Class 79 Friday 6/7/2019

Warm-Up: 

1. Name the three rock types and tell how they form.

2. Identify the parts in the water cycle and tell how they happen.

3. Why do we have seasons, and why is summer hotter than winter?

 

Today: 

  • Try to bake some cinammon rolls -- if the Canadian smoke isn't too dense.

  • Final Exam Preparation

 

Homework:   Prepare for the final exam

Class 78 Wednesday 6/5/2019

Warm-Up: 

1. Why is the weather getting warmer?

2. What is the most common wrong answer to "why is it hotter in the summer?"

 

Today: 

 

Homework:   Prepare for the final

Class 77 Monday 6/3/2019

Warm-Up: 

When you inflate a balloon, what happens to its...

1.  volume    2.  mass    3.  density    4.  weight

5.  In what situation can you gain weight without gaining mass?

Today: 

 

Homework:   None

Class 76 Thursday 5/29/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  How many more B days do we have left?

2.  How many days are there until the longest day of the year (in terms of daylight hours here in VT)?

Today: 

  • Test

  • Make sure that everyone has submitted the project.

 

Homework:   None

Class 75 Tuesday 5/28/2019

Warm-Up: 

Is the ocean water colder in San Francisco, California or in Dover, Delaware?  Why?

Today: 

 

Homework:   Study for test

Class 74 Wednesday 5/23/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  How does a scroll saw work?

2.  What are the dangers of a scroll saw?

Today: 

 

Homework:  

Class 73 Monday 5/19/2019

Warm-Up:  No warm-up today.

Today: 

 

Homework:   Climate Mapping Practice Test

Class 72 Wednesday 5/15/2019

Warm-Up: 

  1.  What causes the major rainforests and deserts?  Why are they bigger on one end?
  2.   What causes the coastal wet climates?
  3.   What causes the humid climates?
  4.   What causes the rain shadow climates?

Today: 

  • Discuss computer vandalism

  • Return papers

  • Watch one of your videos and confirm that everything is working well.  Can you hear yourself?  Is the video turned the right way?

  • Work on climate map videos.  In each video, explain the features that you drew.  What causes them?  Why are they in those locations?  What makes them the way they are?  See the Climate Map Project Grading Rubric for details.

  1. Draw pressure belts.  Stop.  Don't draw anything else.

  2. Make a pressure belts video, with narration and pointing.

  3. Draw the winds.  Stop.  Don't draw anything else.

  4. Make a wind video.

  5. Draw the ocean currents.  Stop.  Don't draw anything else.

  6. Make an ocean current video.

  7. Repeat this process for

    1. Major deserts and rainforests

    2. Coastal Wet

    3. Humid Climates

    4. Rain Shadow Climates

 

Homework:  

Class 71 Monday 5/13/2019

Warm-Up: 

  1.   What causes the Earth's pressure belts?  Why are they in those locations?
  2.   What causes the Earth's prevailing winds?
  3. What causes the ocean currents to flow in the way that they do?  Why are some hot and some cold?
  4.   What causes the major rainforests and deserts?  Why are they bigger on one end?

Today: 

  • Work on climate map videos.  In each video, explain the features that you drew.  What causes them?  Why are they in those locations?  What makes them the way they are?  See the Climate Map Project Grading Rubric for details.

    1. Draw pressure belts.  Stop.  Don't draw anything else.

    2. Make a pressure belts video, with narration and pointing.

    3. Draw the winds.  Stop.  Don't draw anything else.

    4. Make a wind video.

    5. Draw the ocean currents.  Stop.  Don't draw anything else.

    6. Make an ocean current video.

    7. Repeat this process for

      1. Major deserts and rainforests

      2. Coastal Wet

      3. Humid Climates

      4. Rain Shadow Climates

 

Homework:   None

Class 70 Wednesday 5/8/2019

Warm-Up:  Have you ever used screencastify?  Do you know what it does?

Today: 

 

Homework:   None

Class 69 Monday 5/6/2019

Warm-Up:  No warm-up.  Mr. Stapleton is gone

Today: 

  • Video -- National Geographic Cyclone

Class 68 Thursday 5/2/2019

Warm-Up:  Why do clocks go clockwise?  Why don't the numbers and hands of clocks move in the other direction?

Today: 

  • Quiz

  • Mr. Stapleton will be gone on Monday.  You will be watching National Geographic Cyclone, and answering questions about the video.

  • Change of plans, regarding the Climate Map Project.  Draw your continent on paper and trace it in black pen.  I will make copies and keep an original.  Instead of laser cutting your continent, you will be cutting it out using a scroll saw.

    • Continent Requirements:

      • Must cross the equator.

      • Must reach 50 degrees latitude in at least one hemisphere.

      • Must be wide enough to have at least one of all of the climates that we have discussed (at least 2 inches wide on model)

      • Model cannot be too wide for the current simulator (no wider than 5 inches at the widest point).

      • Must have mountains that cause a rain shadow effect.

  • Begin drawing your climate features.

