Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: [Phys-L] astronomy activities



Thanks for sharing. I'm at a private school in central NJ. Astronomy is an
elective for juniors. Many kids live far from campus, some cannot drive,
and many do after-school activities, sports, etc. Very difficult to require
observing sessions at school. I teach in a planetarium, which is very
useful. Kids do a few observing projects at home (altitude of Polaris,
lunar phases). Any other observing ideas they could do on their own?

On Tue, May 28, 2019 at 8:33 PM Arlyn DeBruyckere <
arlyn.debruyckere@isd423.org> wrote:

I'm at a high school too. I put it in the course description and in the
syllabus. About half of the sessions are at 5:30 am, the others vary
depending on school activities going on starting at 6 to as late as 9 pm.
Former students often tell me how great the sessions were. End of course
surveys describe the "star sessions" as the most difficult and the best
part of the class. We are on trimesters and only offer Astronomy during the
fall and winter so that I don't have the long daylight hours of spring
(sunrise now about 5:30 am). Yes we go in the winter, even in the cold
-20°F temperatures west of Minneapolis. Students can handle the cold just
fine if they dress properly. Usually after the first session they lose
their "fashion sense" and dress in multiple layers. We go to a county park
6 miles out of town. I get some complaints every year but I stick to my
guns - 8 graded sessions, 2 simulated and 4 others required to pass. Any
less is an automatic fail. This is an astronomy class and one can't do
astronomy if one never looks at the stars.

On Tue, May 28, 2019 at 5:52 PM Anthony Lapinski <alapinski@pds.org>
wrote:

I like the scale model of the solar system! Good for kids to deal with
proportional reasoning and also engage with each other. Wondering if this
can be made into a "graded" activity as I'm looking for more ways to
assess
them with labs.

I'm in a high school so I can't really require kids to come back at night
for observing sessions. I'll have a star party with a telescope in the
fall, and only the most interested kids show up. Not for any "extra
credit." I guess I could have them do observing at home, but I can't be
there and they would not learn as much...

On Tue, May 28, 2019 at 5:43 PM John Denker via Phys-l <
phys-l@mail.phys-l.org> wrote:

On 5/28/19 1:33 PM, Arlyn DeBruyckere wrote:

Do a scale model of the solar system.

Yup, that's a winner.


I use 0.5 au = 1 meter for distance and 5 au=1 meter for planet size

I think those scale factors are reversed, but we get the idea.

My mother did this with her elementary-school kids, on a larger scale:
1 AU = 100 meters;
1 meter = 0.01 AU
(for sizes as well as distances).
-- The earth was 8.5 mm in diameter, on the door of her classroom.
-- The sun was a beach ball at the far end of the corridor, 100 m
away.
-- Jupiter was 95 mm in diameter, on a lamp-post ½ km down the road
-- Neptune was 33 mm in diameter, on a lamp-post 3 km down the road in
the other direction.
-- etc.

The kids could visit Neptune if they wanted, while on shopping
trips or whatever. Some of them walked past Jupiter every day
on their way to school.

There was some talk of setting up a telescope to observe the
outer planet models, but this was deemed too much of a hassle
in the elementary-school setting.

Gory numerical details:
https://www.av8n.com/physics/planetary-data.html
_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@mail.phys-l.org
http://www.phys-l.org/mailman/listinfo/phys-l


--


<http://www.pds.org>
<https://www.facebook.com/princetondayschool>
<https://twitter.com/PDSPanthers>
<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVE-nTva0BlK0rT6vayqpIQ>
<https://www.instagram.com/princetondayschool/>


*CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE:*
The information transmitted, including attachments, is intended only for
the person(s) or entity to which it is addressed and may contain
confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission,
dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon
this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient
is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender
and
destroy any copies of this information.




Please consider the environment
before printing this email.



_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@mail.phys-l.org
http://www.phys-l.org/mailman/listinfo/phys-l



--
Arlyn DeBruyckere
Science Teacher
School Photographer
Hutchinson High School
1200 Roberts Road SW
Hutchinson MN 55350

HHS Weather at http://weather.isd423.org/

View My Calendar at

https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=arlyn%40arlynsphotos.com&ctz=America/Chicago

https://sites.google.com/a/isd423.org/mrdebruyckere/
http://www.hutchk12.org
mailto:arlyn.debruyckere@isd423.org

http://www.educationminnesota.org
If it is to be it is up to me!

Hutchinson Sports Photos on the Web
http://www.arlynsphotos.smugmug.com
_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@mail.phys-l.org
http://www.phys-l.org/mailman/listinfo/phys-l


--


<http://www.pds.org>
<https://www.facebook.com/princetondayschool>
<https://twitter.com/PDSPanthers>
<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVE-nTva0BlK0rT6vayqpIQ>
<https://www.instagram.com/princetondayschool/>


*CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE:* 
The information transmitted, including attachments, is intended only for
the person(s) or entity to which it is addressed and may contain
confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission,
dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon
this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient
is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and
destroy any copies of this information.




Please consider the environment
before printing this email.