What Does the Graph Say:Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!

In my 8th grade classes, we have been winding down our astronomy unit. This past week, I challenged students with some graph interpretation. The first activity is one that I think we will revisit, as they really struggled, but the second activity, I think they really excelled. The first activity was called: Where in the World? I modified it only very slightly from how it was presented to me in my IMPACT course, in which our Globe instructor took us through the activity.

This used data from temperatures. I shared a link with students to an online sticky note board. Each table team was assigned two different graphs. The first class period the table teams were assigned two graphs, but in the second class, I assigned each half of the table team a graph. After a few minutes, I had each half talk with the other half for feedback and input. The sticky note board is from Linoit. Students do not have to have an account to access this board. All that I needed to do was to make sure that the public had access to post on the board. The students matched the lettered graph to a numbered location on the world map. Some of the locations are quite close together, so they would be very difficult to tell the difference between the graphs without additional information. There was also information on elevation of the sites. With this information, students may have been able to more clearly figure out which location matched with the right map. Here is the link to one my boards that I used: Where in the World? 

Please keep in mind that we don't necessarily have the correct maps matched up. This first try was really to get them thinking and have a discussion about why it makes sense or doesn't.

The second activity is taken from a GEMS book: Reason for the Seasons. In the past, I've had students graph the data, but we are sort of short on time, and graphing isn't the skill I'm focusing on with the activity. So this year, I marked up a pdf copy (so I could have color). Honestly, I think I'd just create a color graph and scan it in or setup a graph in Google Docs or something before I do that again. Can you say TEDIOUS!!?? Anyway, for this activity, I shared a Google Presentation and had each table team write on white boards the color and the latitude that it matched up with. The showed Daylength vs. Month Here is a link to that presentation: Daylength Graph I was especially proud of how well the students did with the second activity. Almost all of my students, even my very reluctant to do much of anything, really got into figuring out the locations.

Earlier in the week, I had students participate in another white board challenge. This was called What Would Happen If? Students were given a hypothetical situation in their teams and they presented to the class their thoughts based on our learning thus far. Other teams could comment if they agreed or thought there be something different that happened. Here is a link to these situations: What Would Happen If?

What things do you teach during your astronomy units?  How do you use white boards in your classroom?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

"To Every Season: Turn, Turn, Turn"

I definitely was ready for Thanksgiving break.  Last week, I was exorcised three times.  I'll just let you think and wonder about that (I think one of my balls of sunshine watched The Conjuring recently..............)  This week of course was the mighty battle for attention, as everyone was jittery and just wanted VACATION!!!!!  Actually, it wasn't a horrible week, but I did have to change plans and postpone a couple of discussion because their heads and hearts just weren't in it as much as I needed them to be.  To spice things up, in a couple of classes, I gasped as though I saw a ghost when we lost steam a little bit (via Love, Teach).  It worked!! Plus, everyone thought it was hilarious and kept asking me to do it again.  I told them that it really is a one-time deal,or at least until I think they've forgotten enough to try it again.  On Wednesday, we got out at 1:30, but I had a few darlings stay because they didn't really use class time wisely (don't worry, all these lovelies live in town and parents were still working, so I really wasn't keeping them from anything overly productive).  After an hour, the last finished his work.  Yes, it was a bit annoying to me because I did plan to actually leave early for once, but this group often is great at wasting time and I did derive a small bit of pleasure at their grumpiness about staying to finish their work on THANKSGIVING BREAK!!

Now, onto a different topic.  Those of you who teach astronomy are probably aware that the cause of the seasons is a challenging concept for students.  In fact, there is a large percentage of students that will still hold onto the naive ideas about seasons, such as distance from the sun, even after being confronted with ideas that challenge the idea of seasons.  This is my 4th year teaching about seasons.  Each year, I have tried to adapt materials to help confront those preconceptions/misconceptions that my students have.  Last year and this year, in addition to a few other activities, I have used a small station lab.  I have adapted it from STORM activities, ideas from my IMPACT class, and also from one the items I use for the stations.  I set up three stations on each side of my lab.  I have students cycle through the stations, I give about 10ish minutes at each station.  One station is about sun angle, one is also about sun angle but uses a heat lamp and globe and surface temperature thermometers, and the last station uses a Seasons Globe.  For the setup of the first two stations, I have linked to the site that will tell you how these are setup and built:   Sun Angle and Temperature .  I'm having trouble finding a link so that you can see what the globe looks like.  If I find the paper that can with it, I will update this post later.

Here is the Seasons Lab:

Seasons Lab Stations 2012

I also made a probe in Page Keeley style to uncover their ideas prior to us starting this topic: Cause of the Seasons.  Of the 33 students that took the probe, only two answered correctly and provided sound reasoning.  There were 6 total that chose the correct response, but didn't have an explanation that demonstrated accurate understanding.  I informally polled students, and in one class more seemed to be moving toward the tilt as the cause.  I plan to include a very similar probe to more accurately check to see what change has occurred.

In what ways do you teach seasons?  What has worked well for you?  I'd love to hear some thoughts!