Explaining Astronomy to Elsie

Suppose that you need to explain the concepts of a year, a month, and a day to a small child such as Elsie. Could you do this? First, you should know a couple of things about Elsie:

1. She is extremely smart for just turning four years old (I know that you're thinking, "Hmm..... she must get her intellect from her mother." Well, you're right.) Elsie will follow your line of thought quite well.
2. If you use the terms rotation, revolution, orbit, or any other term used specifically for astronomy, she might not know exactly what it means (Many adults wouldn't know what the terms mean either.) Be sure to explain these things as you go.
3. It would help if you related these concepts to things a 4-year-old would know about -- like Disney movies (especially Rapunzel from Tangled and, of course, Cinderella), Elmo from Sesame Street, Legos, Clifford the big red dog, Super Why, Angelina Ballerina, etc.
   

For each concept (year, month, and day) describe the motion of the Earth, the moon, and the sun. Good luck.

Planet Presentations 2013

Comment: I eagerly await the chance to become an expert on each of the planets of our solar system.
Question: Who is going to give me that opportunity?
Answer: The Mustang 8s
Another Question: How?
Another Answer: They will be researching a specific planet, collaborating in groups, and developing a presentation that will blow away (in a good way) anyone who is fortunate to be in attendance.

Below is a link for some useful planet research sites.

Planet Presentation Links and Instructions

The Growth Mindset

We've talked about character traits (like grit, optimism, self-control, etc.) that lead to success. It can be extremely difficult to improve those traits if you don't think they are modifiable. That's what this video is about. Simply having the mindset that you can improve and "get better" is vital to actual growth.
Growth Mindset TED Video
What is the thing you take away from this video?

Locate the Earthquake

Problem: Where is the earthquake’s epicenter, and when did it happen?
Information: P Waves travel an average of 5000 m/s through North America. S Waves travel an average of 3000 m/s. You also have a record of earthquake activity from five different seismograph stations throughout the United States. The seismograms are visible on this map. (Open these seismograms in a new tab in order to get a good look - you will have to right-click on the seismogram to do this.)
View Locate the Earthquake in a larger map

After you figure out how far each station is away from the epicenter, use this mapping tool. It will allow you to draw measured circles around different locations to pinpoint this earthquake’s epicenter. Good luck!

In your comment below, answer these simple questions:

1. Where did this earthquake happen? (Where was the epicenter?)
2. When did this earthquake happen? (answer to the nearest second)
3. How did you figure it out?

Prizes for figuring out the answers to this problem include the following:

• 3 Bonus points on your Earthquakes Standard Check
• Mike & Ike's with Mr. Hoegh
• One game of H-O-R-S-E with Mr. Hoegh
• A Homemade Christmas Card from Mr. Hoegh's daughters
• One game of catch (football, baseball, softball, or frisbee) with Mr. Hoegh
• 15 Minutes of Pepper (volleyball) with Mr. Hoegh
• 2 Karaoke Songs by (or with) Mr. Hoegh

Earthquake Sampler

Earthquakes have had quite an impact on our society in the past, and they will continue to have that Earth-shattering (literally!) impact in the future. It is highly unlikely that any of us have physically experienced one of these natural disasters, and I hope that none of us ever will. What do you think it would be like to experience a Great Quake? What would you do? How would you feel about the total loss of control in the situation? You will learn about some of the Great Quakes in history. Through first-hand accounts of people who were fortunate to live through a large earthquake, you will get a chance to learn about what it was like to experience one of these historical natural disasters. The details for today's activity are found HERE.

In your blog response, remember to answer TWO of the three choices. As always, I look forward to reading what is written!

a. What was the most memorable story, image, or fact about the earthquake you researched? Why?
b. What do you think it was like to live through the earthquake you researched?
c. Have you ever experienced another natural disaster, such as a tornado, hurricane, severe thunderstorm, or flood? Create your own personal recollection of living through the destruction that event caused.

Identifying Minerals

In the past few days in science, your view of minerals has likely changed. You've discovered that there are many different classes/types of minerals -- each with a unique set of properties that allows us to identify one mineral from another.
In your comment, completely answer the following questions. If you don't want your comment to be published, that is fine! Just let me know in the comment you leave.

1. Minerals are identified by their properties. What are some of the properties you used to distinguish one mineral from another? Why is it best to use more than just one or two of these properties?
   
2. Did some of the properties "work" better than others? Which ones were the most effective? Which were the least effective? Explain.
   
3. What was the most difficult part of identifying minerals?
4. How many minerals (of the 17) did you identify correctly?
   

Our Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition Presentation