Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
We do science...
We made density layers of liquids in cups, observed the flow of materials through plants, made marshmallow energy launchers, designed earthquake safe buildings, observed the stress in Earth's crust, and planted some grass seeds in cool cups! The kids drew faces on the cups so that when the grass grows it becomes their hair...stay tuned for more pictures the "hair" grows and as we do more projects! 
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
New posts this year
Hi guys! This year I would like to get you all more involved with posting blogs. Anyone with any ideas please see me during class.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Transit of Venus!
We're looking but it's cloudy!! We got lucky and saw the transit for a little bit! 
Friday, June 1, 2012
Transits and Transitions
Hi All,
There are a LOT of things going on that we need to get caught up with! We have the transit of Venus, the ISS, a shape-stealing octopus and more!
First, let's start with the transit of Venus. This is quite a big deal! When there is one transit of Venus, they come in pairs (the last in 2004 with it's partner being this year!). This is a very interesting phenomenon that will not happen again until the year 2117. However, the 2117 transit will not be visible from the east coast of the US. The next transit that will be visible by us is 2125! What is the transit of Venus? The transit of Venus is similar to a solar eclipse. The Sun, Venus, and Earth will align in such a way that Venus will cause a sort of eclipse of the Sun. Now, this is not, in any way, a solar eclipse, where the entire disc of the sun is covered, but it is really cool to see! This transit will take place on Tuesday (June 5, 2012). It will begin at about 5:05pm. Unfortunately, we will not be able to see the entire transit, as the Sun will have set by then, but it should still be pretty awesome! I will be setting up somewhere to view the transit, and you all (along with your families) are welcome to join! I am not sure of an exact place yet, because I need to find somewhere with a clear view of the western sky (sunset). One of the most important things is that you need to do is protect your eyes. You need special solar viewing glasses (NOT just sunglasses). I have a bunch that we can use. Below is a diagram explaining the transit and a series of photos from the 2004 transit. The diagram was taken from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Venus_Transit_%26_Parallax.svg) and the series of images was taken from Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/photos/transit-of-venus-slideshow/;_ylt=AoicNEqVsnqMu2OctY28TQ8PLBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTRwc2U5djNoBG1pdANWaWRlbyBGZWF0dXJlZCBDYXJvdXNlbCBTY2llbmNlBHBrZwNiZWM2NWY3ZS1hZGNhLTM2N2EtOTY4MS01NzlmNTI3N2U1Y2YEcG9zAzMEc2VjA01lZGlhRmVhdHVyZWRDYXJvdXNlbFRlbXAEdmVyA2M0ODkyMDQzLWFiZWYtMTFlMS1iN2JmLThiYTVkNDU4ZWM2Mw--;_ylg=X3oDMTFlamZvM2ZlBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3)
One more cool thing about the transit of Venus. There is an astronaut on the ISS who will be the first human to witness AND photograph the transit from SPACE! That's going to be awesome! I can't wait to see it!
ISS
While we are on the topic of astronomy, there are a few ISS flybys we should be on the look out for. Ironically enough, one of them is on June 5! We are really lucky because on both June 5 and 6, the ISS will be passing over twice each day!!! What a great day/night for sky watchers! Here is the info for the ISS flybys (info from spaceweather.com
Tuesday 6/5: 5:28:53am - 5:32:08am WNW 77 degree max elevation -3.9 magnitude
6/5: 10:06:35pm-10:09:38pm SSW 42 degree max elevation -3.0 magnitude
Wednesday 6/6: 4:34:55am-4:37:59am NNW 39 degree max elevation -2.8 magnitude
6/6: 10:48:50pm- 10:51:52pm W 38 degree max elevation -2.8 magnitude
*remember...the lower the number for magnitude, the brighter the object is!
Space Shuttle Discovery
I know this was a while ago, but I was never able to get the pictures on my blog for you all to see (even though I showed them to you guys in class!). I will never forget that day! I was so excited that it flew over our school...right by my window! I am glad that some of you go to see it! What a great moment, as a teacher, to be able to watch it fly over with you guys! Anyway, here are some photos of Discovery as it flew over our area. I do not have any pictures of it flying over our school, but I have some pictures that my dad and some of your parents sent me from around our area. Also, Mrs. Cap took a video that she shared with me that I will post (Thanks Mrs. Cap!!!). Farewell, Discovery, and thank you for your service!