 

Homework:   None

Class 67 Tuesday 4/30/2019

Warm-Up:  We are going to have a quiz next class over the questions from the class # 64 warm-up, plus this one... When wind crosses a mountain range, which side of the mountain range has a rain shadow?

 

Today: 

  • Return Quizzes

  • Finish North America Map

  • Begin the Climate Map Project.

    • Get the Continent Project Map Template.  If, for some reason, this link is not working, I can email you the file.

    • Save the template on your F:Drive

    • Draw your map using the sketch tool.  Measure it with the distance tool.

    • Continent Requirements:

      • Must cross the equator.

      • Must reach 50 degrees latitude in at least one hemisphere.

      • Must be wide enough to have at least one of all of the climates that we have discussed (at least 2 inches wide on model)

      • Model cannot be too wide for the current simulator (no wider than 5 inches at the widest point).

    • Save your completed model on your F:Drive.  Name it "[your name]".  This will be a Rhino file with a .3dm suffix.

    • Create a jpeg image of your continent.  Do this by "printing," but instead of a printer, select image file.  Set the View and Output Scale tab to extents and 1:1.  Name it "[your name] continent" and save it as a .jpeg file on your F:drive.

    • Print a paper copy of your continent on the printer in the computer lab.  Show it to Mr. Stapleton for approval before sharing your files.

    • Upload both your Rhino file model and your jpeg image to your Google Drive, and set their shared settings to "public."

    • Submit your continent model and .jpeg using this Continent Model Turn-In Form

 

Homework:   Quiz next class over the questions from the class 65 warm-up, plus those from today's warm up.

Class 66 Friday 4/18/2019

Warm-Up: 

1. Which location in the diagram probably gets the most rain and snow?

2.  Which location in the diagram is probably the driest?

 

Today: 

  • Quiz -- just like this video.

  • Finish South America

  • Work on North America

 

Homework:   None

Class 65 Wednesday 4/15/2019

Warm-Up:  Things you should have memorized...

 

  1.   The air pressure around us is caused by _____________.
  2.   Sinking air is ________ (high or low) pressure.
  3.   Rising air is ________ (high or low) pressure.
  4.   High pressure air = _________  (dry or wet) conditions.
  5.   Low pressure air = _________ (dry or wet) conditions.
  6.   Rising air = _________  (dry or wet) conditions.
  7.   Sinking air = _________  (dry or wet) conditions.
  8.   Deserts are bigger near ________ (warm or cold) ocean currents.
  9.   Rainforests are bigger near ________ (warm or cold) ocean currents.
  10.    Coastlines are wetter when wind comes from _____ the (ocean or land).

 

Today: 

  • Notes: Climate map drawing

  • Quiz next class over climate map drawing basics

    • Pressure Belts

    • Winds

    • Ocean Currents

    • Major deserts and rainforests

    • Coastal Wet

    • Humid Climates

 

Homework:   Practice for quiz.  Quiz will require you to do this -- watch this video.

Class 64 Monday 4/15/2019

Warm-Up: 

The picture on the right shows the direction of wind blowing over a mountain.  Where, in the diagram, will there be the most precipitation?  Where will there be the least?

Today: 

 

Homework:  

Class 63 Thursday 4/11/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  How do we know that black holes exist? 2nd link

2.  On a sheet of paper, sketch the following...

A) The circulation pattern of Earth's atmosphere

B) The Earth's pressure belts

C)  The Earth's prevailing winds

Today: 

 

Homework:   Quiz next class, just like today's warm-up.

Class 62 Tuesday 4/8/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  Identify the high and low pressure areas on the right.

2.  In which direction do winds curve in each hemisphere?  Why do they curve?

3.  Identify the areas of high precipitation (e.g. rainforests) and low precipitation (e.g. deserts).

4.  Why are some arrows blue while others are red?

Today: 

  • Return Quiz over structure of matter

  • Take Quiz over cloud formation

  • More practice drawing atmospheric circulation and prevailing winds in --  Circulation of The Atmosphere 

 

Homework:   None

Class 61 Friday 4/5/2019

Warm-Up:  The air that is in Vermont today came from somewhere else.

1.  Where does our weather come from?  If we want to know what the weather is going to look like over the next few days, whose current weather should we check?

2.  Based on the direction that air is moving, where is the higher pressure, and where is the lower pressure?

3.  In which direction does our wind usually blow?  Does it always blow in that direction?

Today: 

  • Make a first-person perspective video of someone throwing a paper wad at a moving target.

  • Quiz over structure of matter

  • Get a copy of next class' quiz

  • Notes:  Circulation of The Atmosphere  -- Coriolis Effect and Prevailing Winds

 

This unit:  Meteorology

  • Structure of matter -- what are air molecules?

  • Cloud formation

  • Atmospheric Circulation

  • Mapping Climates

    • Pressure Belts

    • Winds

    • Ocean currents

    • Horse latitudes and Doldrums

    • Rainshadow Effect

    • Coastal wet

Homework:   Cloud formation quiz next class exactly like this practice quiz.

Class 60 Wednesday 4/3/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  What are conduction, convection, and radiation?

