Science Methods II - Week 7

 

1.       Lab

a.       In lab today we began with a formative assessment and started discussing more about the moon and its phases. We then discussed our homework of private universe. We then talked about all the standards and discussed how some schools just don’t teach Earth science, which is crazy. Our big activity was making a giant scale model of the first four planets and the sun, our planets were super far apart from each other, about 55 meters total, and our sun was about 33 cm in diameter

b.       

c.       I’m personally really surprised and a little scared at how small of a scale I really am in the universe, but it makes me feel better knowing we haven’t found any life.

2.       Big question

a.       Our big question: Why is the Universe so large and how do we contemplate size when we see how small we are on the universal scale?

3.       Lecture

a.       In discussion I learned more about the moon and how it works with its orbit. I learned fascinating facts like how the moon slips about an inch further away from the Earth every year, and how the moon rotates with its orbit so we only ever see one side of it. I also learned about all the different theories for the moon’s formation, which I found really interesting. I always thought it was cool that when scientists took rocks from the moon and brought them back to Earth that they were virtually indistinguishable from Earth rocks. I wish there was a way we could see the Moon’s formation. I also learned about the different thickness of the Moon’s crust, that was so fascinating.

4.       Textbook Reading

a.       I thought that seeing the real size comparison of different planets was mind-blowing. Compared to what little we could do inside Lindquist it was really fascinating to see a more in-depth model of the solar system. I also thought the reasoning for Pluto not being a planet to be really interesting. I never thought that the reasoning would be because it has its own gravitational domain, I always just thought because it never orbited the sun right and was the black sheep of the solar system. But if Pluto is a Dwarf planet, how does that work? Without its clear orbit and following all the rules, how does Pluto behave the way it does?

5.       More questions: The only questions I have are about Pluto and why does it not follow the rules. Also, how was it created to be different than the other planets? Did it used to be a moon of Jupiter or something and it was knocked off course?