebody demnstrates the art of flying, settlers from our species of man will not be lacking... Given ships or sails adapted to the breezes of heaven, ther will be those who will not shrink from even that vast expanse.Therefore, for the sake of those who... will presently be on hand to attempt this voyage,let us establish the astronomy, Galileo, you of Jupiter, and me of the Moon."

from The Big Splat by Dana Mackenzie

Blog 3

WebQuest 2: The Power of Light

Task 1

The detailed explanation defining light and its sources is helpful to me as a teacher, and it will be a powerful tool to build knowledge for my students.Exploring the electric field of light and the resulting magnetic field will enable students to evaluate the variances among light waves by examining how they travel,posess energy, and can be broken into patterns called spectra. Remote sensing is interesting and exploration of it will be like puzzle being solved by my students.

Task 2

1.Magnesium, sodium, and oxygen are in the sun's spectrum. It is composed mostly of hydrogen, as well as some helium,magnesium, and iron.

2.As light passes through the cooler outer layers of the sun, some of the light is absorbed,resulting in dips in the spectrum graph. Evaluation of this graph enables astronomers to identify which elements are present in the sun. As far back as the 18th century astronomers utilized spectroscopes to determine that space objects are composed of the same elements as Earth.

1.Anorthite 43%, Olivine 16%, Ilmenite 41%

Anorthite is a member of the plagioclase group. It is rich in calcium and exhibits twinning.

Olivine is an essential rock-forming mineral of basalt, gabbro,and peridotite.It is often present with pyroxenes, plagioclase, feldspars, and magnetite. Olivine has a granular appearance,a glassy luster,and is green in color.

Ilmenite is sometimes present in veins or large masses as a product of magnetic segregation within metamorphic rocks. Most often it is present as an accessory mineral in igneous rocks and in beach and river sands.

2.I enjoyed the Lunar Experience and the comparison to the Synthetic Lunar Mare Basalt.I did not look up the answers, but played it as I would want the students to do. Interactive exercises like this stimulate the young mind and show direct correlation to Mathematics.Changing one variable immediately affects another, which is a foundation principle in scientific inquiry.The presence of chemical formulas and links to definitions and descriptions show students how to be scientists, to conduct research, and to presnt the results of their research as scientists would(in tables and graphs).

Task 3

1. This is a picture of my spectrometer.

2. This is a photograph showing the spectrometer in use.

3. A spectrometer is a device which will break light into a spectrum (light's collection of component colors). The spectra are different for each element, enabling identification of elements through spectra observation. Astronomers gain useful information by using spectrometers.

The light coming from the object is filtered into a thin sliver of light which hits a prism, splitting the light into spectral lines of color. The spectrum is reflected off of mirrors until it reaches a flat surface where the spectral lines can be identified by wavelength.The wavelength depends on what color it is(red has a higher wavelength than blue).

Task 4

Figure 3

1.This image of the Moon from the orbiting ROSAT Observatory shows the bright hemisphere, the darker half of the Moon and the sky background.The bright hemisphere of the Moon shines due to the fact that it scatters x-rays emitted by the Sun.

2.The dark side shadows background radiation from deep in space. The background sky is a little lighter due to other galaxies in the distance.

Figure 4

1.The Sun is shining on the left side of the Moon, which is why that side is brighter in radio wavelengths.

Figure 5

1. Image 1,2,and 3 appear to be the Moon viewed from the exact same location with a variety of wavelengths affecting the coloration. The Maria and craters are visible in all 3 photos, but their clarity is enhanced in the ultraviolet and visible examples. The darker regions, which look round, and the bright spots are usually small.The visible, with which we are all most familiar, is the most "comfortable" to view, but the others bring heightened interest as to what new information they can provide. The fourth view(near-infrared) is wildly colorful and an interesting puzzle to analyze. The vivid colors can be utilized to place emphasis on what is being examined or studied. The jagged edge as it cuts to darkness in the upper right quadrant provides challenge and questions.This is probably an image taken from space and at an angle which we cannot see from Earth.