2.  Give other examples of conduction, convection, and radiation.

Today: 

  1. Bill Nye Water Cycle

  2. Cloud Formation Notes -- Cloud in a Bottle

Homework:   Quiz next class, similar to the vocabulary practice in the back of  Notes and Practice -- Structure of Matter  Filled-In Notes

Image result for wax paperClass 59 Monday 4/1/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  What happens when you drip a drop or two of water on wax paper, and then you poke at it with an eyedropper?
2.  Why does it happen?

Today: 

  1. Return tests and project grading sheets.

  2. Notes and Practice -- Structure of Matter  Filled-In Notes

Homework:  

Class 58 Thursday 3/28/2019

Warm-Up: 

No warm-up.  Test today.  Then finish your slideshows.

Today:  Last B day of 3rd quarter

  1. Test

  2. Work time

Homework:  

Class 57 Tuesday 3/26/2019

Warm-Up: 

The balloon on the right is losing two kinds of mass.  What are they?

Today:

  1. Check the homework -- Physical Properties of Matter Test Review.  Filled-In Test Review  Video explaining everything in the test review

  2. Work time.  Slideshows are due at the end of class on Friday.

  3. I don't have a link to Saige and Kameron's slideshow

Homework:   Study.  Test on Thursday.  Questions will be similar to the test review.  Here are the answers to the test review -- Filled-In Test Review  Video explaining everything in the test review

Class 56 Tuesday 3/19/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  Why doesn't the Earth's atmosphere just float away?

2.  What causes air pressure?

3.  Describe a situation in which heating air increases air pressure.  Describe a situation in which heating air decreases air pressure.

Today:

  1. Check the homework.

  2. Together -- complete more of the test review

  3. Work on Slideshow.

  4. Slideshows are due on Tuesday.

Homework:   Finish Physical Properties of Matter Test Review.  Test next Thursday.

Class 55 Thursday 3/19/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  What's special about tomorrow?

2. Was this picture of an unopened chip bag taken at a high altitude or a low altitude?

Today:

  1. Share your slideshow with Mr. Stapleotn.  See below...

    • As a group, complete the balloon project slides.  Make a copy of this template.  Then rename it with your name(s) and share it with your partner(s) and jstapleton@ewsd.org.

  2. Work on the Physical Properties of Matter Test Review

    • During class today, complete part 4 of the test review.

    • For homework, complete parts 1 and 5

    • Next class, complete parts 2 and 3

Homework:   Complete parts 1  of the Physical Properties of Matter Test Review

Class 54 Friday 3/15/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  How do people fill up real hot air balloons without burning them?

2. How does a hot air balloon work?  What changes in the early stages of balloon flight?  Mass? Volume?  Density?  Classroom Video

Today:

  1. Finish this -- Individually [with your partner(s)], complete the Actual Balloon Calculations Sheet.  Get your calculations checked by Mr. Stapleton.

  2. As a group, complete the balloon project slides.  Make a copy of this template.  Then rename it with your name(s) and share it with your partner(s) and jstapleton@ewsd.org.

Air temperature calculator

 

Homework:  The slideshow will be due before class next Thursday.  On Tuesday, you will have work time for a practice test, but you can use that time to finish your slide show.

Class 53 Wednesday 3/13/2019

Warm-Up: 

Should our balloons fly better on a hot day or on a cold day?

Today: 

Today:  Coming soon -- test review over physical properties of matter.

Homework:  None

Class 52 Monday 3/11/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  The two balloons on the right are identical.  Explain how you can tell.

Consider the balloon on the right...

2.  Is its density greater than, less than, or equal to the air around it?

3.  If density = mass/volume, then mass = ???

4.  What is the overall mass of the balloon on the right (including the string and attached mass)?

5.  What is the mass of the hot air inside the balloon on the right?

6.  What is the density of the hot air in the balloon on the right?

7.  What is the temperature of the air in the balloon on the right?

Today: 

Homework:  None

Class 51 Thursday 3/7/2019

Warm-Up: 

1. How much weight is the balloon on the right able to lift?

2.  How can we measure the volume of your balloon?

 

Today: 

  • Fly hot air balloons and find their densities and temperatures.

    • Measure:

      • Mass lifted

      • Empty mass

      • Time to fill your balloon

Homework:  None

Class 50 Tuesday 3/5/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  When "Fearless Felix" Baumgartner made his record breaking parachute jump, he jumped from a helium balloon.  Why did the balloon balloon look so underinflated at first?

2.  What happens to helium balloons when they fly away?

Today: 

  • Continue making hot air balloons.  See last class for details.

Homework:  None

Class 50 Wednesday 2/19/2019

Warm-Up: 

1. Your balloon needs a platform to hold the fuel.  Which of these designs looks better?  Why?

2.  What general rules should you follow as you create your hot air balloon?

Today: 

  • Create Hot Air balloons

    • Build fuel platforms

      • Connect two bamboo skewers.

      • Cut a square of aluminum at least 1 inch bigger than the hole on the plywood form

      • Pound the aluminum into a cup, using the form, the insert, and a hammer

      • Punch holes in the rim of your aluminum cup.

