Expedition F: The Earth in Space

1. Expedition F: The Earth in Space 6th Grade Science Mr. RJ

2. The Earth in Space Guiding Questions Enduring Understandings Motion in the universe occurs in predictable cycles such as days, years, seasons, tides and lunar cycles. Gravity is the dominant force acting on objects in orbit and that it holds matter together in the universe. • How do the earth’s rotations affect daily life? • Why is gravity important?

3. Activity 71: Sunlight & Shadows • Date: 05-01-14 • Challenge: How can Tyler improve his investigation? • Materials: F4 • GS: Write 2 observations about the sunand the moon

4. Activity 71: Sunlight & Shadows • Learning Targets: I can summarize Tyler’s journal entries. I can hypothesize why the shadows continue to move and grow. Analysis: Talking It Over 1 & 2; Analysis Questions 1 & 3 on separate sheet of paper Wrap-Up: In the morning, a shadow’s length is smaller than the length at late afternoon and night because the sun is lower at night.

5. Activity 72: Measuring Shadows, Measuring Time • Date: 05-08-14 • Challenge: How can you improve Tyler’s investigation? • Materials: F11 • GS: What is a reproducible experiment?

6. Activity 72: Measuring Shadows, Measuring Time • Learning Target: I can design an investigation that measures shadows over time. • Analysis: 1-2; 4 & 7 in Journal • Data Table: (See Next Slide) • Wrap-Up:

7. Activity 72: Measuring Shadows, Measuring Time • Data Table

8. Activity 73: A Day on Earth • Date: 05-02-14 • Challenge: What causes the day-night cycle? • Materials: F14 • GS: Why is it not daytime all the time? • Learning Target: I can draw a model explaining the day-night cycle.

9. Activity 73: A Day on Earth • Analysis: 1 and 4 on separate sheet of paper • Wrap Up: On earth, day and night is caused by the rotation of the earth on its axis. When the sun is facing the U.S., then it is day time. When the sun is not facing the U.S. then it is night time.

10. Activity 74: As Earth Rotates • Date: 05-06-14 • Challenge: What effect does the rotation of Earth have on the way people measure time? • Materials: F17 • GS: What is a time zone?

11. Activity 74: As Earth Rotates • Analysis: 1-5 in Journal • Learning Target: I can explain how the earth’s rotations relate to time zones. • Wrap-Up: There are 24 major time zones on earth. It couldn’t be the same for the entire world since the different parts of the world have very different times for day and night.

12. Activity 75: Sunlight & Seasons, Day 1 • Date: 05-09-14 • Challenge: What do you observe about the length of a daylight and the position of the sun in the sky during the course of a year? • Materials: F24 • GS: What do you think caused the changes Tyler observed in the tree’s shadow?

13. Activity 75: Sunlight & Seasons, Day 1 • Learning Target: I can describe the relationship between the length of daylight and the sun’s angle. • Analysis: 1-3 in Journal; 4 separate sheet of paper • Wrap-Up: The relationship between the length of daylight and the sun’s angle is the higher amount of daylight means the higher the sun’s angle. The lower amount of daylight hours mean the lower the sun’s angle.

14. Activity 75: Sunlight & Seasons, Day 2 • Date: 05-13-14 • Challenge: How do the sun’s position in the sky and the length of the daylight relate to the seasons of the year? • Materials: F24 • GS: What are seasons?

15. Activity 75: Sunlight & Seasons, Day 2 • Learning Target: I can relate the sun’s position in the sky and the length of the daylight to seasons of the year. • Analysis: 5 on separate sheet of paper • Wrap-Up: In the summer, the amount of daylight and the sun’s angle is the highest, while in the winter it is the lowest.

16. Activity 76: A Year Viewed from Space • Date: 05-15-14 • Challenge: What causes the yearly cycle of the seasons on earth? • Materials: F28 • GS: What happens to the earth in a year’s time?

17. Activity 76: A Year Viewed from Space • Learning Target: I can use a computer model to explain how the tilt of the earth affects the seasons and daylight length. • Analysis: 1-3 in Journal; 4 & 7 on separate sheet of paper • Wrap-Up: There is not a relationship between the distance of the earth to the sun and the seasons. If there were, we would have summer in December since the U.S. is closest to the sun.

18. Activity 77: Explaining the Seasons • Date: 05-16-14 • Challenge: Why does the tilt of earth lead to different surface temperatures? • Materials: F33 • GS: What are solar panels?

19. Activity 77: Explaining the Seasons • Learning Target: I can use a model to explain how the tilt of the earth affects the amount of energy it receives. • Analysis: 2, 3 & 5 in Journal; 4 on separate sheet of paper • Data Table: (See Next Slide) • Wrap-Up:

20. Activity 77: Explaining the Seasons • Data Table

21. Activity 78: The Earth on the Move • Date: XX-XX-XX • Challenge: How do the rotation and revolution of earth explain the length of a year and the seasons? • Materials: F36 • GS: What are hemispheres?

22. Activity 78: The Earth on the Move • Learning Target: I can explain how the earth’s movements relate to seasons. • Analysis: 1 & 2 in Journal • Wrap-Up:

23. Activity 79: The Predictable Moon • Date: XX-XX-XX • Challenge: How can we predict changes in the moon’s appearance? • Materials: F43 • GS: What are the phases of the moon?

24. Activity 79: The Predictable Moon • Learning Target: I can use a model to show and explain the phases of the moon. • Analysis: 2 & 5 in Journal; 4 on separate sheet of paper • Wrap Up:

25. Activity 80: Explaining the Phases of the Moon • Date: XX-XX-XX • Challenge: What causes the lunar cycle we observe from earth? • Materials: F46 • GS: What is a physical demonstration?

26. Activity 80: Explaining the Phases of the Moon • Learning Target: I can physically show how the moon changes its shape. • Analysis: 1-5 in Journal • Wrap Up: