Science 2: Week #1

 What did you do in lab this week?

We began a new unit titled Earth, Moon, and Stars. To kick things off, we took a 5-question quiz to assess our prior knowledge. After that, we tackled three questions based solely on what we already knew. How does the phase of the moon occur? What causes the seasons?What causes a lunar eclipse? I found it challenging to answer these questions since the last time I recall discussing moon phases was in 4th grade. Back then, we just had to arrange the moon phases in order but it was collaborative and I remember just getting help from peers and not understanding.

What was the big question?

While we had three major questions, we concentrated on how the phases of the moon occur and what causes the seasons. After the lecture, I learned that the moon's phases change over a 29-day cycle, and the sun's reflections alter the moon's appearance as seen from Earth. Furthermore, everyone globally observes the same phase, albeit at different times. Additionally, I discovered that the tilt of the Earth's axis while orbiting the sun causes the seasons. This tilt results in different areas of the Earth receiving varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year, which leads to seasonal changes.  

What did I learn in Thursday's lecture?

During the lecture, I learned that as educators, we need to analyze the data gathered from student quizzes to evaluate their understanding of the content. We reviewed the class results from the quiz taken in the lab. In the first question, which diagram most accurately represents Earth's orbit around the sun, only 45.5 percent of the class answered correctly. This indicates to us, as future teachers, that there is still a need for further learning.  

Textbook: I discovered that geocentrism refers to the theory that Earth is the center of the solar system. This belief was prevalent because it was supported by the church and referenced in the Bible. Figures like Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo played pivotal roles in shifting our understanding from geocentrism to heliocentrism, the theory that places the sun at the center of the solar system.The textbook's inclusion of formative assessments, images, and videos was particularly beneficial for a visual learner like me.  

I have no questions at the moment