      • Wire your aluminum cup to the bamboo skewers, using as little wire as possible.  The cup should stay level

    • Create your balloon envelope

      • Use sharpies to draw your shape and the creases on the wall. 

        • Use one color for the outline. 

        • Use another for the creases.

        • On the inside of the outline, number the edges.  Give the same number to pairs of edges that need to match up.

        • On the inside, clearly label the plastic with your names.

      • Cut out your shape, using scissors.  Leave at least 5 inches of extra material outside your outline.

      • Seal/cut the edges together, using the shrinkwrap machine

        • Hold the arm down firmly.  Watch the light; as soon as it turns off, "tear" the plastic free from the machine side of the arm. Then release the arm. ***Small holes (less than 1 inch) are okay.  Don't get obsessed with patching little holes.  If you patch a lot of holes, you will ruin your balloon.

    • Attach your fuel platform to the balloon

      • Make sure that the balloon hole is big enough to shape into a square whose corners match the ends of the bamboo skewers.  If the hole isn't big enough, enlarge it.

      • Use clear tape to securely tape your skewers to the balloon, using as little tape as possible.

    • Carefully prepare your balloon for storage. 

      • Write your names on every part, using a sharpie

      • Starting from the top of the balloon, squeeze out the air.  Then roll up the plastic.

      • Give your materials to Mr. Stapleton

Homework:  None

Class 49 Wednesday 2/19/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  Identify all of the windy places on the map to the right. 

2.  For each windy place, tell which way the wind is blowing. 

3.  For the places that are not windy, tell whether the air is rising or sinking.

Today: 

  • Return and discuss quizzes

  • Return "calculating densities of boxes" sheets

  • Finish designing and building prototype hot air balloons.

Homework:  None

Class 48 Monday 2/18/2019

Warm-Up:  The glass jar on the far right is sealed shut.  The other glass jar is open.

1.  What will happen to the air pressure inside the two jars if you heat the jars?

2.  What will happen to the air pressure in the two jars if you take the jars to a higher elevation?

Today: 

  • Final quiz over temperature and pressure

  • Finish Calculating Densities of Boxes and making a low density paper box.

  • Design and build prototype hot air balloons.

Homework:  None

Class 48 Thursday 2/14/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  Does air move from areas of low pressure to areas of high pressure, or from high pressure to low pressure?  Give some examples.

2.  What causes air pressure in a sealed container?

3.  What causes air prssure outside, in the open air

4.  What happens to air pressure in a sealed container, when the container heats up or cools down?

5.  What happens to air pressure in outside, in the open air, when the surrounding air heats up or cools down?

Today: 

  • Return quiz over temperature and pressure

  • Another practice quiz over temperature and pressure

  • Finish Calculating Densities of Boxes and making a low density paper box.

  • Design and build prototype hot air balloons.

Homework:   Quiz (the real one that will count) over temperature and pressure

Class 47 Tuesday 2/12/2019

Warm-Up:  Look at the current weather forecast.

1.  What do you notice about the relationship between air temperature (red) and air pressure (black)?

2.  Can you explain that relationship?

3.  Do you notice any other trends?

Today: 

Homework:   None

Class 46 Friday 2/8/2019

Warm-Up:  Why would anyone get the tattoo shown on the right?

Today: 

Homework:   Study for quiz next class, like the Temperature and pressure practice quiz

Class 45 Wednesday 2/6/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  What will happen if I put a balloon over a flask of water and heat up the water?

2.  What will happen if I put the flask on ice?

3.  What if I take the balloon off of the flask between steps 1 and 2, above?

4.  What are the particles in the balloon doing during the steps above?

Today: 

Homework:  

Class 44 Monday 2/4/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  How does the barometer work?
2.  Have you ever made anything like this in the bathtub?
3.  What is a vacuum?  Why is it important?
4.  The substance in the barometer is mercury.  Would this work with water?

Today: 

Homework:   Study for quiz next class over air pressure

Class 43 Thursday 1/31/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  How do suction cups work?
2.  Why won't they work on the moon?

Today: 

Homework:   None

Class 42 Tuesday 1/29/2019

Warm-Up:  An iceberg is floating in a lake.  What will happen to the water level if the iceberg suddenly melts?  Why?

Today: 

  • Check the homework

  • Return and discuss canister submarine activities -- what happened to M, V, D, and W?

  • Continue  physical properties of matter notes

  • What to study for the quiz.

Homework:   Study for quiz next class over physical properties of matter

 

Image result for freezing water in a cupClass 41 Wednesday 1/23/2019

Warm-Up:  Someone fills a styrofoam cup with water and places it in a freezer.  What happens to the water's mass, volume, density, and weight as it freezes?  How do you know?

Today: 

Homework:  Finish the practice quiz, if you didn't finish it in class.

 

Class 41 Wednesday 1/23/2019

Warm-Up: 

This bottle on the right contains a "cartesian diver."  The diver dives when the bottle is squeezed, and the diver rises when the bottle is released.

1.  As the bottle is squeezed, what is happening to the diver's density, volume, and mass?
2.  Why are those properties changing in those ways?

Today: 

  • Return and discuss exams

  • Discuss Plate Tectonics Test grade

  • Go over science courses and course recommendation process.  Turn in a sheet of paper with your science class preferences.

  • 2nd Semester:
    • Properties of Matter (particularly, water)
      • Physical Properties
      • Chemical Properties
      • Water Cycle
    • The rock cycle, Weathering and erosion
    • Seasons and Climate
    • Designing solutions for the future
  • Begin physical properties of matter
    •

     

Homework:  

Class 40 Monday 1/14/2019

Warm-Up:  What do all of these words and phrases have in common?

  • Was it a can on a cat I saw?

  • Now sir, a war is won!

  • Able was I ere I saw Elba.

  • Racecar

  • Step on no pets!

  • Madam I'm adam.

  • A man, a plan, a canal, Panama!

  • Go hang a salami; I'm a lasagna hog.

  • Mr. Owl ate my metal worm.

Today: 

Homework:  

Class 39 Friday 1/11/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  A rock sample has 37 radioactive parent atoms and 111 daughter atoms.  What percentage of the atoms are parent atoms?

2.  If the half-life of the atoms is 3million years, how old is the rock sample?

Today: 

Homework:  

Class 38 Monday 1/7/2019

Warm-Up: 

1.  For each feature in the picture below, name a real place in our world where that feature exists.

2.  Do you notice any differences between the features in the diagram, and those in the diagrams we drew in class?

 

Today: 

Homework:  

Class 37 Thursday 1/3/2019

Warm-Up: 

What special Earth Science moment occurred on the last day of school before break?

Today: 

Coming Up: 

  • Monday -- Quiz over 1-6 and 13-35 of practice test
  • Wednesday -- Quiz over 36-47 of practice test
  • Friday -- Exam Review. 

Homework:  Prepare for quiz next class  Plate tectonics quiz 2 practice

Class 36 Friday 12/20/2018

Warm-Up:  The picture on the right was taken in the deepest part of the ocean.

1.  Is the material that you can see on the ocean floor mafic or felsic?


2.  What type of plate boundary is nearby?  You should be able to narrow your guesses down to two.

Today: 

Homework:  None

Class 35 Wednesday 12/19/2018

Warm-Up:     
1.  What's the next letter in this sequence?  M A M J J A S O N
2.  What figure comes next in this sequence?

Today: 

Homework:  Study -- quiz over first part of the practice test, on Friday.

Image result for llama volcanoClass 34 Monday 12/17/2018

Warm-Up:     
1.  What type of plate boundary feature is shown on the right?
2.  On what continent is it located?

Today: 

Homework:  None

Class 33 Thursday 12/12/2018

Warm-Up:     

1. What type of plate boundary is this?

2. Where in the diagram is the crust the oldest?

3.  Is this plate boundary caused by a rising mantle current or a sinking mantle current?

4.  What else does this diagram show?

Today: 

Homework:  Rock type practice quiz

Class 32 Tuesday 12/11/2018

Warm-Up:     

1. Which of the rocks on the right is granite?  Which one is basalt?

2.  Can you guess which one contains more iron?

3.  Can you guess which one contains a lot of feldspar and silica,  major components of glass?

4.  If you melt iron, and you melt glass, which substance is stickier, and which one flows more freely?

Today: 

Homework:  Rock type practice quiz

Class 31 Friday 12/7/2018

Warm-Up:     

1.  How does a candle work?

2.  Why won't a candle work as well on a space station?

3.  What does this have to do with plate tectonics?

Today: 

Homework:  None

Class 30

p:     

1.  What five letter word does everyone pronounce wrong?

2.  A four foot long ladder hangs over the side of a boat.  The top of the ladder is two feet above the water line.  When the tide rises three feet, where will the top of the ladder be?

3.  A child throws a stick across a river.  A dog retrieves the stick without getting wet.  How?

Today: 

Homework:  None

Class 29 Monday 12/3/2018

Warm-Up:     
Can you identify any of these locations on Earth?  Do you know how they formed?

 

Today: 

  • One more practice quiz -- followed by real quiz (unless you want to keep your practice quiz score).
  • Make laser-cut snowflakes

Homework:  None

Class 28 Thursday 11/29/2018 

Warm-Up:     
These are the ages of the magma tubes in the diagram on the right:
J = 8my    K = 5my      L = 10my     M = 12my     N = 14my

1.  How old is layer G?
2.  How old is the Fish fossil?
3.  How old is the earthquake fault?

Today: 

Homework:  None

Class 27 Tuesday 11/27/2018 

Warm-Up:     
The diagrams on the right show some rock layers in two different parts of the world.
1.  What do the buried fish, snail, plant, bug, and human represent?

2.  Which layer is probably older, Layer S (in diagram A) or layer H (in diagram B)?

3.  Which layer is probably the oldest of all?  Why?

4.  Which layer is probably the youngest of all?  Why?

Today: 

Homework:  None

Class 26 Wednesday 11/13/2018 

Warm-Up:     
The object on the right is a piece of rock.  The big dots represent parent atoms in the rock, and the small dots represent daughter atoms.  The half-life of the parent element is 2 million years.

