Tuesday

We are looking for your input for your promotion night. After testing you will return to your block 2 and take this survey.

Promotion Night Survey

Constellation Project

Today we will start our research for our constellation project.  This project is due Feb 16th!!  You will complete a data collection sheet and create two graphs before you start you Keynote Presentation.

Project Description

Here are some helpful websites to get us started.

Constellation List
Northern Hemisphere Constellations
3D New World Atlas
Spectral Classes

Thursday

I will be out of class today at a meeting.  This activity will be handed in at the end of class.

Where are we is our galaxy?  How many planets have we found so far.  How do we find new planets? What is so exciting about the newest planet discovered?

We will use several websites to find the answers.  Please mute your laptops or use ear phones, there is "music/noise" on some sites that is distracting.

Part A
Our Galaxy

Part B
Planet Finding

Part C
Kepler

Part D
Newest Planet

Entry 29

Next set of Vocab Flash Cards due Fri (planet-solar system).  Check the Universe Vocab Quizlet link. 

Sunrise: 7:05 AM
Sunset: 4:41 PM
Daylight: 9h 35m

Check out this article: Betelgeuse

1.  What stage in a star's life do you think Betelgeuse is in? Is this a young star or an older star?
2. Star must maintain a balance between the forces of gas pressure and gravity. If Betelgeuse is going to explode, what force is stronger?
3. When scientists use the term "soon" when talking about stars, what time frame do you think they are talking about?

Wednesday

Quiz on Big Bang Model and 9 vocabulary terms.

Hand in Plant, Star, Galaxy sheet.

We will watch the first two part of The Secrets of the Sun
Part 1
Part 2

You can get a head start on the next set of vocabulary.  Make flash cards for each term.  These will be due on Monday 1/24.  Find vocab here and on Universe Quizlet link on the right.  You will have a total of 21 flashcards.

Star Life Cycle

We can compare a star's life to a person's.  Just like a person, a star is born, ages, and eventually dies.  Huge cosmic clouds of gas and dust are where stars are born.  These are called Nebula.  Inside a Nebula a protostar is created.  Some protostars go on to be stars that live a long luminous life while other never make it to a star.

• If a protostar does not get big and hot enough it become a brown dwarf.  
• If it reaches a balance of gas burning (pressure out) and gravity (pressure in) it becomes a star.

Star Life Cycle Notes

Life cycle of a star video

Tuesday

There is a quiz on Wed!  Study the notes on the Big Bang and the first 9 vocabulary terms.

We will take a practice quiz in class.
Practice quiz

Wednesday

Today we will investigate the objects in our universe.  What are these objects made of?  How big are they?

Use the website and the text book to fill in the chart.


What is a planet?
What is a star?
How many planets are in the Milky Way?
How many stars are in the Milky Way?
What are planets made of?
What are stars made of?
What is a galaxy?
Galaxy Shapes 
Types of Galaxies
Planet Quest

Use the book and websites to the answer questions.
Life cycle of a star
Nebula formation
Protostar

Origin of the Universe

Today we are going to watch the National Geographic Naked Science episode on the Big Bang.  The Big Bang Model is a theory of how the universe originated from a single point and expanded to everything that we know today. There are other theories for the origin of the universe and still many unanswered question to exploring.  But the Big Bang Theory has several pieces of strong evidence that support this model and is widely accepted by the scientific community.  Many other ideas can be taken into consideration when we look at the origin of the universe including; cultural, religious, and societal views.

If you are not in class you can stream most of it on youtube:

NG Part 1
NG Part 2
NG Part 3
NG Part 4
NG Part 5

Big Bang Model

The Big Bang Model is a theory scientists use to explain the formation of the universe.  Over the past 80 years scientists have found strong evidence that supports this model.

If you missed class, below is a link to the notes for the Big Bang. (note: presentation is missing picture)
Big Bang Notes

Entry 28

Sunrise: 7:14 AM
Sunset: 4:20 PM
Daylight: 9h 06m

Due to Earth's gravity, objects on Earth fall at a constant rate of acceleration 9.8 m/s squared.

1. Would objects fall faster or slower on the moon?

2. Would objects fall faster or slower on the sun?

3. What does Earth have that can effect the speed at which objects fall?  (think about dropping paper)

Galileo

Moon's Gravity video

Big Bang

What do we know that supports the Big Bang Theory?

Just like the Theory of Gravity no one has yet been able to prove that the universe was formed by the Big Bang.  But scientists do have 4 main points that support the Big Bang Theory.

1. Galaxies are moving away from each other, the universe is expanding.
2. The universe is "bathed" in microwave radiation that is left over from a huge explosion.
3. The universe is abundant in hydrogen and helium.
4. We have found no stars older than 13.7 billion years.

Gravity Everywhere

Gravity Pulls and Pushes on everything in the Universe.

Sit Isaac Newton showed us that two things effect the amount of gravitational force an objects has. Mass        Distance
Around the 1650's Newton explained that the same force that caused an apple to fall to the Earth's surface is the same force that keeps the moon orbiting the Earth.
But Newton did not know how gravity worked.

In the early 1900's Albert Einstein started to think about gravity.  He wanted to connect Newton's theory of gravity with his theory of space and time.  He theorized that gravity travels at the same speed as light and gravity can bend and flex space and time.

The Elegant Universe: Gravity video

Entry 27

Sunrise: 7:15 AM
Sunset: 4:17 PM
Daylight: 9h 02m

Gravity: That force or pull that holds everything together.

1. Does all matter have a gravitational pull?

2. What two things do you think effect how strong or weak a gravitational force can be?

The Universe

Today we start our space exploration unit.  We will investigate the Universe, our galaxy, and our solar system. What is out there in space? Can humans live on other planets?  Is there life on other planets?

If you have not handed in your atmosphere model, make sure it is in by Wednesday 1/05.  If it is handed in after you will lose points.

Science Fact or Science Fiction: True or False Intro
Planet Quest

Key Questions to the Universe:  We will look at the the key questions for our universe unit. 
- What do we already know about the universe? 
- What do we want to know? 
- What are questions scientists are still wondering about?
Keep this paper in your binder or in-class folder.  We will use it throughout the unit.