Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Crumple Zones Test

Find a car that has a five star driver rating.  _____________________________

Find a car that has a three star driver rating.  _____________________________

Watch the videos of both undergoing a front end collision.

What happens to the crash test dummy in each.  Be specific.

What safety features does it have?  Be specific

Add to your thoughts by going here:  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/escape/timecar.html

Which would make a better demolition derby car, in your opinion?

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Blue Book Analysis vs. Safercar.gov

Kenz's and Devin's group:  http://t.co/2VQmy07tYk 

Marshall's group:  http://t.co/WLFpDksXi6

Chaunda's group:  http://t.co/hQdgVhMDT8

Zoe's group:  http://t.co/r2KULubSlU


Using these cars, (or send me a tweet with different ones), go to safercar.gov and look at three cars.  Rate the safety of three cars, making some type of chart to support your reasoning (hint--use a rating scale or look at p. 8)

CLAIM

EVIDENCE

REASONING

argument for each

Show Christine or Mrs. D your group's evidence.

Then, go to page 9 of your book and write in YOUR NOTEBOOK the answers to questions 1, 2, and 3.

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

Wednesday:  Write the answers to the journal questions in your notebook.

Read p.  11, Physics Talk.  (pair read, talk, and create pair examples)

Come up with four examples each of the two physics words on the right.

Read p. 12.

Class discussion questions:

How do the safety systems from yesterday impact the possibilities suggested on p. 12?

Answer the Journal Write and the What do you Think Now on p 13

Physics to Go  #1



Thursday, October 17, 2013


Monday, October 14, 2013

Powers of 10

http://www.powersof10.com/film

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

Constellations








For the last two weeks, we have been studying HOW BIG the universe is, and HOW it was made.  Today, you will be creating a personal 2-sided model on your understanding. A model can be a picture or  a concept map with explanation, or a series of statements or a story that are somehow connected. At any rate, your model is UNLIKE anyone else's, because you are a UNIQUE person.  TO start this activity, I would suggest you look around at the links, writing yourself notes and sketching ideas for at least 30 minutes.


SIDE 1:  Tell me about our star, our solar system, our local galaxy, and the local galaxy cluster.  In some way, represent the following

  • stellar life cycle
  • terrestrials
  • gas planets
  • asteroid belt
  • Kuiper belt
  • powers of 10
  • life
  • gravity
  • orbit
  • Milky way galaxy
  • black hole
  • spiral arms
SIDE 2:  This model is a V.  At the point of the V, place the words Big Bang.  At the top of the V, put "about 14 billion years"  Then, using the diagram above, and the links below, fill out the V scape to show your understanding of:

  • energy
  • pieces smaller than atoms
  • fusion
  • galaxies
  • size of the universe
  • local galaxies
  • stars
  • chemical elements
  • speed using the Doppler effect
  • supernovas
  • dust clouds (nebulas)

Please give any mini-marshmallows that you brought to Melyssa.  Melyssa will label them and put them in the wooden back cupboard and we will use them for tomorrow.

Hand these models in at the end of the hour.

LINKS:

Supernovas

Local Universe

Doppler Effect

Powers of TEN


History of the Universe

Planet Quest

Galaxy Zoo

Thursday, October 10, 2013

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

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Our Dyanmic Earth



Use the Internet to research the geographic region known as the Ring of Fire. They should look at the following Web sites and others they can find by searching:
As they go through the sites, answer these questions:
  • Where is the Ring of Fire?
  • Why is it called the Ring of Fire?
  • What does the Ring of Fire have to do with plate tectonics?
  • What events on the Earth's surface tend to occur in this region more frequently than in other regions of the Earth? Why do they occur here?
  • What do trenches and mountain ranges have to do with the Ring of Fire and plate tectonics?

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

What should you do about it?

Climate change.  It matters.


Today, you need to figure out what we should do for climate change.  It must involve the following:

a) bringing the geochemical cycles into balance
b) deciding what you do should do differently to reduce your carbon footprint
c) figuring out how methane and carbon dioxide move around the geochemical cycles
d) deciding if there is technology out there to store carbon or methane, or if it still needs invented
e) deciding on what the best strategies should be to control energy and population


EEEEEEEEK.  That's a lot of information to process.

First, break it down.

Define the following:


  • geochemical cycle
  • carbon footprint 
  • methane
  • carbon dioxide
  • energy sink
  • population control

Now, figure out where each of those fit in the 

Carbon Cycle

Water Cycle

Nitrogen Cycle


Find out how population changes the geochemical cycles

Find out about your carbon footprint by using a calculator or two (there are dozens)


You will turn in your group notes and a poster at the end of the class.

The poster should identify the three most important worries we have about climate change.

It should also identify what YOU can do differently 

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Geochemical cycles

http://www.colorado.edu/GeolSci/courses/GEOL1070/chap04/chapter4.html  (take a look at the pictures of all the cycles