2. Patterns of Moon features are concurrent in all 4 views. The variance is the color emphasis provided by a variety of wavelengths. Many colors were used for each image.

3. The maria are most visible in frames 1 and 4, less visible in 2 and 3. Despite this frame 2 is most like we see the Moon with the naked eye, so this frame is comfortable and clear.

4. A variety of light sources can be utilized to place emphasis on certain features which are being examined and studied. Young children will be most interested in the images utilizing color.

Figure 6

5. These images show the actual terrain of the Moon: the Maria, craters, and highlands. They appear to be 3 dimensional, and a closer view.

6. Many colors are used for each image. Apollo 8 photographs show the Earth as blue-grey and white when viewed from space. Neil Armstrong stated that the closer they got to the Moon, the colors faded. We look up through the atmosphere at the Moon. It is illuminated by the Sun.7. Colors are a product of viewing the Moon through the atmosphere of Earth and distortion occurs. The colors are distorted by the distance. Photos taken by Apollo 17 show blue-green rather than grey.

7. No, these are not the real colors of the Moon. The colors are coded to specific fingerprints of brightness of reflected light. The various colors represent regions that are bright at different wavelengths of light, so a variety of colors indicate that the parts of the Moon are composed of differnet minerals.

Blog 3

1. Concept Map emailed to Cynthia Hall.

2. Relevant South Carolina State Standards for Grade 8: Science 8-4.4,8-4.6, 8-4.10,8-6.7 and 8-6.8. Math 8-5 measurement, 8-6 data analysis, 8-4 geometry

8-4.4 Explain the motions of Earth and the Moon and the effects of these motions as they orbit.

8-4.6 Explain the effects of gravity on tides and planetary orbits.

8-4.10 Compare the purposes of the tools and the technology that scientists use to study space (telescopes, satellites, space probes, spectroscopes)

8-6.7 Explain how the absorption and reflection of light waves by various materials result in the human perception of color.

8-6.8 Compare the wavelength and energy of waves in various parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.

3. Students must understand the following concepts:

8-1.1 Be able to design a controlled scientific investigation.

8-1.3 Make an inference to form a valid conclusion.

8-4.4 Explain the motions of Earth and the Moon and the effects of these motions as they orbit.

8-4.6 Explain the effects of gravity on tides and planetary orbits.

8-4.10 Compare the purposes of the tools and the teachnology that scientists use to study space.

8-6.8 Compare the wavelength and energy of waves in various parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.

It is essential for the students to know:

A day is based on the 24 hours that it takes Earth to rotate on its axis counterclockwise from west to east.

A year is based on 365.25 days it takes Earth to revolve around the Sun in an elliptical orbit.

The Moon revolves with Earth around the Sun as the Moon is revoving around Earth.

The Moon revolves around Earth in 29.5 Earth days.

As the Moon revolves(similar to Earth) it is rotating and spinning on its axis.

The rotation time for the Moon is a little more than 27 Earth days.

Because the Moon rotates and revolves in nearly the same amount of time, the same side of the Moon always faces Earth.

Refracting and reflecting telescopes collect visible light, then use convex lenses or mirrors to focus the light and produce larger, brighter images of distant objects in space.

Radio telescopes receive radio waves emitted from objects in space, including waves from very distant stars and galaxies.

Other telescopes "read" infrared or x-ray signals, but must be placed where Earth's atmosphere does not block or absorb the signals.

Satellites are placed in orbit around Earth with special instruments and telescopes which collect information from space. The information is then sent back to Earth where it is interpreted.

Data gathered from satellites is not hindered by Earth's atmosphere.

Space probes contain instruments to collect data and travel out of Earth's orbit to explore places that would be too dangerous for astronomers.

Spectroscopes collect light from distant stars and separate that light into bands of different colors. By studying these bands, astronomers identify elements.

4. Students can make scientific observations and inferences by conducting experiments like making a spectrometer and using it. The simle project which we did utilizes common household items to make a tool that real scientists employ every day. It links to mathematics through geometry and the recording of data. Inferences are made about repeated trials, and predictions will follow. Curiosity will prompt further questions, and the cycle of learning continues.

