Week 2: Space: The Final Frontier

  1.  There was no lab this week due to the Labor Day holiday. 
  2. How does space exploration impact our understanding of science? 
  3. This week in discussion, I deepened my knowledge and understanding of space exploration. I began by learning that the first human to go into space was believed to be Wan Hu in 400 B.C.E.; however, this may be a myth. Years later, Russia sent dogs into space, and once those dogs had puppies, they gave one to the President of the United States, beginning the space race. The space race was a close race; however, the United States won as Russia's spacecraft was destroyed in orbit, and we are the first and only country to have humans on the moon. I also learned how the Earth was measured in 240 BCE by the Greek astronomer Eratosthenes. He measured the size of the Earth by finding the angle of a shadow in Alexandria to be 7.2 degrees, while in Syene, there was no shadow. He divided 360 by 7.2 to find 50, and reasoned that the 800 km distance between the cities must be 1/50 of Earth's full circle. Therefore, he multiplied 50 by 800 to find that Earth's circumference must be near 40,000 km, which was accurate. This was an activity that we could replicate in our classrooms with our students. I also think that it is important to educate our students on Jerrie Cob. Jerrie Cob was the best, most experienced pilot; however, they prevented her several times from flying the spacecraft because she was a woman. Lastly, I learned about the future of space exploration. The next goal is to go to Mars, as it is very similar to Earth, and there is evidence of past life and water. However, this is a far-off goal as there is still much research to be done. This gained knowledge and understanding will be helpful in my future classroom when educating my students on space. 
  4. Chapter 2 further deepened my understanding of the importance of space exploration, both culturally and scientifically. I learned that on October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite into space. This led to the beginning of the Space Race. I then learned that we won the Space Race in 1969 when Apollo 11 successfully landed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon. I also learned about more women who played a key role in our space history, such as Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan. This will be important to emphasize in my future classroom to inspire my students. I found it interesting, however, that women were not allowed to go to space even though they were lighter, shorter, and consumed less food. I also found it interesting to learn more about the future of space exploration and the similarities between Mars and Earth. Furthermore, I found the visuals and photos within this chapter helpful to better visualize and understand space exploration and its findings. However, I would like to learn more about what has happened between the space landing and now such as the space stations, space shuttle era, and mars and beyond. But, overall I found this chapter helpful in strengthening my understanding of space exploration and its importance. 
  5. I have no questions, comments, or concerns at this time. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sun, Earth, and Moon

 In lab today, we explored the relationship between the Sun, Earth, and Moon. However, we began by going over the course syllabus, schedule, and expectations. Once completed, we collaborated at our tables using an Earth and Moon model, while a Sun model was placed at the front of the classroom, and a light was used to represent the path of orbit. We discussed shadows to determine that in the Northern Hemisphere, your shadow points to the north, while in the Southern Hemisphere, your shadow points to the south. We then modeled the cause of seasons by observing how different locations on Earth tilt towards the Sun during orbit. We also modeled day and night by rotating the Earth and observing when each side is facing the Sun. Lastly, we modeled the phases of the Moon by orbiting the Moon around the Earth and noting which parts of the Moon's surface were lit by the Sun as it orbited. This helped us to discover that during a solar eclipse, the Moon blocks the Sun. This lab was helpful ...
Read more

Week 6: Geologic Time

  This week in lab, we began by reviewing for the exam. We reviewed the life cycle of a star, shadows, meteors compared to meteorites, and the phases of the moon. We then transitioned into learning about Earth science. I found it interesting how Earth science is connected to politics, as Barack Obama won the election by utilizing the coastline. We then created a timeline around the classroom including events such as: human appearance, dinosaurs, first land plants, first land animals, and the creation of the moon. This activity was helpful to visualize when these events occurred and how long our planet has existed before us.This activity was paired with an online Earth simulator, EarthViewer, that allowed us to see more events that have occurred and how our planet has changed. We used this information to correct and build on our timeline. These activities combined were helpful to visualize and correct our preconceptions. Therefore, I would definitely use both in my future classroom....
Read more

Week 14: Causes of Climate Change

  This week in lab, we explored the rising level of carbon dioxide in our environment globally. We looked at statistics and explored an online simulation to better understand and visualize how this is happening. We also learned how sunlight enters Earth’s atmosphere as visible light, warms the surface, and is then re-released as infrared energy. Normally, some of this heat escapes back into space, but increasing amounts of carbon dioxide trap more of the infrared energy, causing Earth to warm. Understanding this greenhouse effect helped me see why carbon dioxide levels matter so much beyond being just a number. Lastly, we looked into the effects of rising carbon dioxide such as higher temperatures, stronger storms, and larger wildfires. Overall, this lab provided important information that helped me better understand the urgency of climate change.  How are rising carbon dioxide levels negatively impacting our planet? Discussion Notes: Dec 4 Exam Topics  10 space questions...
Read more