1.  What is the age of the rock sample, in half-lives?
2.  What is the age of the rock sample, in years?

Today: 

Homework:  

 

Class 25 Monday 11/12/2018 

Warm-Up:     
Trick questions:
1.  How much dirt is in a hole that is 2feet wide, 2 feet long, and 1 foot deep?
2.  Daddy bull weighs 1,000 pounds.  Baby bull weighs 100 pounds.  How much does mama bull weigh?
3.  How many 3 cent stamps are there in a dozen?
4.  How many eggs can a grown woman eat on an empty stomach?

Today: 

Homework:  

Class 24 Thursday 11/8/2018 

Warm-Up:     

Today: 

Handouts/Links: Ages of Rocks, Part 1

Homework:  

  • Study for quiz on Wednesday

Class 23 Tuesday 11/2/2018 

Warm-Up:     
1.  What is a sonic boom?
2.  In the picture on the right, would you guess that the cloud has been created by rapidly warming air or rapidly cooling air?  Explain.
3.  What is a wave?

Today: 

Handouts/Links: 

Homework:  

  • None

Class 22 Friday 11/2/2018 

Warm-Up:     
The diagram on the right shows a cross forming two line segments of coins.  The vertical segment has 5 coins and the horizontal segment has 4 coins.  How can you form two segments of 5 by moving just one coin?

Today: 

Handouts/Links: 

Homework:  

  • None

Class 21 Wednesday 10/31/2018 

Warm-Up:   

If you're standing next to a race track, what do you hear as the cars pass you?

a.  Their pitch changes from high to low.

b.  Their pitch changes from low to high.

c.  There is no change in pitch.

  

Today: 

Homework:  

  • None

Class 20 Monday 10/29/2018 

Warm-Up:   
1.  How did Earth's moon form?
2.  What are some similarities and differences between comets and meteors?
3.  How old is the Earth?
4.  What keeps the Earth in its orbit?
5.  Why isn't the Earth a gas giant?
6.  What's the closest galaxy to the Milky Way?
7.  Before our solar system was a solar system, what was it?  What was it like?

 

Today: 

Homework:  

  • Prepare for astronomy test next class.  Get a blank version of the test review, and study!

Class 19 Thursday 10/25/2018 

Warm-Up:   

The figure on the right is a graph with two axes, a Y axis and an X axis.

1.  Where's the Y axis?  Where's the X?

2.  What variable is changing along the X axis?

3.  What variable is changing along the Y axis?

4.  What are the diagonal lines?

Today: 

Handouts/Links: 

Homework:  

  • None

Class 18 Tuesday 10/23/2018 

Warm-Up:    None

Today: 

Homework:  

  • None

Class 17 Wednesday 10/17/2018 

Warm-Up: 

The picture on the right shows a simple dehumidifier.  Refrigerant moves through the pipes.  At one point, the refrigerant passes through a compressor and gets compressed.  At another point, the refrigerant passes through an expansion valve and expands.
1.  What happens to the temperature of the refrigerant when it passes through the compressor?
2.  What happens to the temperature of the refrigeratnt when it passes through the expansion valve? 
3.  As the air blows across the pipes, water comes out of the air and drips to the bottom.  Where does the water drip, position A or position B?

Today: 

  • Quiz:  Formation of Earth, Plus the Greenhouse Effect
  • Begin Star Lifetimes, Part 1 Notes
  • Mr. Stapleton will be gone on Tuesday.

Homework:  

  • None

Class 16 Monday 10/15/2018 

Warm-Up: 

1.  What is in the air?
2.  Does air have mass?  What about weight?
3.  Does helium have mass and/or weight?
4.  Can we prove any of these answers?

Today: 

Homework:  

  • Study for short quiz next class over Formation of The Earth and The Greenhouse Effect

Class 15 Thursday 10/11/2018 

Warm-Up: 

This solar oven has several features that helps it create a high temperature environment using solar energy.  One of those features exploits the Greenhouse Effect.  
 
1. What part of the solar oven targets the Greenhouse Effect? 
2.  How does the Greenhouse Effect work? 
3.  What can be done to limit the effects of the Greenhouse Effect?
4.  What is the ultimate source of the energy that heats a solar oven and the Earth?

Today: 

Homework:  

  • None

Class 14 Monday 10/8/2018 

Warm-Up: 

1.  Do you know the name of the constellation on the right?

2.  How big is our solar system, in comparison with the rest of the Universe?

scale of universe video

Today: 

Homework:  

  • Study for quiz next class

Class 13 Thursday 10/4/2018 

Warm-Up: 

1.  The first diagram on the right shows four hydrogen atoms that combine to make one helium atom.  What looks wrong?

2.  E = mc2 is a famous equation.  What do each of the letters in the equation represent?

3.  Why does the sun shine?  Why does it really shine?

Today: 

Homework:  

  • None

Class 12 Tuesday 10/2/2018 

Warm-Up: 

1.  Look at the diagram on the right.  What will happen if I grab the pvc pipe and swing the ball around, as shown?
2.  Why will that happen?
3.  This is a model of a real physical system.  Can you guess what some of the parts of the model are supposed to represent?

