Light Show Details for Tuesday and Wednesday

You have Tuesday and Wednesday to do this.  It's due BEFORE Break.

====================
GRADING RUBRIC

Criteria	Excellent	Acceptable	Marginal	Not Acceptable
Visual Quality	8-10	6-7	3-5	0-2
Audio	8-10	6-7	3-5	0-2
Use of Color	8-10	6-7	3-5	0-2
Tells a Story	8-10	6-7	3-5	0-2
Writeup	8-10	6-7	3-5	0-2

Note that this a 50 point project, and is your assessment for light and sound. It is a benchmark.

Make a video using the web cam or a flip camera or cell phone that tells a story.   It must use a series of shadow puppets.  Audio will be added to this eventually.  Be thinking of the following as you do this:


Personal Writeup

1. What colors can you see on the completed video?   
2. What color of shadows can you see?  Is this the same or different?
3. What does the color tell you about the story?   The mood?
4. Can you explain a plot with a beginning, a middle, and an end? (Answer in one or two sentences)
5. List a specific example in your video where there is a fuzzy-edged shadow( ____seconds)  How was it formed?
6. List a specific example in your video where there is a sharp-edged shadow( ____seconds)  How was it formed?
7. List a specific example in your video where there is a larger shadow( ____seconds) than the puppet.  How was it formed? 
8. List a specific example in your video where there is a smaller shadow( ____seconds) than the puppet. How was it formed?
9. A List a specific example in your video where there is a penumbra, or lighter shadow( ____seconds)  How was it formed? 
10. List a specific example in your video where there is an umbra, or darker shadow( ____seconds)  How was it formed?
11. Were there any wavelengths of light you could not see in your video?   How could you tell?
12. Make a table and compare the qualities of light and sound.
13. Explain how you could improve your video to make the mood better through lighting or to make the quality of the shadows better.
14. Explain what each of the people in your group did on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Be very specific.

QR Codes: Applications of Light

Today, you will be making a scavenger hunt using QR codes


STEP 1:  Watch the video



STEP 2:  Find out about qr codes https://sites.google.com/a/lshigh.org/gotbooks/qr-codes
and be able to compare them to bar codes.

STEP 3:  Decide what your qr codes will link to:

• a website
• a location on google maps
• a clue (perhaps on twitter or weebly) that will require you to solve a riddle
• other ideas

Here's how one person figured it out:   http://ilearntechnology.com/?p=4211

Here is another:   http://storify.com/720mi/qr-code-scavenger-hunt  (this includes the video above, as well as other ideas)

STEP 4:  Plan your hunt and make the qrcodes:   http://www.qrstuff.com/ is one maker that is kind of cool, but there are dozens of them out there.

Your QR scavenger hunt must have at least seven clues, which should be saved as .png or .jpg and pasted onto a word document.  Send this to me at the end of the class..   The groups are as follows:

Christina A

Kristin S.

Michael C

Aaron D

Clayton L

Cassidy O

Cassidy S

Jake P

Michael C

Sarah M.

Jordan W.

 

Sam M.

Blake S.

Carlee K

Brian H

Corey F.

  

Deandre

Bennett

Electromagnetic Spectrum Notes

Teachers' Domain: Tour the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Teachers' Domain: The Electromagnetic Spectrum: FRONTLINE
Teachers' Domain: Tour of the Electromagnetic Spectrum: Radio Waves

What are electromagnetic waves?

What is a photon?

Name one manufactured device or natural phenomenon that emits electromagnetic radiation in each of the following wavelengths: radio, microwave, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-ray, and gamma ray.

Which type(s) of electromagnetic radiation do human bodies emit? Which type(s) can our senses detect?

List three ways that electromagnetic radiation is used to improve our everyday lives. 

============

Everybody has at some time thrown a pebble into a puddle and observed the ripples spreading across the surface.  Some of us don’t stop until the puddle has been completely filled with every loose piece of debris in the vicinity.  Now let’s dive in a bit deeper into the physics.

Select the Wave Interference simulation

1)      Before you change any settings

a.       What is the shape of the pulse?

b.      How can you explain this?  Talk about crests or frequency.

