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!