Science 2: Week #2

 What did I do in lab this week? 

We began class with a formative assessment, followed by group discussions to select topics for our presentations. Then, we engaged in a class discussion regarding the homework video where high school and college students shared their thoughts on moon phases. The main lab activity involved constructing a physical scale model of the sun and the four inner planets, including our moon. We faced challenges with scaling and measuring distances. Initially, our estimations were off, and we had to restart the process twice before finally getting our measurements correct. 

What was the big question? 

The central question was how to accurately represent the scale of the planets, the distances between them, and their sizes using our available resources and time. We had to ensure that the planets were not all the same size, with the sun being significantly larger. We determined the size of each planet based on the sun's dimensions, considering that each planet varies in size. This lab activity would be excellent for older elementary students, as it allows them to visually grasp the concept of scale. 

What did I learn in Thursday's lecture? 

During the lecture, we continued discussing the position of celestial points and considered the moon's position. We reviewed the answers from the formative assessment, focusing on the question, "The moon does not rotate? True or False." Most students answered false, while I answered true. The correct answer is that the moon does not rotate in the conventional sense; it always shows the same face to Earth because it rotates at the same rate as its orbit.

Textbook: 

In Chapter 12, I discovered more about our solar system, including the fact that there are approximately 10,000 galaxies in just a tiny fraction of the universe. I was surprised to learn that the Milky Way contains between 100 and 400 billion stars. The diagrams and videos were particularly helpful in understanding these concepts. 

Questions?

I have no questions.