Reflection:

2)      Increase the amplitude to maximum.

3)      Turn off the water and add a vertical wall (bottom right button) across the entire width of the tank.

4)      Turn on the water for just a couple of drips.

5)      Observe the wave reflection from the barrier

a.       What is the shape of the reflection?

b.      In what ways does it differ from the incident (incoming) wave?

c.       Compare this result to what you learned about reflected pulses from the wave on a spring demo?

Interference:

6)      Allow the faucet to run.  Feel free to adjust the frequency.

a.      What do you think the particularly bright and dark spots represent?

7)      Show the graph and observe the last couple of waves in front of the wall.

a.       Once again, considering the wave on a spring demo, what do these last waves on the graph remind you of?

8)      A second example of wave interference can be seen by removing the barrier and turning on a second drip

a.       Draw or describe the resulting pattern.

b.      How are the dark & light stripes similar to and different from standing waves?  (Hint:  Look at the graph again)

c.       What do you think may be happening along the gray rays?

d.      How can you test your ideas?  Hint:  Consider the purpose of the horizontal dashed line.

e.       Perform the experiment.  Was your hypothesis supported or rejected?

9)      Adjust the drip frequency, pausing a few seconds for the image to stabilize after each change.

a.       How does drip frequency relate to the number of rays?

b.      What is the range for the number of rays you can generate?

c.       Is there a pattern?

10)  Return the frequency to full and double the drip spacing.

a.       Now how many rays can you count?

Understanding the Speed of Light

Calculator for P 130, #2

Scavenger hunt

http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~scilinks/lightsound_hunt.htm

11/28/2012

Finish the worksheet on sound waves from PHET (it's on my desk).  Hand in.

Work on playing a tune with your finished instrument.


Watch this video:


And this


And finally this




Tomorrow, you will need to bring as many of the materials as possible as shown in the last video.  

Writeup of your Instrument.

Detail HOW you know that your instrument has 4 different pitches.
Is your instrument a string, percussion, or wind instrument?

How could we figure out the exact pitch (notes) you are playing?  Could we gather data on this?

How did thickness or diameter affect your instrument?

What type of music are you creating?  Rhythm, blues, chime, Christmas, or pop are all possibilities.

Draw a sketch of your instrument and list dimensions and materials used.

Train whistles

http://www.rattlebrained.org/articles/diy-pvc-train-whistle

http://jpdery.com/TrainWhistle.html

http://www.thewoodcrafter.net/proj/twhistle.php

http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/musical.html  

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BxyfL3_e92ZndTY4S3Z6Smk5S1E

http://www.markshep.com/flute/index.html

http://philtulga.com/HomemadeMusic.html


http://11wall-west.com/~ph_kosel/flutomat.html

http://www.chicaandjo.com/2010/08/09/make-copper-wind-chimes/ (nice plan, but the holes need some help)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCzUBKKykow



===========Making them better=============

To make a wind chime or other thing better, TUNE them to specific notes:

http://home.fuse.net/engineering/Chimes.htm

Visualizing open and closed pipes

Watch the video and look at the animations found at

http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/flutes.v.clarinets.html


1.  Be able to tell me what a harmonic is  and what a sound wave looks like.


Take a look at the link at

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/sound/U11L5a.cfm


READ the first three paragraphs and the last three paragraphs.


We will be discussing about instruments at 12:45

ITSI-SU Waves

Today, we will be going back to itsi-su, a site we have visited before.   You must use an individual computer today.

http://itsisu.portal.concord.org/home


Please make certain you complete the pretests


Waves
Light and Matter

and the Waves and Interference activity.

Testing Your Mousetrap Car

 

Take a picture of you and your mousetrap car.

• the MA of the wheel/axle, 
• the MA of the mousetrap setup, 
• how far your car went (less than 5, less than 10, greater than 10), 
• what you learned, and 
• what you would change if you did it again.  

This should be between 3 and 5 paragraphs, and should show the dimensions you measured....

Mousetrap Car testing moved to Monday

Hey everyone.  I am missing the Friday fiesta due to back issues  :(, and that means you ALL SHOULD BE READY with your vehicle on Monday at the beginning of class.   If you are not ready to go by then, you will be doing your testing after school.

Click to Run

This activity deals with the concept of the skater dude and his own potential and kinetic energy.   You need to get a partner (Christine may pair you up) and complete this activity as a pair.  If you are letting your partner do all the work, you will receive a zero.  :(

Activity 1

Activity 2

HAND IN YOUR COMPLETED WORK AT THE END OF CLASS, PLEASE.   

Understanding Mechanical Advantage

What machines will a mouse trap car have?  Well, you need a body, wheels, and a mousetrap.

The mousetrap is a lever.  What type?  Does this make things faster or easier?







Here, we have two machines (3rd class lever and a wheel and axle) with an AMA less than 1.  What does this do for the racer?   How can we maximize this factor for the wheels?

Compound Machines

Go through http://edheads.org/activities/odd_machine/frame_loader.htm and keep track of the number of questions you get correct.


Watch this video

Hang Time Video

  Please Watch


Another video voiceover: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg5AuYCsg98&feature=related

10/31

Please complete this Sport Form

Time Out for Hurricane Science

http://www.meted.ucar.edu/hurrican/strike/

Thursday and Friday Science Interactions

 Measure your vertical jump using the method found on p. 75 of your book

 Complete pp. 68-70 in your purple book

 Hand in the following at the end of the hour:
 p 66 #1, #5, #6, #10
p. 72 #1, 2, 3, 4
p. 80 #2,3, 5, 6

Pretest

ITSISU PORTAL

10/14 Research Day

Decide on your topic and fill out the form here.  Write down your problem statement...you will need it later.

Research your idea.  Start with Wikipedia, NASA, the NASA youtube channel, or the textbooks in the room.  Keep track of your resources....you will need them later.  Remember, you are doing this research question ALONE.  You can still be social, but focus on the task.  I will ask to see your notes tomorrow ,so you must be writing, drawing, or entering information into a Google Form.

Remember, the point of the presentation on Wednesday and beyond is to:

• inform your audience
• entertain or make your audience think
• understand the Universe a bit better

Learning about Our Sun

Life Cycles

What happens as a star moves through its life cycle? This is a journey to find out. For each step, I need to know the following

• the size of the star
• what it is made of
• the tools we can use to study it
• the balance between pressure and gravity
• if fusion is happening
• if burps or eruptions are happening

How Big?

Scaling the Solar System:  http://www.noao.edu/education/peppercorn/pcmain.html#pacing

10/9 Personal Notetaking

PIECES OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM (Watch and then summarize this video in 3 or 4 sentences.) 




 FORMING STARS AND THE BIG BANG (watch the first 60 seconds to help us understand how our sun formed.   Explain what you think happened using a series of pictures)



Answer the following seven questions with your partner:  DO NOT RESEARCH THESE....I JUST WANT TO SEE YOUR CURRENT LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE

1. Which planets do you think are visible from Earth with the unaided human eye?
2. What do you think planets look like when viewed from Earth with the unaided human eye? 
3. Before the telescope was invented what were ancient astronomers able to learn about the planets? 
4. When was the telescope first used to study astronomy? 
5. What are some discoveries made with the telescope? 
6. When did spacecraft first send back data and images from the planets? 
7. What features do you think we can see in images of the planets? 

Now, you will be working like a scientist, working on your skill of observation.

Go to Observation Part 1 and complete for at least 10 of the pictures.

Questions?  Call me at 5636081900

10/8 Bits and Pieces of the Solar System

Today, we are trying to find out about the bits and pieces of the solar system.   You will be giving a report.

Links:

http://www.nineplanets.org
http://www.solarsystemscope.com

An astronomy book.


Find out the following

Distance from sun (AU)
Atmosphere?
Solid core?
Rocky or Gassy classification
2 pictures
#moons
volcanoes
Temperature range
How long it takes for a trip around the sun.

YOU are the solution

What is your carbon footprint?
What are five things you are willing to do?
What are five things you are NOT willing to do?
What are ten things you want to find out more about?

