Unit Reflection, Space Exploration 

By: Hannah Riley

What effects are cause by the motions of earth and the moon? :

The earth rotating on its axis is called a rotation and is 24 hours, so a day. Earth rotating around the sun takes 356 days a year. The earth’s axis has a tilt or else it would have no seasons. During June, it is the summer solstice, when it is summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere. This is when the north of the axis is facing the sun and the south is not. In December you have the December solstice, when it is summer in the southern hemisphere and then winter in the northern hemisphere. Also in May and September you have the Equinoxes, which occur twice a year, when it is usually spring or fall, and neither north nor south of the axis is facing the sun.

 

Tides are caused by the gravity from the moon pulling earth which is then also pulling the body of water causing a high tide, and then the earth is also leaving water on the other side, causing a high tide on the other side. Then in-between you have the love tides. During the day you have 4 tides, 2 high and 2 low. You have spring tides, which are when it can only happen in a full or new moon, and the moon and sun are pulling on the earth. And you have a neap tide which happens when the moon is in first or third quarter.

 Students will understand that scientists are using the knowledge they have of earth’s surface and atmosphere in search of extraterrestrial life:

Scientists use the knowledge of earth so that they can find other places that can help support life. All the things we have on earth that keep us alive are what we need if we ever need to go to a different place. For humans, we need water, oxygen, food, etc. They try to find these things on other planets so that they can find other ways and places where us humans can live and survive for in the future.

 Students will understand that the international space station and space probe as well as satellites are excellent tools for further space study:

For Humans to find out more about space we need more than just ourselves to help us, we need tools, space rockets, satellites, and space probs. We use space probes to go to places where it is hard for humans to go, or is too far. For example Mars rover its job is to look for signs of past water on mars. The mars rover has many tools and it takes samples of the rocks, soils, and minerals to help identify the clues to the past activity of water on mars. We also have telescopes to help us see things from far away for example; one of the greatest telescopes is the Hubble which was launched in 1990. The Hubble orbits around earth, and it gives us a great view of our universe compared to telescopes grounded on earth.  It is so amazing the Hubble can even peer through gases to take pictures.

 

 

How has the development of technology and space flight helped astronomers learn more about the other parts of the solar system and the structure of the universe? :

Technology and space flight has helped us learn a lot about space. Because space a massive place! And a rocket ship cannot take a person all the way there, so we use the satellites and the space probes to take pictures and to see closer. We never would have found out about galaxies or other things in our universe with a rocket ship because it’s too far away, so we thank technology for that. But then space flight is also very important, because then astronauts can get a feeling of a planet, what it looks like, and maybe even the chemicals. By this way we can learn a lot about the universe.

How are conditions in space different from those on earth? How space technology has benefited modern society?:

Space is very different from earth; the first thing that comes to my mind is that there is no oxygen and gravity. Space is a enormous place and we don’t even know how big! Space has many planets, for example like the ones in our solar system. Space is a whole different world, our world is in another! And space technology has really helped us because; it helps us see what things are near and around earth, our solar system, our galaxy! It helps us see if other places in space are like earth, we explore space to see what is there, to see if other things are possible. There could be a whole other world out there with people, humans just like us. And space technology lets us explore that and try and find out!

Did you enjoy this unit? Did you feel like this was something of importance to your life to learn about? Did you make any connections in your life while you were studying this unit? What are some things you liked and didn’t like? What are some ways for me to improve this unit, other that making it shorter?

