Tuesday, May 31, 2011

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.