To answer these, you must find out something about your carbon foot print.   Here are some sites to consider:

http://environment.about.com/od/globalwarming/tp/globalwarmtips.htm
http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/ind-calculator.html
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/fourteen-steps-to-reduce-global-warming-20120113-1py4o.html

10/1 to 10/4 Evidence for Climate Change

Monday:   Watch clips from Learn360 and Work on last Friday's assignment (see the blog post below)

Create Whiteboards

Tuesday:  Make five claims about climate change.  Then, look for evidence to support or refute the claims.


Carbon Dioxide Trends:  http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/

Methane Trends:  http://cdiac.ornl.gov/trends/atm_meth/lawdome_meth-graphics.html


Ice Core Trends  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/warnings/stories/

Extreme weather events:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_extreme_weather_events

Extreme weather events 2:  http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/severeweather/extremes.html

Ocean Temperature Trends:   http://chartsgraphs.wordpress.com/2009/09/04/global-sea-surface-temperature-trends-1850-2009/

Water Depth Trends:   http://flood.firetree.net/

For Photos: Photopin.com

Draw the carbon cycle and the nitrogen cycle (no, DO NOT print them) on a piece of paper and put onto your paper.   Indicate where the following things come into play:

• carbon storage (sequestration)
• photosynthesis
• respiration
• nitrogen fixation
• nitrification (nitrogen storage)
• decay
• fertilizer 
• acid precipitation

Questions

For each question, provide a photo and answer the question.  Email me the document at marciapowellATgmail.com


 What us the difference between decay and litter?
How does fuel serve as a storage unit for carbon and nitrogen?
Show the two soil types.  Which has more nitrogen and how do you know?
When does a leaf stop being a plant and start decaying?
With more people do we just need more plants?
What do fuel efficient vehicles have to do with these cycles?
As more human beings live in.cities, what happens to the issue of fertilizer?

9/27 Understanding Earth Cycles

http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/earth.html

9/26 group project (Your World)

Scientists need to provide evidence and reasoning for the claims they make.

1. Indicate a divergent plate.
2. Indicate at least two convergent plates.
3. What is happening underneath the volcanos?  Explain.
4. Does your planet have a 'ring of fire'?   Why or why not?
5. Are your continents moving with your plates?  Explain.
6. Are your valleys evidence of plate tectonics?    Why or why not.

7.  Here is a map of Pangaea.  Go through the library thinkquest on this concept. 

Does your planet have a Pangaea distribution?  If so, give me fossil evidence to support this.  If not, show me how fossils might differ from one continent to another.   

9/24

Part 1:  Google Earth.

Download the .kmz layer file and double-click.  This should open up the Google Earth program and the coloration you were shown Friday should be visible.

You will be using the Google Earth program to do the following questions in your notebook.  Number from 5. to 24. in your notebook as you go along.  You will be in teams of 2 or 3 based on the teams you used to make your planet.  You may play Pandora music, but you SHOULD NOT be on YouTube.


Part 2:  Your planet

Using the diagram you created on Friday, you need to label a converging plate, a diverging plate, a side-to-side fault, and a place where crust is being pushed under another layer.   Next to each of these, you will need to provide an explanation in one to two sentences of why you think this is so.

9/20 Plate Tectonics

Click to Run

In your notebook, you will discuss:

 explain the differences between oceanic and continental crust (density, composition, temperature and thickness are ideas)

predict how changes in composition and temperature change crust density and buoyancy.

Draw a time series for different types of plate boundaries and their motions

Figure the type of plate boundary given images or descriptions of surface features.

Explain which types of plate boundaries create crust, and which destroy crust

Weather form

9/19 GLOBE protocols

As a class, we will be taking a Parking Lot protocol and a Football Practice field protocol for clouds, temp, surface. This will be entered into a shared Google Doc. When you are finished, answer the following questions in your green book. 1. Based on your observations, and the wind pattern, is Wisconsin or Illinois likely WARMER or COLDER than Iowa today. Explain your reasoning. 2. When we went out, we saw examples of radiation, convection, and conduction. Please give 2 examples of each.

9/18 Weather and Heat Transfer

 Start Google Earth and type in your address.   Write down your entire latitude and longitude.

You will need to do two protocols....one for home, and one for school over the next two weeks.  You may check out one of the orange thermometers to use at home.