Today: 

  • Quiz:  Objects in space
  • Begin Solar System Formation Notes
  • There will not be a separate quiz over Birth of The Earth.  It will be part of the solar system formation quiz.

Homework:  

  • None

Class 11 Friday 9/27/2018 

Warm-Up: 

1. Which object appears bigger in our sky, our Moon or our Sun?

2. Do our Moon, Sun, and Solar System have names?  If so, what are they?

Today: 

  • What happened while I was gone?
  • Hand back practice quizzes. -- Discuss the real quiz.  It will happen on Tuesday.
  • Finish presentations
  • Walk through a scale model of the solar system.
  • How to study for the quiz

Homework:  

  • Study for the quiz over the objects in space notes.  The quiz will be on Tuesday (next class).  The quiz will come directly from the notes. You may use this link to print the notes.  This will not be an open-note quiz.
  • Next Thursday we will have a quiz over the Birth of The Earth video.

Class 10 Wednesday 9/26/2018 

Warm-Up: 

No warm-up today.

Today: 

  • If you haven't finished Birth of The Earth, finish it.  At the end, correct your answers.  You will have a future quiz over this information, but for now your papers will be collected.
  • Complete the practice quiz.  If you follow the directions, you will receive 100% for this assignment.  For 100%, you must...
    1. Complete the entire quiz without using notes.
    2. Once you are finished, use your notes to grade your quiz.  There are 24 questions.  At the top of your paper, write the number you got correct.
    3. Correct all of your answers
    4. Turn in the practice quiz.
  • Watch "Who's Afraid of a Big Black Hole?"
To watch the video, click on the link.  Then enter the username: ehscte and password: hornets Then return to this page and click the link again.    

Homework:  Nothing new

 

Class 9 Monday 9/24/2018 

Warm-Up: 

1.  Do this:  hold a tennis ball on top of a basketball and drop them to the floor together?  See what happens.

2.  Guess why it happens.

3.  Watch this video to find the answers and to see how this relates to supernovas.

Today: 

  • We will finish sharing objects when Mr. Stapleton returns.
  • For now, copy the missing parts of the "Objects in Space" notes.  The missing parts are "solar system," "stars," and "outer galaxies."
  • Make sure that you have a complete copy of the objects in space notes.  You may use this link to look at or print Mr. Stapleton's notes. 
  • Watch "Birth of The Earth."  To watch the video, click on the following link.  Then enter the username: ehscte and password: hornets Then return to this page and click the link again.     Video Link.
  • Answer these questions as you watch the video -- Questions to answer while watching video. 
  • If you finish the video... the teacher will go over the correct answers with you.  Make sure your answers are correct!  Then hand in your papers. 

Homework:  

  • Review your objects in space notes.  There will be a practice quiz next class.  The real quiz will be on Friday.
  • On a clear night, find polaris.  Use your quadrant to measure its altitude, in degrees.  Write down the altitude and the date and time of your observation.  Then turn your data (date, time, altitude, and your name) in to Mr. Stapleton.

Class 8 Thursday 9/20/2018 

Warm-Up: 
The picture on the right is misleading in a few ways.  How many problems can you find with the picture?

Today: 

Handouts/Links:  Mr. Stapleton's copy of Objects in Space notes

Homework:  

  • On a clear night, find polaris.  Use your quadrant to measure its altitude, in degrees.  Write down the altitude and the date and time of your observation.  Then turn your data (date, time, altitude, and your name) in to Mr. Stapleton.

Class 7 Tuesday 9/18/2018 

1.  Why is the sky blue?

2.  Why are sunsets red?

3.  What does the sky look like from our moon?

Today: 

  • Did anyone else find Polaris?  If so, turn in your data.
  • Objects in the Universe Project.  Continue sharing objects using the class slideshow and take notes on objects in the solar system
  • Objects in Space notes sheet

Homework:  

  • On a clear night, find polaris.  Use your quadrant to measure its altitude, in degrees.  Write down the altitude and the date and time of your observation.  Then turn your data (date, time, altitude, and your name) in to Mr. Stapleton.

Class 6 Friday 9/14/2018 

1.  What's the current moon phase?  Full? Quarter? Crescent?

2.  Suppose you hold an object at arm's length and use it to cover up the moon.  How large does the object need to be to perfectly cover up the moon?  Quarter sized?  Dime sized?  Something else? 

Today: 

  • Check on hurricane Florence.
  • Missing Course Expectations -- Martin?
  • Did anyone else find Polaris?  If so, turn in your data.
  • Objects in the Universe Project

Homework:  

  • On a clear night, find polaris.  Use your quadrant to measure its altitude, in degrees.  Write down the altitude and the date and time of your observation.  Then turn your data (date, time, altitude, and your name) in to Mr. Stapleton.