5. Many students will arrive with rudimentary knowledge of what a spectrometer does, but will have questions about how modern scientists and ordinary people use this instrument to acquire information about Astronomy. Because we live near the beaches, where nights are dark, the students can be encourged to look skyward in the evening and question what they see. In the daytime they can utilize the spectrometers they have made to delve further into scientific investigation to answer their inquiries.

6. Sir Isaac Newton identified that a glass prism split sunlight into a rainbow of colors, naming this a spectrum(from the Latin word for ghost). If visible light strikes gas molecules as they pass through the atmosphere, the light gets absorbed as energy. Higher energy blue light is absorbed more often than lower energy red light. Red is iron abundance near poles and in ll mare regions of the Moon.

Upon reaching the lunar surface Astronaut Irwin noticed a large boulder that looked green(tiny spheres of green glass). Were they frozen remnants of a fire fountain eruption from 3.5 billion years ago?

Red is hot temperature, blue is cold temperature, while white, yellow, and orange fall between the two. Scientific instruments are able to discern small variations in color.

I learned that distance from the Sun and atmospheric composition affect the temperature. Earth and Moon receive approximately the same amount of heat from the Sun, but the Moon lacks the atmosphere needed to retain much of that heat. The Moon has a very thin atmosphere composed of gases vented from the Moon's interior and particles of solar wind.

7. What is albedo? It is a measure of the reflectiveness of a celestial body, expressed a s a percentage of the amount of sunlight that it reflects back into space. Earth's albedo is 38%, while the Moon's albedo is 7% (12% in another source). Albedo has a large influence on surface temperatures.

How is electromagnetic radiation emitted? It is emitted along a range of wavelengths. Radiation is electromagnetic because it moves as interlocked waves of electrical and magnetic fields.

8. I learned about a variety of games at the NASA Education website. These interesting and simple games will enhance my students' learning in an enjoyable way. These can be accessed from home or school, and the links can be placed on my eChalk page for easy accessibility for students and parents. They can be utilized for extra credit or for buiding knowledge in students who are absent from school.

Blog 2

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WebQuest I Fly Me to the Moon: The Age of Google

Task 1:The Formative Period

1.a) The Moon could be a sister world which formed in orbit when Earth formed.

b) The Moon formed in another location in the solar system, and then was captured to orbit Earth.

c) Early Earth spun so rapidly that it spun off the Moon.

2.The theories could not explain the Moon's lack of iron, and after Moon rocks were brought to Earth for examination, they proved to have the same isotope composition as Earth. The third theory was debunked mathematically when angular momentum did not uphold it.

1. 4.5 billion years ago Earth was struck by a giant asteroid, and it sent a massive amount of material into orbit. This formed the Moon.

2.The deep crust, the initial crust of the Moon, which formed as the Moon came to be.

3.Anorthosite helps us to learn about how the Moon was formed.

4.Anorthosite was brought to Earth from Lunar missions. It is the Genesis Rock.

5.Apollo 15 provided this evidence.

6.The Moon affects the Earth's temperature, tides, water, and even life itself.

Task 2: What does it look like now?

1.Hadley Rille is an elevated feature.

2.It is likely a lava channel, similar to those in Hawaii. It is much larger than any channel on Earth.

3.The Moon has such low gravity that the lava channel is quite large, many times larger than it could be on Earth or Mars.

1.Apollo 14 landed in the Fra Mauro formation near Cone Crater; it was an intersting site to explore because of its location: on the edge of the lava-filled Imbvium Basin (the largest mare of an ancient impact).

2.Scientists hoped to learn about the early solar system and to seek out some of the oldest rocks ever dated.

One question I still have is, What is the temperature on the far-side?

Task 3: The Space Race

1.Luna 2, built by the Soviets, was the first spacecraft to reach the surface of the Moon.

2.Luna III was the first to send back pictures of the far side of the Moon.

3." The Eagle has landed" culminated our success in beating the Soviet Union in the race to land humans on the Moon.