The protocols here at school may be done in the front parking lot, or the football practice field.

Go to:   http://www.uni.edu/storm/wximages/images/sfc_map.gif    Make a sketch of the US in your notebook and draw where you think the winds are moving.

Then, go to:   http://www.uni.edu/storm/wximages/images/skywind_stplot.gif   Copy down three of the symbols.   What do you think they mean?

9/17

Identifying Clouds

More Info

The issue of Location

Low and High Pressure

Surface Temp  (an average of points of measurement)

9/14 Heat Transfer Mechanisms

Make your microwave popcorn.   (Yes, you will need to take turns)

• When  you pull the bag out of the microwave,   Check it for

• radiation transfer
• conduction transfer
• convection transfer

Write EVIDENCE you observe for each type of the transfer?  Record in your notes

• The teacher is making popcorn using an older, more traditional stove top method.  If you come near the pan, what EVIDENCE can you observe for the types of transfer?  Again, write in your notes.

Take a look at this slide show, which focuses on heat transfer methods.   How are these ideas similar or different to the ones you have already?

Popcorn from silviavuong

Heat transfer is all around us.   Use the simulation from 2D to explore this further.  For each problem, answer the question and tell me the name of the simulation.

1. Will a wind mill work better in the summer or the winter?  Explain, using the idea of convection.
2. Answer the questions on p. 30 of the pdf book.
3. Answer the questions on the Analysis of p. 35
4. Answer the questions on p. 41 about wall thickness.
5. Complete the model question on  p. 42

To find out how a microwave works, click the picture

Click to Run

==============
Part 2:   Heat Transfer and Weather

One last time....pictures

We're going to apply this idea of heat transfer to weather.

1.  Look at the pictures   What does re-radiation mean?   How does a cloudy night  change the temperature of the area?

9/13 UnderstandingEnergy using a Model

Today,we will be looking at the concept of convection, conduction, and radiation using an online book and simulation


Download the simulation



Read 25-27.  Be able to tell me the meaning of the following in your notebook.   Conduction, convection, radiation, kinetic energy, thermal energy, heat.   To do this WELL will take some time.

9/12 New Unit: Energy Transfer in Weather and on Earth

Today, we'll be looking at movement of fluids.  A fluid can be a liquid or a gas.

Activity 1:  Please do part 1 using water and food coloring.  There should be 2 groups per table.


Procedure

1. Tell the class that they will conduct several experiments to trace the currents when water is not evenly heated.
   
   
• In the first experiment, they will observe the movement of a drop of food coloring in still water.
  
  
• Then they will add a heat source and drop the food coloring in different places in the saucer.
  
  
2. Place three styrofoam cups upside down on a piece of paper.
   
   
3. Place the plastic plant saucer on top of the cups as shown. The cups should be near the outer edges of the saucer and evenly spaced.
   
   
   
   
4. Fill the plastic saucers three-quarters full with cool water. To make certain the water is still, let it sit before the experiment. Be careful not to bump the desk or table at any time during the experiment.
   
   
5. Using a dropper, slowly release a small amount of food coloring at the bottom of the saucer of water. Slowly remove the dropper, taking care not to stir the water.
   
   
6. Observe and record on the data sheet what the drop does as it sits in the tray. Ask students to draw what happens.

Variations
Repeat the experiment with the following variations. Ask students to record their observations after each variation. Make certain they start each trial with a clean saucer of water. Having several dump buckets placed around the classroom will be helpful.
For the following three trials, place a cup of hot water under the center of the saucer as shown. Fill the cup almost to the top.

Trial A: Place a drop of food coloring on the bottom of the saucer in the center, over the cup of hot water. Take care not to stir the water.

Trial B: Place a drop of food coloring on the bottom of the saucer about halfway between the center and the side. Take care not to stir the water.

Trial C: Place two drops of food coloring on the bottom of the saucer, one halfway between the center and side of the saucer, the other in the center. Take care not to stir the water.

Observations and Questions

1. For each trial, ask students to draw their observations from an overhead view, including an explanatory caption for each drawing. The drawings should show the movement of the colored water (currents) and its relationship to the hot water or heat source for convection.
   
