Daniel Davis: September 2010 Archives

Students completed the "Using Star Charts Activity":

Using Star Charts Activity.doc

If they had time, they were to begin their "Constellations Lab":

Students took the "Elements Symbols Quiz" today, and picked up a packet of review worksheets for the UNIT 1 TEST on Tuesday, 28 September.

We discussed the correlations of Right Ascention and Declination as analogues to Longitude and Latitude.
These base star maps were handed out:

Scan0027.tif

Tomorrow, the students will take their Element Symbol Quiz.

We began reviewing today for a UNIT test on TUESDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER, 2010.
Here is the outline of topics that will be covered:

Unit 1 Study Guide.doc

We continued our investigations into the moon phases and began discussing eclipses.

We began classifying matter

Matter2.ppt

We introduced the concept of "angular diameter" and how that influences eclipses on the Earth.

The "Rainbow Salt" PA was turned in.
We turned in a graphing packet started Friday:

Graphing.ppt

The "Rainbow Salt" PA was turned in as well as a small graphing packet from Friday.
Here is the "Graphing" PPT

Graphing.ppt

And the items the students were to graph:

Make a Line Graph 1.doc

Make a Bar Graph 1.doc

Make a Pie Graph 1.doc

Today we began talking about atoms and the subatomic particles:

AtomsSR.ppt

We compared the terms that we have covered...

Unit 1 Vocabulary.doc

And we calculated the sun's altitude on a specific day...

Solar Angles.doc

We completed the "Rainbow Salt" PA
Here are the associated files...

Rainbow Salt.doc

We constructed our "Solar Motion Demonstrators" last Friday, and we will begin to answer questions with them today.


Solar Motion Demonstrator.doc

Friday's homework was checked for completeness and accuracy.

We completed the "Identify the Controls and Variables" sheet together.
Identify the Controls and Variables.doc

We compared the motions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun in their respective alignments.
We covered the following topics and how their miniscule differences lead to long-term effects:

• Sidereal Day
• Solar Day
• Apparent change of sunrise/sunset
• Sidereal Month
• Synodic Month
• Phases of the moon and their progressions
• Sidereal Year
• Tropical Year
• Polar precession

We took a quiz on the Scientific Method and Lab Safety.

The class continued their work on density, mass and volume with these worksheets:
MeasuringMV&D.doc
We also worked on converting in the SI system:
MetricConversions.doc
Metric Conversions - Honors.doc
The powerpoint started yesterday is here:
The SI System2.ppt

We explored the geometry of Inferior and Superior planets compared to the orbit of the Earth.
New vocabulary:

• conjunction
• inferior conjunction
• superior conjunction
• greatest western elongation
• greatest eastern elongation
• opposition
• western quadrature
• eastern quadrature

We also began reckoning the differences in time-keeping between "normal" humans and astronomers.

• Solar day
• Sidereal day

We completed our investigation into measuring mass and volume from 31 Aug.

We then expanded our skills set by performing the necessary data gathering for the Density lab:
Density of Metals Lab- Ruler Measurement Revised.doc