Friday, November 5, 2010

Vocaroo

Tape your audio overlay with Vocaroo

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Toondoo assignment




You may work in pairs of TWO or by yourself for this assignment.

Using your concept maps, you have tried to come up with connections to the following ideas. I have left these concept maps on the side table, and you may use them as long as you RETURN them at the end of the hour.

A GOOD cartoon combines humor with knowledge. Some people have the gift of humor; others have the gift of sharing information. The best cartoons for education have some of both.

Create a series of 6-10 cartoons that cover the topics assigned to you.

Day 1: Define all the words
Heat transfer

Conduction

Convection

Radiation

Weather patterns

Prevailing winds

Plate tectonics

earthquakes

volcanoes

fossils

GPS

radioactive substances

climate change

rock cycle

carbon cycle

nitrogen cycle

water cycle


Start sketching cartoons. If you get one or two done, make a ToonDoo account and start creating.

Day 2: Toondoo Workday

These will not be due on Monday, but this is the ONLY class time I can guarantee you. Use it well.

Questions? Txt me at five-six-three six-oh-eight nineteen-hundred

Monday, September 27, 2010

Climate Change and Persuasive Reasoning

Day 1:

Pick the five most persuasive arguments you see from your own sheets or the arguments of someone else.  You may use science, political, religious, or economic arguments.  Then, create a persuasive product (poster, power point, paper, ppt, video, song, etc.) that details your position and your argument.  This is due at the beginning of the class tomorrow.

 Day 2:

An argument is only persuasive if you can find evidence for it.  Throughout your arguments, look for specific EVIDENCE, listing the URL source and why you believe it is effective support for your argument. 

URL values:  a national organization focused on science, like TED, NASA, NAP, or AAAS (10 points)
A political or economic think tank's data (5 points)
A national religious organization viewpoint (5 points)
A private organization that supports a viewpoint (e.g., Pheasant's Forever) (4 points)
A blog (2 points)

VIDEO Watch:  We'll be watching the following, and writing a 1 page review of the ideas presented here, and whether or not you agree with them.

 

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Building the Universe BM


To complete your unit on space, create a series of museum exhibits that occupy a space that is 6 x 8 sq ft. The exhibits must contain some interactivity (do something), use some type of computer technology (a video clip or online game), and be of high quality (meaning posters that follow recommended guidelines given in class). Usually this means a game, a 3d activity, a video or powerpoint or game online, and several posters or children's books. CREATIVITY and PRESENTATION matters.

Exhibit 1: How BIG is space? Include a comparison to other known objects in the solar system or the universe.

Exhibit 2: What is the lifecycle of a sun-type star? What should the average consumer know about other star types?

Exhibit 3: What is important to know about our solar system? Think beyond listening them in order to the distances and sizes between them, asteroids, comets, moons, and where we have explored.

Exhibit 4: What are the characteristics of our galaxy?

Exhibit 5: How do sunspots affect life on earth OR what are the constellations?

Exhibit 6: How can we explain the birth of the universe, and what analogies will make it meaningful?

Extra Credit:  Tell me about the case for intelligent life in the universe.  Are we alone........or not?

Recommended links include those we have used previously as well as the following:

Solar System

Solar system weight

Discovery Education videos

Sunspots


Spaceweather


Planets

Monday, May 10, 2010

The UNIVERSE and You.


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