   
2. Have students repeat the exercise, showing their observations from a side view.
   
   
3. What effect does the hot water in the center under the saucepan have upon the currents?
   
   
4. What type of heat transfer is taking place? How do you know?

Activity 2:  Please do the activity using dark material (dirt), light material (rock) and water.  


Procedure

1. Have students make data tables to record the time and temperature of the three experimental pie pans. Examples:
   
   

Heating Cycle
Surface material	Start time	Start temp.	Temperature each minute
			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10




Cooling Cycle
Surface material	Start time	Start temp.	Temperature each minute
			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10



2. Fill the pie pans to the same level, one with dark soil, one with light sand, and one with water.
   
   
3. Place the pie pans on a table or desk and position the lamp about 12 inches above them.
   
   
   
   
4. Place a thermometer into each pie pan, securing it so it measures the temperature just under the surface of the substance in the pan.
   
   
5. Record the starting temperatures on the data table.
   
6. Turn on the lamp and record the temperature of each substance every minute for ten minutes.
   
7. At the end of ten minutes, turn the lamp off.
   
8. Continue to record temperatures for each substance every minute for ten minutes.
   

Note: Feel free to vary the materials in the pie pans. Use different colored soils, dry and wet soils, grass, green or dry leaves, or different types of coverings such as plastic or aluminum foil. Encourage students to use their imaginations. You may wish to assign students to design and conduct their own research into the influence of surfaces on temperature.
Observations and Questions

1. Using the data tables, graph the heating and cooling cycles to compare the rates at which the various substances heated and cooled.
   
   
2. Which material absorbed more heat in the first ten minutes?
   
   
3. Which material lost the most heat in the last ten minutes?
   
   
4. Imagine that it's summer and that the sun is shining on the ocean and on a stretch of land. Which will heat up more during the day? Which will cool more slowly at night? Explain.
   
   
5. Imagine three cities in the desert, all at about the same altitude and latitude.
   
   
   • One city (A) is surrounded by a dark-colored rocky surface.
     
     
   • Another city (B) is surrounded by a light-colored sandy surface.
     
     
   • The third city (C) is built on the edge of a large man-made desert lake.
     
     
   • Which city would likely have the highest average summer air temperature and why?
     
     
6. The earth's surface tends to lose heat in winter. Which of the above cities would have the warmest average winter temperature? Why?
   
   
7. Since the sun is approximately 93 million miles from the earth and space has no temperature, how do we get heat from the sun?
   
   
8. How would the uneven energy absorption by different surfaces on earth (water, soil, snow, trees, sand, etc.) affect the atmosphere?

HOMEWORK:  Bring 2 packages of microwave popcorn for each table tomorrow.

9/11 Group Wind Mill Presentation

You have half of your day today to create a shared presentation for your group.

Open a shared Google presentation.  Share it with Mapowell and your group members.

Answer the following questions using your Stakeholder's input:

• Should we build an offshore windmill?  Give 3 or more pieces of evidence to support your position.
• How does a windmill work?  Explain, using words
• How much does a windmill cost?  Explain, and use your source.
• Think of 3 or more arguments that the opposite side would use and come up with counter-arguments.
• If windmills and solar power produce energy sources without creating excess carbon dioxide, is that a good thing or a bad thing?  Explain, and use one other energy type (oil, gas, wood, etc.) as a comparison.

9/6 Windmill blades

Build Your Best Blade

Decide on Your Group's #1 and # 2 blade combination.   You will test these using pp. 9-11 of your handout.

Also, try hooking up your motor to a buzzer or a light and see if you can get it to light.


FINAL COMPETITION

Using your two best blades, design a hybrid blade to be used in the competition.  This must be ready by 1 pm.


==============Friday's Quiz==============

Your quiz will be two sides of a sheet of paper and worth 30 points
The information on the quiz is found here

9/5 Cape Wind Extended

Part 1:  More information on your Case Study

• Town person (read pp. 15-16) who depends on tourism for a job
• Salesperson (read p. 10 on coal and p. 13 on wind)who stands to make a huge commission
• Environmentalist (skim pp. 9-12) who is worried about the safety of the fish, birds, and wildlife, as well as climate change 
• Electrical utility (read pp. 7-8) that wants to make sure there is power for the town but also wants to make a profit

When you get done, decide if you are pro or con on windmills.   Write down 5 arguments that support your position and put them here.  DO NOT write over another groups' data.