Class 5  Wednesday 9/12/2018 

Sometimes you can "see your breath." 

1.  Why can't you see it right now?

2.  I know a way to make my breath visible right now.  Can you guess how I do it?

3.  Can you guess how this concept relates to objects in our solar system and the universe in general?

Today: 

  • Missing Course Expectations -- Martin
  • Did anyone find Polaris?  If so, turn in your data.
  • Objects in the Universe Project
    • Finish building your object. 
    • Hang objects from the ceiling
    • Will we be ready to share objects on Friday?

Homework:  

  • On a clear night, find polaris.  Use your quadrant to measure its altitude, in degrees.  Write down the altitude and the date and time of your observation.  Then turn your data (date, time, altitude, and your name) in to Mr. Stapleton.

Class 4  Monday 9/10/2018

 

1.  What is gravity?

2.  What role does gravity play in the diagram on the right?

3.  Are clouds affected by gravity?

4.  Is there gravity on the International Space Station?

5.  Can you think of something that is not affected by gravity?

6.  If you were to locate the Earth's current position on the diagram to the right, where would it be?

7.  What is special about each of the dates in the diagram?

 

Today: 

  • Missing Course Expectations -- Martin
  • Did anyone find Polaris?  If so, turn in your data.
  • Objects in the Universe Project
    • Today:
      • Finish your research questions, and get them checked by Mr. Stapleton.
      • Finish your slide.
      • Plan your model.
      • Begin building your model.
    • Wednesday: Finish building your object. Make sure that it can be hung from the ceiling.
    • Friday:  Share your object with the class and report on the answers to your research questions.

Homework:  

  • On a clear night, find polaris.  Use your quadrant to measure its altitude, in degrees.  Write down the altitude and the date and time of your observation.  Then turn your data (date, time, altitude, and your name) in to Mr. Stapleton.

Class 3  Thursday 9/6/2018

 

The center star, on the right, is Polaris.

1.  What is the common name for polaris?

2.  How can you find polaris?

3.  Do you know how a quadrant is used in astronomy?

Today: 

  • Turn in course expectations sheets.
  • Make a quadrant (a.k.a. astrolabe) and practice using it.
  • Objects in the Universe Project
    • Today:
      • Conduct Research
      • Using Google Slides, create a slide featuring your object.  Create your slide in this slide show (click the link).  The reason for the slide is that your model may not look exactly like the real object in space.  When you share your object with the class, this slide will be projected onto the classroom screen to help you better explain the features of your object.  Create a slide with at least two images that will help the rest of the class to fully understand your object.   The images must be large eand clear enough to see easily.
      • Add your name to the slide.

Handouts:

Homework:  

  • On a clear night, find polaris.  Use your quadrant to measure its altitude, in degrees.  Write down the altitude and the date and time of your observation.  Then turn your data (date, time, altitude, and your name) in to Mr. Stapleton.
Class 2  Tuesday 9/4/2018
Warm-Up: 

  1. What are the lines in the sky?
  2. How was the picture created?
  3. Why are the lines arranged in a circular pattern?
  4. a. If a star trail picture is taken in the Northern Hemisphere, in which direction do the circles form? (clockwise or counter-clockwise)  b.  How do you know?
  5. Which stars are moving faster, the inner ones or the outer ones?
  6. If there is a star near the center, what is its name?
  7. Draw a rough sketch of what the star trails would look like if you created a star trail picture by standing on the equator and pointing a camera eastward.
  8. Why did the photographer have to stop the picture before the stars made a complete circle?
  9. If a bicycle had passed through the scene with a flashlight in the spokes of one of it's tires, what would the bicycle light trail have looked like?

 

Today: 

  • Check to see if anyone is on yesterday's unverified list.
  • Turn in course expectations -- and get it back.
  • Objects in the Universe -- introduction -- short Video:  AMNH The Known Universe
    • Today:
      • Brainstorm objects
      • Assign objects
      • Brainstorm materials and construction ideas.  Most will be roughly shoebox sized.
        • Available Materials:  Paint, Foam Balls, Pipe Cleaners, Streamers, Airdry Clay, Cardboard (from the recycling bins)
      • Research objects
    • Thursday: 
      • Finish Research
      • Create a Google Slide featuring your object
    • Next Monday (9/10): Build your object. 
    • Next Wednesday:  Share your object

Handouts:

Homework:  

  • Course expectations are due by Friday (9/7).
Class 1  Thursday 8/30/2016
Warm-Up: 

1.  What would happen if you made a hole through the center of the Earth, and you jumped in? 
2.  If you made it all of the way through, where would you come out?  (antipodes map)

Today: 

Handouts:

Homework:  

  • Share your course expectations handout with your parents.  Have them sign and return it by Next Friday (9/7).
Class 0  Tuesday 8/28/2018 (15 minute class) 12:50-1:05

Warm-Up: 

1. Use the seating chart to find your seat.

2.  Can you point to the North Pole?  How can you find it?

Today: 

  • Find your seat.
  • Names (pronunciations etc.)
  • Warm-up

Homework:  None