I absolutely loved this unit so, so much! And why I loved it was because first I have never learned about space and I have always seemed a little confused but fascinated about it. Learning about space was very important because, astronauts and other people are working hard to figure out what other things that we can find in space, and how us humans will be able to live in space as well. Because until this unit I have never thought about what is outside earth, never thought about what makes us have seasons, tides, revolve around the sun, our moons, and I finally get to know! There was nothing at all that I did not like, well nothing that I can remember. But I really did enjoy everything because I honestly have never really thought about space. Before I was taught this unit to me this was space, we live on earth, we have a moon and there are a whole bunch of other planets called a solar system, we have a sun that keeps us warm, and then we have lots of stars, and lastly we go in space rockets to check out space. That is all I knew! And now I know so much about space! I don’t think there is anything for improving because I learned everything in a very fun way; I don’t think any class in this unit when I was ever bored. And I don’t want it to ever get shorter, because I don’t want to stop learning about space! 

Space Exploration: I s it worth the cost?

Space Exploration: Is it worth the cost?

By: Hannah Riley

We love our earth and we like to find out all the things about the place we are living on, but we also want to find out about the place our planet is living in, which is space! But the question we ask and wonder is it worth the cost? So let’s explore all the objects and things that we do to find out about space, the information that we can find so us humans can do other things in space! But why should we use our money on space when there are other things we can do?

First how do we explore Space? We use many things to explore space. We have humans that go up into space by rocket; Neil Armstrong was the first to walk on the moon in 1969. Humans go to space to learn and find out how to keep humans alive in space. They do experiments to see if we are able to live on other planets, for example Mars. To find out if we can be in space and are able to live and still have oxygen, water, food, etc. We use telescopes to see things far away, to be able to see things in different ways. One of the greatest telescopes is the Hubble which was launched in 1990. The Hubble orbits around earth, and it gives us a great view of our universe compared to telescopes grounded on earth. It is so amazing the Hubble can even peer through gases to take pictures. And lastly we also use space probes which are like robots that can go to places that are too far for humans to go and they are able to even take pictures for us! For example the Mars rover its job is to look for signs of past water on mars. The mars rover has many tools and it takes samples of the rocks, soils, and minerals to help identify the clues to the past activity of water on mars.

Second why spend all our money on space when we can spend it on other things? Space exploration costs loads and loads of money! But why use our money when we can use it for other things on earth like medicines, research into new drugs that can save lives, hospitals, and medical insurance. We need the money for research to make medicines that can cure diseases, even cancer. We need hospitals for people and insurance because some people do not have enough money to pay for their medicine. For example some children in Africa need shots to keep them safe from diseases like malaria. Education, many kids and adults are not educated which is very important because people need to learn about the world, and people need education to get jobs. So why spend our money on space when say astronauts might be going to space but then the space rocket explodes! we just wasted a whole lot of money! Nasa budget is $17.7 billion dollars! WOW! But then comparing it to national science which $8.0 billion you can see that the national science is low. But also the department of Education's budget is $79.1 billion! So as we can see space is still very important but the budget for education my much higher!

We need money for our renewable resources, we are lucky that we are able to have renewable resources, for example solar panels, but again it costs money to have them. We need money for natural disasters, for when terrible things happen to a country and we need money to help build places again, and help the people who have lost the things that have been destroyed. For example in Japan when they had the earthquake and tsunami, many people died, and things were destroyed. Lastly we need money for world hunger, for example the people in Africa do not have enough food and they do not have the money for it.

Third what are the good benefits to space exploration? The benefits are that we want to find out more about space, the place where our planet earth lives in, we want to be able to do the things in space that we do here on earth. Today astronauts go up into space and they do experiments for example farming plants, and animal reproduction. . Also one of the good things that we are able to do in space already is, we are able to recycle our waste for drinking water! They have plants to see how they will grow in the different changes of being in a space ship. Soon we know that because the earth will be polluted and many other things for (example natural disasters) we cannot live there anymore, and will have to find another place in space to live! So experimenting with plants is good because they do not only help us with food but they also give us oxygen to breathe and water to drink. They test fish to see what the changes are to reproducing in their natural habitats and the difference in space. We are trying to explore and make a miniature ecosystem out of people, plants, microbes, and machines because these are the things that can support space travelers. These are some of the benefits to why we should use the costs in exploring space.