And here is the video from Mrs. Cap!
Partial Lunar Eclipse.
This space stuff just keeps getting better and better!! On Monday, there will be a partial lunar eclipse. You don't need any special eye protection to view the lunar eclipse, since you are not looking directly at the sun. Remember, the lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon. Below are some diagrams and pictures taken from www.space.com Unfortunately, for us, we will not really get to see much of the eclipse. If you get a chance, you should go out anyway to see what little bit will be visible at your location! The eclipse should start around 4:48am.
Swiss...plane?
The Swiss have developed a solar powered plane! It is working on its first transcontinental flight! Check out the solar panels on the plane! (pictures taken from yahoo www.yahoo.com)
What is That??
I came across a cool story about an adaptation of an octopus!
Check it out! The octopus is making itself look like a shell to avoid predators! AWESOME!!
Here is the link to the site...for some reason, I can't get the picture on here.
http://news.yahoo.com/octopus-foils-predators-stealing-identities-210832940.html;_ylt=A2KJ3CcolclPVGoA.ynQtDMD
FINALLY!
I have found a cool video on light via minutphysics on YouTube. You should check out and/or subscribe to their channel. They post some great physics clips!
OK, well I have really enjoyed working with you all this year! Stay tuned over the summer for some more updates. Next year, I am going to rely on you guys for blog updates!
Also, tonight, I have just returned from the 8th grade graduation. What a great group of kids making the transition from middle school to high school! You all will do great in high school! Good luck, best wishes, and Godspeed!
Just because you graduated, doesn't mean you cant check out the blog every once in a while to stay updated with whatever science is in the news.
Keep an eye to the sky (especially a protected eye on Tuesday!),
Ms. T
There are a LOT of things going on that we need to get caught up with! We have the transit of Venus, the ISS, a shape-stealing octopus and more!
First, let's start with the transit of Venus. This is quite a big deal! When there is one transit of Venus, they come in pairs (the last in 2004 with it's partner being this year!). This is a very interesting phenomenon that will not happen again until the year 2117. However, the 2117 transit will not be visible from the east coast of the US. The next transit that will be visible by us is 2125! What is the transit of Venus? The transit of Venus is similar to a solar eclipse. The Sun, Venus, and Earth will align in such a way that Venus will cause a sort of eclipse of the Sun. Now, this is not, in any way, a solar eclipse, where the entire disc of the sun is covered, but it is really cool to see! This transit will take place on Tuesday (June 5, 2012). It will begin at about 5:05pm. Unfortunately, we will not be able to see the entire transit, as the Sun will have set by then, but it should still be pretty awesome! I will be setting up somewhere to view the transit, and you all (along with your families) are welcome to join! I am not sure of an exact place yet, because I need to find somewhere with a clear view of the western sky (sunset). One of the most important things is that you need to do is protect your eyes. You need special solar viewing glasses (NOT just sunglasses). I have a bunch that we can use. Below is a diagram explaining the transit and a series of photos from the 2004 transit. The diagram was taken from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Venus_Transit_%26_Parallax.svg) and the series of images was taken from Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/photos/transit-of-venus-slideshow/;_ylt=AoicNEqVsnqMu2OctY28TQ8PLBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTRwc2U5djNoBG1pdANWaWRlbyBGZWF0dXJlZCBDYXJvdXNlbCBTY2llbmNlBHBrZwNiZWM2NWY3ZS1hZGNhLTM2N2EtOTY4MS01NzlmNTI3N2U1Y2YEcG9zAzMEc2VjA01lZGlhRmVhdHVyZWRDYXJvdXNlbFRlbXAEdmVyA2M0ODkyMDQzLWFiZWYtMTFlMS1iN2JmLThiYTVkNDU4ZWM2Mw--;_ylg=X3oDMTFlamZvM2ZlBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3)
One more cool thing about the transit of Venus. There is an astronaut on the ISS who will be the first human to witness AND photograph the transit from SPACE! That's going to be awesome! I can't wait to see it!
