Anything else?

The Socratic Seminar on Climate Change was yesterday. I thought it was really fun. Many of you have a strong voice on the subject. That comes from confidence, and, in my experience, confidence comes as the result of hard work. Thanks for working hard to make yesterday successful.

Is there anything you wanted to say on Friday, but for some reason did not get the chance? Well, here's your chance. Why does this issue matter? What research leads you to believe that Climate Change is caused naturally, or by humans? Has anyone (peers, parents, teachers) influenced your decision? How sensitive is our climate to CO2? What do you think of the "ClimateGate" emails? Answer these or any other questions about climate change in your response to this post.

After answering any or all of these questions, go to Ediscio and study the Greenhouse Effect Cardbox in preparation for the standard check.

Climate Change Socratic Seminar

Socratic Seminar Research from Owen Hoegh on Vimeo.

Is "global warming" actually happening? If so, are humans causing it? Or, is climate change occuring because of natural fluctuations in the system? We will be discussing these questions and more in our Socratic Seminar on Climate Change, which will occur during class this Thursday. Today, you will be preparing yourself to contribute (intelligently!) to that discussion. I will give you a list of questions that will be addressed, and you may use the links provided to research the issue of climate change. Remember to have an open mind, so that your arguments will be well-informed.

Here is the list of questions that may be discussed. Feel free to write notes on it as you research. You may use these notes during the discussion on Thursday.

Here is the list of links:

EPA for Kids (click on the "Climate Change -- what it is" and "Can we change the climate?")

Icecap Facts and Myths

American Policy Roundtable

Global Warming: Natural or Manmade?

Global Warming 101 (Roy Spencer)

Environmental Protection Agency

USA Today Interactive

Global Warming: Did We Cause It?

Global Warming Effects

AMNH's Climate Change

Temperature Anomalies

Greenhouse Effect Activity

This week we will be learning about the basic mechanisms that control our temperatures on Earth. Go through the following slideshow about the Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming. As you progress, the slides will prompt you to finish the associated assignment in your Unit 15 packet (pages 14 and 15). Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming Slideshow

Letter to the Atmosphere

Whether we are conscious of it or not, we owe a lot to our atmosphere. It protects us from harm, and provides us with what we need to live. I would like you to write to the atmosphere detailing how it is able to accomplish these things for us. This is your topic, but you may choose your "role", "audience", and "format". For ideas and instructions, click here:

Atmosphere RAFT Instructions

After reading the directions, simply open up a blank Word document and begin to write your letter, advice column, series of text messages, journal entry, or whatever it is you choose to write. Once you have made the necessary revisions and corrections, copy and paste your creation and send it to me through ediscio-mail. (I'd like to give you feedback through ediscio, and possibly ask for permission to post it on our blog.) Good luck to all of you. Let the creative juices flow.

While you're signed into Ediscio, try your hand at the Layers of the Atmosphere flash cards.

If you've mastered those, I'd like you to search through some of these websites on how heat is transferred in our atmosphere.

• BBC Heat Transfer and Efficiency
• NOAA - The transfer of heat energy
• Convection Current Interactive
  
  

Coke Challenge

Crazy 8s: Don't let the title of this post fool you. This is not a taste test . Instead, we will test these objects' densities. Please follow the directions that are given below the slideshow.
Coke vs. Diet Coke Density

• Click on "comments". Like always, this will open up a new window where you may type your blog response.
• Advance to the next slide by clicking on the right portion of the slideshow. You can also click on the left portion if you want to go back to the previous slide.
• In your blog response, answer all questions that appear on the purple-ish slides.
  
• Do not advance to the next slide until you have completely answered the questions that appeared on the purple-ish slides.

Ocean Currents

Here is a video shot at Lake Shetek last summer. It's about surface currents, and what causes them.

Surface Currents at Lake Shetek from Owen Hoegh on Vimeo.

I'd like us to collaborate to learn more about oceanography. Google Docs should allow us to do this in real time. With the rest of your group members, complete the section assigned to you in this document. Please use bold text so that we can easily pick out your answers from the questions.
The link will not appear on this blog anymore. If you need it, Mr. Hoegh can email it to you.
If you complete your section of the jigsaw, go try these activities:

• Ediscio cardboxes on Density and Ocean Currents. Mark these cards for learning, and have at it.
• Read this article about the causes of deep ocean currents, AKA the "Global Conveyor Belt".

Astronomy Review

Your training regimen does not include one-handed push-ups (or getting slapped as you do sit-ups). Today does include the following:

1. Tomorrow before the post-test, there will be a short standard check on Galaxies. It includes this essay question, which you may answer TODAY during class:
   Different theories exist about the origin of the universe, one of which is the big bang theory. In this essay, explain what the big bang theory is. Be sure to describe some of the events/discoveries that have led some scientists to this theory. (How does cosmic background radiation, the Doppler Effect, advanced telescopes, etc. contribute to the support and formation of the big bang theory?) (3 points). You will sign-in to your account at http://www.classmarker.com/ . I, or the substitute, will have a printed list of your usernames if you forgot it. Under "My tests" find the "Galaxies Essay". Start this and type away!
2. Complete the astronomy cardboxes in Ediscio ("Planetary Motion", "Planets", "Earth, Moon, and Sun Effects", "Small Bodies of the Solar System", "Our Sun", and "Stars and Galaxies"). Keep track of your success in your Unit 14 Packet.
3. Once you've completed the essay, you can continue your review session with the Astronomy Smart Review Games. You can find these in the student shared folder.
   

Happy training!

Doppler Effect Scavenger Hunt

Medicam sequens links. Et ad disponat laborum. Quondam illic, vos can refero questions in justo. Gratias.

For those of you who don't know Latin, that previous statement reads like this:

Please click on the following links. They direct you to a new site. Once there, you can answer questions in a comment. Thank you.

Origins of the Theory
Doppler Effect Video
Big Bang Article
Star Spectrum Animation