Part 2:  Test your windmill blades for the groups.

Create a table that lists

Name

Sketch of the Blade

#Blades

#turns in 10 sec

#voltage

Each person in your team must test two of their blade combinations.  Write this information down on a sheet of paper or on a whiteboard.

9/4 Wind Power Case Study

Step 1:

Today, we'll be looking at a case study.

The idea behind a case study is to look at things from multiple points of view and then apply that information to a new idea.

Our case study

You will be assigned one of 4 roles.

• Town person who depends on tourism for a job
• Salesperson who stands to make a huge commission
• Environmentalist who is worried about the safety of the fish, birds, and wildlife, as well as climate change 
• Electrical utility that wants to make sure there is power for the town but also wants to make a profit

Read the 3rd page of the case study.   Highlight 3 or 4 items that affect your group's point of view.

Do you think the turbine should be built?  Why or why not?

Present your viewpoint to the class in 1-2 minutes.

photo credit: axelivarsson via photo pin cc

Step 2

Now, we will look at an actual offshore Wind Farm, called Cape Wind.  Look at each of the resources below, and find out if the information shown supports your position or not.   Write down 3 or 4 highlights from each resource.

RESOURCE 1

RESOURCE 2

RESOURCE 3

Step 3: Reflection (online or on paper)

The goal here is to see that decisions are not always clear cut.  What you do will affect other living things.

Which other stakeholder group do you have the most in common with during this study?   Which do you have the least in common with in the study?

What are some strategies that you can use to get along with people who have different viewpoints?

Which stakeholder viewpoint convinces you the most?  Explain.

Aug 31

Advances in Wind Power. A&E Television Networks. 2006 Learn360. 31 August 2012 http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=350393


Humongous Wind Turbines. A&E Television Networks. 2002 Learn360. 31 August 2012 http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=366420

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/education/pdfs/wind_turbinebladedesign.pdf

August 29

Collecting Solar Data

Today we will be using your solar house for data collection.  It's about 12 pm.  Please do the following.

Wrap a marshmallow in aluminum foil
Take an unwrapped marshmallow
Fill a cup with a set amount of water (60 ml)
Place a traditional thermometer in the bottom of the box.


Record the temperature of three of the four items using the Raytek quick thermometer.

Take the oven out and set in direct sunlight for 30 minutes.  DO NOT OPEN THE LID.  You may orient the window to directly align the sun (solar oven style) with the window, or to place the window facing a southern orientation (solar house style).

After 30 minutes, record the temperature of the three things using the Raytek and the temp of the traditional thermometer.

Calculate the change in temperature of each item set.

Additionally, make 20 observations about what you noticed happened with your house.


Video 1



Video 2

Solar House

First 45 minutes:

Your job is to work on constructing your solar house that is roughly the size of 2 shoe boxes.  It must contain the following.

A floor made of 12 x12 tile (on counter) for thermal mass.  DO NOT break the tile.
A 4 in x 6 in (10 cm x 15 cm) open hole for a window (we will add window material on Monday)
At least 1 cm of insulation in the walls and appropriate roof insulation (remember, the R-value is about tripled)
A door that can open and close
A roof that can be taken off, or flipped open.

Your groups are as follows:

Group 1: Alex, Sam, Corey
Group 2: Cassidy, Deandre, Brian
Group 3: Jordan, Cassidy S, Michael
Group 4: Christina, Carlee, Sarah M.
Group 5: Kaylar, Kristen, Kaitlyn
Group 6: Clayton, Sarah D., Blake
Group 7: Bennett, Alex L, Max

At the end of 45 minutes, place your houses (they must have a name on them) ON the side counter by the second sink.  Anything that is anywhere else in the room will be discarded by the janitor.

Second 45 minutes:

Go to your table.  Work with one partner and a computer to complete the Personal Evaluation for the Week.

