Guiding Questions 1. What is matter? 2. We cannot see air, so is air matter? Everything in the universe is made of matter. Yes, everything - even you! Watch this short video to learn basic information about matter and the three states of matter; solid, liquid, and gas. Check out the links at the end of this blog for more helpful websites about this topic. Water is a type of matter. Like all matter, it can take the form of a solid, liquid, or gas.
Standards For This Lesson 5-PS1-1. Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen. 6.MS-LS1-7(MA) Use a particulate model of matter to explain that density is the amount of matter (mass) in a given volume. Additional Resources
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Remember, NEVER look directly at the Sun! Guiding Questions 1. What are lunar and solar eclipses? 2. Why do they occur? Sometimes, the orbits of the Earth, and Moon cause them to form a line with the Sun that creates a shadow, or umbra, to occur as the Earth or Moon block the light energy from the sun. These are a very special events because they do not occur frequently! These special events are called a lunar eclipse and a solar eclipse. I hope that you have the opportunity to observe a lunar or solar eclipse in your lifetime! There will be a partial lunar eclipse visible in our area the night of November 29, 2020. The next total solar eclipse that will be visible from parts of the United States will occur on April 8, 2024. You can ask your science teacher to help you understand how to observe these eclipses. Check out the links at the end of this blog for helpful websites about when to observe eclipses. Note: These diagrams are not to scale. Activity
Standards For This Lesson 6.MS-ESS1-1a Develop and use a model of the Earth-Sun-Moon system to explain the causes of lunar phases and eclipses of the Sun and Moon. Additional Resources
Guiding Questions 1. How does the Moon move around Earth? 2. Why does the shape of the Moon appear to change? When the Moon is a big, bright circle in the night sky is is very easy to notice! The full moon is the brightest object in our night sky. But, if you observe the moon each night you notice that it appears to change shape. For about two weeks after the Full Moon phase Earth's moon appears to become smaller, and smaller, until finally it is no longer visible. If you wait a few days, you can see the Moon again, just after the New Moon phase. Watch it for another two weeks as it appears to grow bigger, and bigger! Ultimately, it becomes a big Full Moon again, and the approximately four week cycle continues. Why does this happen? One more thing that is important to know when you are learning about the Moon is that Lunar Phases and Moon Phases are the same thing. "Luna" is another name for Earth's moon. Diagram of the Moon's phases: The Earth is at the center of the diagram and the Moon is shown orbiting (dashed circle). The Sun lights half of the Moon and Earth from the right-side. The phase of the Moon is shown next to the corresponding position of the Moon in its orbit around Earth. The phase is as seen in the Northern hemisphere of the Earth. Diagram: By Andonee - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38635547 Activity
Standards For This Lesson 6.MS-ESS1-1a Develop and use a model of the Earth-Sun-Moon system to explain the causes of lunar phases and eclipses of the Sun and Moon. Additional Resources
Guiding Questions 1. What can we observe (see) in the night sky tonight? 2. Can we see a planet in the sky? 3. What does the Moon look like tonight? Note: This activity is designed for the nights of April 1 - 6, 2020, during the hour after sunset, in the area of Lynn, Massachusetts, but the activity can be done with success anytime, and anywhere. This Space Science activity is different from the first four (4) activities I posted. I want you to go outside on the next clear night, soon after sunset, and look for the Moon. It should be almost right above you. Next, look towards Boston in the west where the Sun just set, and try to find the brightest star in that area. This very bright star is not really a star. It is the planet Venus! Of course, you also see some stars in the sky tonight. Which object is farther away from Earth, the Moon, Venus, or the stars you see tonight? After you enjoy looking at the beautiful night sky, I want you to draw a picture of what you observe. Include the date and the time of your observation. You can also label the Moon and Venus. Scroll or move down on this page for the complete instructions for this activity. The image below has a link to a web page with a short video to help you find objects in the in the night sky this month. Simply, click here or on the picture with your cursor to open the new web page so you can watch the video. What's Up - April 2020, A short video describing what you can see in the night sky this month. Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech Activity
Standards For This Lesson 6.MS-ESS1-1a. Develop a model of the Sun-Earth-Moon system to explain the causes of lunar phases and eclipses of the Sun and Moon. 6.MS-ESS1-5(MA) Use graphical displays to illustrate that Earth and its solar system are one of many in the Milky Way galaxy, which is one of billions of galaxies in the universe. Additional Resources