Three Lunar missions which hold particular interest for me include:

a)Surveyor 1 first soft landing on the Moon by the United States

b) Explorer 35 operated for six years

c) Clementine mapped the lunar with with a Star Tracker camera

Task 4: Who owns the Moon?

1.The Lunar Embassy Corporation claims that they own the Moon and its planets and they have sold real estate to more than 3.7 million people.

2. The LEC has no legal support.

3.The Moon is unable to be claimed by any person, group, or country according to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.

4.Some people want to purchase Moon land or resources from Hope's company because it is inexpensive compared to land on Earth. His only expense is to print the title for the buyer. If people ever get to "live" on the Moon, he has a government in place to keep things orderly.

1.The Moon and its natural resources belong to all of mankind, not owned by individuals

2.a) the Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes

b) outer space shall be free

c) states shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies

I am very cognizant of the pollution and depletion of natural resources on planet Earth, and I hope this does not happen to the Moon.

3. Lunar exploration is encouraged for the benefit and interest of all countries on Earth.

4. Astronauts represent all of mankind.

5.All inhabitants of the Earth own the moon collectively, not as individuals.

Task 5: A work in progress... Current/future missions

1.India to partner in MoonRise Mission(5 year). India is to launch a remote lunar orbiter which will land in the lunar South Pole. It is tentaively scheduled for October 2016, and one of its tasks is to determine chronology of impact.

2.Apollo 18 - 20 were cancelled missions due to budget shortfalls. No crews had been assigned, but astronauts were training and waiting for their opportunities. With several wars going on today, and severe budget constraints, we have little chance of humans exploring the Moon again in the immediate future.

1. We have come so far from the time when the mysterious, distant moon served people as:

a guide for travelers

a timekeeper for farmers

a compass for seamen

With the invention of the telescope in the 1600s,astronomers could see the surface of the Moon and other planets. Some mysteries were solved, while others deepened. We are still inquisitive about our solar system.

Task 6: Myths and Misconceptions...

Video 1

1.They built a replica of the lunar flag assembly to see if the Apollo's flag would have flapped around as the video shows. The conspiracy theory is debunked by NASA science.

2.The vacuum causes the flag to move without wind. Momentum alone will cause it.

Video 2

1.NASA photos should show evidence of two light sources. They think the video shows it was shot in a studio. The astronaut is so well-lighted, while the dark shadow is huge underneath
2.Two shadows can be parallel with a single light source, even though they may not appear to be parallel. Sunlight is bouncing back from the lunar surface.

Video 3

1. Laser pointer would not make it to the Moon, but the Moon is being shined upon by a much more powerful laser. As expected the beam is scattered. A retro reflector was placed by Apollo 15 and light was returned to Earth as expected.

2.Yes, it is convincing as photons came back to the scientists' equipment. This proves that man has been to the Moon, something I never doubted.

1.Moon Formation Concept Map


This was sent via email to Cynthia Hall due to an inability to transfer it from Inspirartion into the Blog.

2.The South Carolina Standards for Grade 8 are

Science 8-4.3, 8-4.4, 8-4.7, 8-4.8 and 8-4.9. Math 8-4(Geometry), 8-5(Measurement), and 8-6( Data Analysis)

3. For 8th grade, the level with the most emphasis on Astronomy, it is essential for students to understand:

The Moon revolves with Earth around the Sun, but the rotation for one complete spin of the Moon is a little over 27 Earth days.

The Moon revolves around the Earth in 29.5 Earth days. Because the Moon rotates and revolves in nearly the same amount of time, the same side of the Moon always faces Earth.

Phases of the Moon: The causes of the pahases of the Moon depends on how much of the sunlit side of the Moon faces Earth.

Eclipses: Eclipses of the Sun and Moon are a result of the alignment of Earth, Sun, and Moon so that Earth's shadow hits the Moon or the Moon's shadow hits Earth. Students need to know the alignment that resuts is a Solar Eclipse or a Lunar Eclipse.

Tides: Tides are changes in the surface levels of the Earth's ocean water.