Aug 22 and 23: R-Value

Home Insulation


Insulation in Iowa   (take a look at this website)

Table of Common R-values

To calculate R-values, we make a sandwich of insulation material.  Just because something is thicker doesn't necessarily mean it is better.  Sometimes, though, higher R-value material is more expensive.  It's a trade-off, just like many things in life.

Make the following sandwiches for your table on a piece of paper, big enough for the entire class to see.:

A sandwich with a R-value of 15 or better
A sandwich with a R-value of 50 or better
A sandwich with a maximum thickness of 6 inches
A sandwich with a maximum thickness of 12 inches

Also, when it comes to windows, we have a problem...It is going to be a very thin sandwich, unless we put up drapes (curtains) or some sort of a quilted batting at night.  Even so, that part of the wall will be colder.   The other trade-off is that windows that have bigger R-values have a bigger cost.

Based on this, what type of windows do you think your house should have?




Personal Evaluation (to be filled out in teams of two)

August 21 Passive Solar

I.  Check out the pictures found at this passive solar website.    Our goal here is to figure out WHAT role the sun has in what we are doing.   Divvy up the pictures, and try to explain on a whiteboard what is going on.

II.   Read pages 4-7 of the Infinite Power Reading.   When you get done, you will need to compelete the worksheet and hand in.
III. Want to learn more?   Take a look at solar water heat and photovoltaic (solar) cells.

Aug 20 Google Docs and Passive solar

I. We need to talk about sharing data. One way we can share data is a shared worksheet

 Another way is to share with everyone, but that starts to create a huge number of shared documents. How can we fix this? My thought: One person creates a document and shares it with everyone immediately. Everyone types on that shared document. Since we didn't do that Friday, we will need to do something else. Decide who has the MASTER Document. Open it, and rename it Sun Facts 1 (Table ___) Change the sharing settings to 'anyone with the link can edit). Copy all the information from your Friday work into the document. When you get done, everyone except the Master Document will be deleted.


 II. Using your knowledge of passive solar energy, predict where you think a marshmallow would best be placed to make it warm and gooey using the sun. III. We will be going out in the front of the building. You will have a marshmallow and a piece of paper. At the end of the 15 minute period, we will check the temp with a Raytek gun. After that, you will need to decide how well your prediction matches your data (the temperature, and a gooeyness test)


III.  Watch the video:




IV.   How is your marshmallow experiment related to this video and the terms:

Passive solar energy
Thermal mass
Radiation
South Windows

Aug 17 Sun Research

photo credit: Vijay Bandari - Moved to other account via photo pin cc


Today, we will be asking questions about the Sun.

Step 1:  Open up your Google Doc about the Sun.   SHARE this document with me and your teammates.


Step 2:  Answer the following questions to the best of your knowledge.  This will require you to SEARCH on Google.  When you get the answer, write it down in ONE to TWO sentences, and then paste the URL in.  IF you use a textbook, write down the page that you found the answer.

• How does the Sun make its heat?
• How does the heat travel to Earth?
• How far is it between the Sun and the Earth?
• Do we depend on the Sun?  Why?
• What is passive solar energy?
• How does a solar cell work?

Step 3:  Data collection.  You will be collecting temperatures on at least 15 surfaces around the school grounds.  You may NOT cross any streets, and will be sent out in teams with a cell phone.   The first three are 1) a brick wall 30 cm (1 foot off the ground); 2) a brick wall 60 cm (2 foot off the ground) and 3) a brick wall  

Organize it in a table with the headings:  Surface/Height from the ground (m)/Temperature (degrees C)/Direct or Indirect Sunlight

Add this information to your Google Docs.

Step 4:  Processing.  We do this the last 15 minutes of class.  Use your time wisely.

Aug 16 Intro

Welcome to Science Interactions! I'm so glad you're here. Today's goals:

• Expectations
• Logging onto Google
• Your First Email

Ways to reach me:

Skype:  marcia_powell

Cell: fivesixthree-six0eight-nineteenhundred

Email: marciapowellATw-delaware.k12.ia.us

Twitter:  @mapowell

::mapowell::

Space Junk