Guiding Questions 1. Where does the Sun go when we cannot see it? 2. Why does Earth have a cycle of seasons; winter, spring, summer, fall? In this diagram of Earth's orbit around the Sun (below) we see four (4) Earth's, with the Sun in the center. Do you see the names of the four (4) seasons on the diagram; winter, spring summer, autumn? The Earth experiences a cycle of seasons every year. What are the names of the seasons in your native language? In this diagram the red line is Earth's orbit as it revolves around the Sun, and the purple lines are Earth's axis and rotation. Observe that the diagram also has labels of the seasons in the northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere. Is your home country located near the equator, or in the southern or northern hemisphere? Earth at seasonal points in its orbit (not to scale) By Tauʻolunga - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=927625 Activity
Standards For This Lesson 5-ESS1-2. Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky. 8.MS-ESS1-1b Develop and use a model of the Earth-Sun system to explain the cyclical pattern of seasons, which includes Earth's tilt and differential intensity of sunlight on different areas of Earth across the year. Additional Resources
Guiding Questions 1. What star is the closest to Earth? 2. Why is the Sun important to Earth? In this diagram of our Solar System (below) we see only a small part of the Sun. Do you know why? This is because the real size of the sun, at the scale, is too large to fit in the diagram. Compare the size of Earth to the Sun in this diagram. Wow! Earth is small! Our planet, Earth, is not really as close to the Sun as it appears in the diagram. However, Earth is much closer to the Sun than the outer planets are, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. If a planet is closer to the Sun than Earth, how will life on that planet be different from Earth? Diagram of the Solar System (sizes of planets are to scale, but not distances from the Sun) By WP - Planets2008.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45708230 Activity
Standards For This Lesson 5-PS3-1. Use models to describe that energy in animals’ food (used for body repair, growth, motion, and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun. 6.MS-ESS1-15(MA) Use graphical displays to illustrate that Earth and its solar system are one of many in the Milky Way galaxy, which is one of billions of galaxies in the universe. 8.MS-ESS1-1b Develop and use a model of the Earth-Sun system to explain the cyclical pattern of seasons, which includes Earth's tilt and differential intensity of sunlight on different areas of Earth across the year. Additional Resources
Guiding Questions 1. How far away from Earth is our Moon, or the nearest star, or nearest galaxy, or the edge of the known Universe? 2. How do we measure great distances in space? The image below shows the location in the night sky of the two closest stars to our Sun, Alpha Centauri and Proxima Centauri. The bright band of stars across the image is our own Milky Way galaxy! Notice that these two stars are located in our own Milky Way galaxy, which has billions of other stars and solar systems. Beyond our galaxy are billions of other galaxies, as far as the edge of the Universe! The video for this lesson is about how scientists measure distances in space. Imagine what it would be like to travel to a distant planet or a distant star as a scientist and explorer. Where would you like to go to explore, some where close or far away? The Very Large Array Telescope and Alpha Centauri By Y. Beletsky (LCO)/ESO - https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1702a/, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54922306 Activity
Standards For This Lesson 6.MS-ESS1-15(MA) Use graphical displays to illustrate that Earth and its solar system are one of many in the Milky Way galaxy, which is one of billions of galaxies in the universe. Additional Resources Visit NASA's Space Place: Universe for games, activities, crafts, and media Watch the TedEd Lesson The Journey to Pluto
Guiding Questions 1. What makes up the universe? 2. How does the size of Earth compare to the size of other objects in the Universe? For all of human history humans have looked up at the night sky in wonder and curiosity. Galileo Galilei was the first person to use the newly invented telescope to observe the night sky 410 years ago, in 1610. In April, 1990, only 30 years ago, NASA launched the Hubble Space Telescope. Our knowledge of the universe was greatly expanded with the data and images that the Hubble Space Telescope sent back to the NASA scientists. The most spectacular image from this telescope is called the eXtreme Deep Field, or XDF, released in 2012. To me, this Hubble image below looks like a field of jewels glittering in the night sky! The "jewels" are really galaxies that are 13 billion light years away from Earth. Hubble eXtreme Deep Field (HXDF) taken in 2012, By NASA; ESA; G. Illingworth, D. Magee, and P. Oesch, University of California, Santa Cruz; R. Bouwens, Leiden University; and the HUDF09 Team - http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2012/37/image/a/warn/, Credit: NASA; ESA; G. Illingworth, D. Magee, and P. Oesch, University of California, Santa Cruz; R. Bouwens, Leiden University; and the HUDF09 Team, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22103962 Activity
Standards For This Lesson 6.MS-ESS1-15(MA) Use graphical displays to illustrate that Earth and its solar system are one of many in the Milky Way galaxy, which is one of billions of galaxies in the universe. Additional Resources Visit the Hubble Telescope website at https://hubblesite.org/.
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