Download Lesson Plans for Astronomy for the week of: 01/06/14

Lesson Plans for Astronomy for the week of: 03/16/15 – 03/20/15
MONDAY: Today we will work on the Measuring by parallax lab. By the end of class today your
group needs to be up to #6 on the rubric and your RC must have the list of who is doing what part of
the lab report submitted to Mr. Young.
TUESDAY: By the end of class today you should have all of you data collected. Each person in
your group will have made each parallax measurement that is recorded on your data table. Each
member will calculate the length of the hall using their measurement and average length will be your
group’s measure of the hall.
WEDNESDAY: Today is the last class day given for this lab. By the end of class each person in
your group must have a clear idea of what they are to do for the report. The lab reports are due on
Friday. Your RC must speak to Mr. Young if this due date is unrealistic for your group.
THURSDAY: Today we will start chapter 12. We will first look at the WDYT questions and then
we will look at the WYWD. We will examine the “Insight into Science” box and then start the
homework. Homework: On five sheets of paper put the titles of each section of this chapter then
divide that page equally for the number of subsections for each division. With the time remaining we
will start taking notes.
FRIDAY: We will continue with the notes we may have started yesterday. We will finish section
one either in class of for homework. To check our understanding we will answer EOCQ12: 1-6.
3mQ Astronomy Monday 03/16/15
1. What two bits of data are you collecting for each hall in this lab?
2. What is the most important thing you must do in order to get the best parallax angle?
3. What trig function are you going to use to calculate the length of the halls?
BONUS: Write the trig equation you are going to use and then solve that equation for the
length of the hall.
3mQ Astronomy Tuesday 03/17/15
1. Using the 3CM (a.k.a.The GPSM) calculate the length of a hall for which the base is 12
ft and the parallax angle is 80. Remember that the units of your answer must be in
meters!
2. Why is a large base better than a small base?
3. Which hall will be the most difficult to measure? Explain why.
BONUS: Calculate the per-cent error for a main hall measurement of 220 m.
3mQ Astronomy Wednesday 03/18/15
1. Why couldn’t early astronomers measure the stars nearest earth?
2. What made it possible for astronomers to measure parallax today?
3. What is the parallax angle for the nearest stars?
BONUS: In 1572 Tycho Brahe and his contemporaries saw a “new star”! Of course they
actually say a supernova. Everyone presumed, without question, that the new star was
between Earth and the moon. Why did they think this and how did Tycho prove them
wrong?
3mQ Astronomy Thursday 03/19/15
1. What changes everything?
2. What is the direction of change without energy input to the system?
3. What is the force that causes the changes in everything?
BONUS: Give three examples of poetic license used by astronomers.