In Conclusion I think space exploration is still very important it is worth the cost. But other problems we have on earth are also just as important, or more. So yes space exploration is important, but others are just as equal!

Bibliography:

"Leafy Green Astronauts." - NASA Science. Web. 09 Apr. 2012. .

http://hubblesite.org/the_telescope/hubble_essentials/

"Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Science." Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Home. Web. 09 Apr. 2012. .

A "Moonth" of a Phase

Guiding Question: What are the phases of the moon? Why do they occur?

When investigating the simulation, the moon clock, and/or the model, what did you notice about the phases of the moon? Why do we see different parts of the moon each night?

First thing that I notice about the moons is that they are all shaded in half because one side is facing the sun but then then the other side is not, so it is darker. So they all then seem the same from above. But when you are standing on earth it is differnt sometimes its half, sometimes full, or none at all. But that is the reason we see differnt parts of the moon each night, because th moon is rotating around the earth and at differnt points different parts of the moon is facing the sun, so we then see the part that the light is hitting on the moon.

How well did making a model help you understand the phases of the moon? What are some disadvantages of using models?

The models did not help as much I think really it just got me confused. But doing the pictures and drawing the moons helped me more, because I got to do all the drawing and shading and then everything made more sense to me. And once the pictures made sense to me so did the models we were doing. So I had a 2d visual on my paper and then I had a real life visual right in front of me. So drawing my observations really helped.

Scientists are thinking all the time about how they can make models of objects that are too small or too large to see: Can you think of another way to make a model to represent the various phases of the moon?

I can't think really of any but when someone is trying to explain something to me it would be awsome if I were actually there and I am with it apart of it. Because it would sort of be hard to actually do that in my opinion instead they could make a 3d movie!



What is a lunar month?

The time between successive new or full moons, equal to 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes.

Guiding Question: How does the title of Earth’s axis affect the light received by Earth as it revolves around the sun?

Hypothesis:

I think that it will have more light when either the south or northern hemisphere is facing the sun. Because it is summer at that time, depending on which hemisphere you have the June Solstice in Northern hemisphere and December solstice in the southern hemisphere. Also during summer it is hotter, more sunlight, more heat, and also longer days. And its winter when one of the hemispheres are not facing the sun. When its colder, not as much heat, and less sunlight.

Observations:

The Northern Hemisphere in summer:

-there is more light on the northern hemisphere so it is summer there, and there is less sun facing the southern hemisphere so it is winter there

- In there northern hemisphere because its summer the tooth pick has a longer shadow, but it is winter in the southern hemisphere so there is a shorter shadow

-Because the northern hemisphere is facing the sun around that time it is called the June Solstice so the days are longer in Northern hemisphere, but in the southern hemisphere the days are shorter

The Northern Hemisphere in winter:

-There is less light facing the Northern hemisphere so it is winter there, but in the southern hemisphere there is more light so it is summer there

-There is a shorter shadow in the northern hemisphere because it is winter and less light, but more light in the southern hemisphere so longer shadow there

- At this time the southern hemisphere is facing the sun so it is the December Solstice, so the days are longer in the southern hemisphere, but in the northern hemisphere the days are shorter

The North and Southern Hemisphere in spring and autumn:

-Neither the north or southern hemisphere is facing the sun so it is either spring or fall in the south or northern hemisphere

- Because there is spring or fall the shadow is in-between the short shadow and the long shadow

- At this time because neither hemisphere is facing the sun, we have this twice a year, the September and March equinox, so they have around the same temperature, and twice a year in both sides of the earth they have the same amount of hours in a day

Conclusion:

Doing this activity really helped me get a better idea of how the seasons work. Before I knew that the earth turned around the sun but I never really though about the hemisphere changing and facing the sun causing it to make seasons. What I find most interesting is when neither hemisphere is facing the sun, I find it interesting how twice during a year in each hemisphere they both have the same amount of hours during the night and day. So I really enjoyed doing this activity, I have learned a lot.