ISS
While we are on the topic of astronomy, there are a few ISS flybys we should be on the look out for. Ironically enough, one of them is on June 5! We are really lucky because on both June 5 and 6, the ISS will be passing over twice each day!!! What a great day/night for sky watchers! Here is the info for the ISS flybys (info from spaceweather.com
Tuesday 6/5: 5:28:53am - 5:32:08am WNW 77 degree max elevation -3.9 magnitude
6/5: 10:06:35pm-10:09:38pm SSW 42 degree max elevation -3.0 magnitude
Wednesday 6/6: 4:34:55am-4:37:59am NNW 39 degree max elevation -2.8 magnitude
6/6: 10:48:50pm- 10:51:52pm W 38 degree max elevation -2.8 magnitude
*remember...the lower the number for magnitude, the brighter the object is!
Space Shuttle Discovery
I know this was a while ago, but I was never able to get the pictures on my blog for you all to see (even though I showed them to you guys in class!). I will never forget that day! I was so excited that it flew over our school...right by my window! I am glad that some of you go to see it! What a great moment, as a teacher, to be able to watch it fly over with you guys! Anyway, here are some photos of Discovery as it flew over our area. I do not have any pictures of it flying over our school, but I have some pictures that my dad and some of your parents sent me from around our area. Also, Mrs. Cap took a video that she shared with me that I will post (Thanks Mrs. Cap!!!). Farewell, Discovery, and thank you for your service!
And here is the video from Mrs. Cap!
Partial Lunar Eclipse.
This space stuff just keeps getting better and better!! On Monday, there will be a partial lunar eclipse. You don't need any special eye protection to view the lunar eclipse, since you are not looking directly at the sun. Remember, the lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon. Below are some diagrams and pictures taken from www.space.com Unfortunately, for us, we will not really get to see much of the eclipse. If you get a chance, you should go out anyway to see what little bit will be visible at your location! The eclipse should start around 4:48am.
Swiss...plane?
The Swiss have developed a solar powered plane! It is working on its first transcontinental flight! Check out the solar panels on the plane! (pictures taken from yahoo www.yahoo.com)
What is That??
I came across a cool story about an adaptation of an octopus!
Check it out! The octopus is making itself look like a shell to avoid predators! AWESOME!!
Here is the link to the site...for some reason, I can't get the picture on here.
http://news.yahoo.com/octopus-foils-predators-stealing-identities-210832940.html;_ylt=A2KJ3CcolclPVGoA.ynQtDMD
FINALLY!
I have found a cool video on light via minutphysics on YouTube. You should check out and/or subscribe to their channel. They post some great physics clips!
Also, tonight, I have just returned from the 8th grade graduation. What a great group of kids making the transition from middle school to high school! You all will do great in high school! Good luck, best wishes, and Godspeed!
Just because you graduated, doesn't mean you cant check out the blog every once in a while to stay updated with whatever science is in the news.
Keep an eye to the sky (especially a protected eye on Tuesday!),
Ms. T
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Black Holes
In 8th grade, we are learning about the electromagnetic spectrum. We watched a Discovery Video about black holes because they discuss various parts of the spectrum dealing with black holes. One of my students shows me this video that he saw on YouTube. It is pretty awesome...
Thursday, March 1, 2012
More rainbows
We ate talking about the electromagnetic spectrum in 8th grade...so we experimented with prisms and sunlight! 
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
It's Been a While
Let's look into the International Space Station (ISS) flybys. The ISS will be making a pass over our area tomorrow night. At 5:57:55pm-6:00:59pm if y
ou look WSW you should be able to see the ISS fly over. It should reach a max elevation of 56 degrees and will have a magnitude of -3.5. Remember...the lower the number (for magnitude) the brighter the object is. This is kind of opposite thank what you would probably think. If you need more information you can go to the spaceweather website (www.spaceweather.com).
Next, let's look at the sun. There have been a few solar storms in the past few weeks. These solar storms have cause little to no damage to us on Earth (one was strong enough to cause some flights to be rerouted) but produced some amazing auroras. Check out some of the pictures below (all from spaceweather.com).
Check out spaceweather.com for more aurora pictures.
Remember, the sun is on an 11 year cycle. There is a solar minimum and a solar maximum. right now, we are climbing towards solar maximum which means that there is much more activity on the sun.
Check out this cool video of the ISS crew flying over and filming the aurora. I found this video at www.space.com
I found this youtube video of a cool way to fold and tape paper...you can make an awesome toy with it! Try it and let me know!!!
Ok, well, let me know some things that you would like to see on here. Send it to me in an e-mail an you might just get a prize!
Keep an eye to the sky!
Ms. T
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