As the Moon orbits Earth the waters of Earth closest to the Moon bulge outward toward the Moon; this bulge is the high tide.Another high tide occurs on the opposite side of Earth.Low tides occur in the areas between the two high tides.

Phases of the Moon: The cause of the phases of the Moon depends on how much of the sunlit side of the Moon faces Earth. Students should explore the position of the Moon as it revolves Earth and note the observed effects from Earth during each phase (new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, waning crescent).

Tides: The Moon being closer to the Earth than the Sun has the greatest pulling effect on tides, the rise and fall of ocean water in this case. Spring tides and neap tides are understood with causes for each.

There is gravitational pull between the Sun and planets and between Earth and Moon.

The Moon has a greater effect on Earth's tides than the Sun because it is closer to Earth.

From SC Grade 8 Science Standards: Students must understand these concepts

8-4.4 Explain the motions of Earth and the Moon and and the effects of these motions as they orbit.

8-4.6 Explain the effects of gravity on tides and planetary orbits.

8-4.1o Compare the purposes of the tools and the technology that scientists use to study space.

8-6.8 Compare the wavelength and energy of waves in various parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.

4. Activities to enhance student learning include developing a Moon chart and explaining why the appearances differ, constructing a tide chart for a week choosing two cities in different hemispheres, using paper plates and balls to demonstrate solar and lunar eclipses, as well as solving force and motion problems. The tie-in to Math is essential to understanding the Science standards listed above.

5.Though the Science Standards do not specifically mention the formation of the Moon, some students mistakenly believe that it reflects light, that there is the face of a man on the Moon, a cow can jump over the Moon, and the Moon can make you mad (a lunatic).

6. The various sorces which were researched for WebQuest I helped me to learn that several previously-believed theories about Moon formation have been scientifically debunked. I reviewed the prevailing theory and evaluated the evidence scientists use to support it. Through the web search I discovered that anorthosite which was brought back by Apollo astronauts helped us to learn about Genesis rock.

7.How do we measure the distance from Earth to Moon today? By bouncing laser beams off of reflectors which Apollo 11, 14, and 15 astronauts left on the surface of the Moon. Since we know how fast the laser beam travels we can accurately determine the distance.

How did early scientists measure it? They used geometry to calculate the distance from Earth to Moon.

8.Several web searches will be both informative and enjoyable for students:

http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/vphase.html (shows current phase of the Moon updated every 4 hours. You can also view the phase of the Moon for any day 1800-2199 AD)

www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/stereo_atlas/HTDOCS/PLANETS_TOUR.html (take a planet tour with 3D glasses)

Find references to the Moon in literature and folklore.

Read The Big Splat: How Our Moon Came to Be by Dana Mackenzie.

Brain Pop: Is there a Man in the Moon?

ETV Streamline SC : A Spin Around the Solar System-- Moon Dance

Blog 1

1. Fly Me to the Moon: A Course in Lunar Science and NASA exploratory missions to the Moon renewed my interest in Astronomy and Earth Science. I grew up in an era when space exploration was valued, exciting, and newsworthy. I remember exactly where I was when Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon in July of 1969. It still amazes me. It was Kennedy's goal, and it is such a shame he did not live to see this day.



























2.South Carolina Academic Standards include:

Scientific Inquiry as the initial standard for all grades K -8, as well as the high school course Earth Science.
Standard 1-3: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the features of the sky and the patterns of the sun and moon.
Standard 4-3: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the properties, movements,and locations of objects in the solar system.
Standard 5-3: The student will demonstrate an understanding of features, processes, and changes in Earth's land and oceans.Standard 7-5: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the classifications and properties of matter and the changes that matter undergoes.
Standard 8-4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics,structure, and predictable motions of celestial bodies.
Standard ES-2: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the structure and properties of the universe.

3.Grade 1: Students learn the features of the Sun and Moon and changes in the Moon's appearance over time.
Grade 4: Students learn about the Moon in the context of Astronomy. They identify the phases of the Moon and its effect on tides of the oceans. They also learn the purpose of telescopes to look at the Moon.
Grade 5: Further study of tides takes place, with increased scientific explanation.
Grade 7: Students study matter and its physical properties.
Grade 8: Students study characteristics, orbits, phases, eclipses, and tides. An in-depth study of Astronomy enables students to grasp more complex information about the Moon.
Earth Science: High School students who elect to take this course delve further into the formation of the Moon and identify properties and features that distinguish it from other moons in the solar system. They are able to explain how technology and computer modeling have increased our understanding of the Moon.

From South Carolina State Department of Education Science Support Documents Grade 8

Design a controlled scientific investigation. Determine the effect of an independent variable in an experiment when all other variables are controlled. Every controlled scientific investigation provides information(data). Data includes both scientific observations and inferences.
Identify a testable question
Research information
State the hypothesis
Design and experiment
Conduct the experiment and record data in tables, graphs, or charts
Analyze data to figure out what it means.

A scientific investigation that is conducted accurately: Using appropriate tools safely safely and accurately, Making careful measurements, Using mathematical formulas appropriately, Representing numbers with appropriate units of measurement, Recording data in organized tables, graphs, or charts

Inferences are sometimes needed to help form a valid conclusion. An inference is an explanation of the data that is based on facts, but not necessarily direct observation.

Questions that can help decide what further investigations may be: Can the procedure or product be improved? What would happen if another independent variable were tested? What are you wondering now?

Day, year, phases of the Moon and the efffect of these motions

The moon has a greater effect on Earth's tides than the Sun because it is closer to Earth. The gravitational pull between Earth and it's Moon causes distinct mations between them.

The Moon being closer to the Earth than the Sun(distance) has the greatest pulling effect on tides.
The Sun also pulls on Earth and can combine its force with the Moon causing even higher tides(spring tides) or can be at right angles, pulling against the Moon's pill, causing very little tidal change (neap tides).

Weight can change if an object is located on another object in space, for example the Moon or Mars.

Astronomers use telescopes, satellites, space probes, and spectroscopes to make observations and collect data about objects in the solar system and outside of the solar system. These tools and the associated technology that allow astronomers to analyze and interpret the data help scientists learn about the solar system and the universe.

4. A variety of activites and games, especially the marbles in the flour and flashlight with ball, will create interest and enhance understanding of the Moon, why we went there, and hope to go again. These can be adapted for a variety of grade and knowledge levels. Larger groups with assigned jobs for each student would be effective in Middle School classrooms.

5.Many students, and unfortunately some adults, have misconceptions about the Moon emitting its own light, that it is not up during the day, that Earth's shadow causes Moon phases, and that the Earth protects the Moon from meteorites. There are also links to some religious and belief systems, with Doomsday predictions for 2012.Without overtly contradicting students' religious beliefs, our job as educators is to show them the scientific data that exists, and help them to become scientists.We strive to awaken curiosity and foster a love of research through the use of hands-on modeling, virtual and actual field experiences, examining photographs and videos, and playing games to provide intellectual stimulation. Our goal is to make the students want to learn more and provide them with the tools to do so.

6.I learned, or actually relearned, many properties of the Moon that I had forgotten. Rocks and minerals of the Moon, its formation, comparisons of the Earth and the Moon, and seismic activity on the Moon are a few of the things that interest me and challenge me to learn more. I remembered the large temperature swings, but not the duration of a night on the Moon. Interactive games and use of spectrometers, as well as the previously mentioned activities, will help to dispel myths about the Moon.

7.What are NASA's latest findings about the Moon? The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is releasing new images and maps; the far side of the Moon is shown.Why do South Carolina high school students have to take an elective course to learn in depth about Astronomy? State Standards emphasize courses in the basic sciences: Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. These are the classes for which End of Course Tests are developed and administered, leaving many areas of Science, including a study of Astronomy, to be taken only by a limited number of students.

8.My favorite activity of the weekend was the Projectiles in the Flour, and I believe this will be useful for a variety of group sizes and grade levels.Follow-up can be drawing and labeling what you have seen, then viewing actual photographs of the Moon from the NASA site. A writing activity of comparison and contrast could lead to production of a Powerpoint in which the students would include pictures and videos related to lunar investigation.