Course title

Pre-requisite

Course description

This course will be offered to junior and senior students; as an introduction to both oceanography and astronomy. Students will be required to take the full year to receive laboratory credit.

Course Description:
Astronomy:
This course introduces students to fundamentals of the solar system; the nature of electromagnetic radiation; astronomical instruments; stars; galaxies and cosmology

Oceanography:
This course introduces students to fundamentals of the oceans; their nature and extent. The causes and effects of waves and currents; biology of marine life; geology of the sea floor; erosion and bottom deposits and related meteorological and economic effects.

Astronomy/Oceanography Syllabus
Astronomy/Oceanography Course Goals
• Students will be able to approach and solve astronomy and oceanography problems using a thoughtful; systematic; and logical approach.
• Students will enhance their critical and creative thinking skills and learn to work effectively alone; with partners; & in groups.
• Students will be able to use mathematical principles to interpret results of laboratory experiments & apply astronomy and oceanography concepts to “real world” situations.
• Students will check their grades on-line & be responsible for getting extra help & arranging for make-up work as needed.
• Parents will provide appropriate time & location for study & homework & check students’ grades on-line.
• Parents will communicate concerns with the teacher through e-mail or phone calls.
• Teacher will provide diverse and challenging activities to aid students in reaching their goals.
• Teacher will communicate with parents on-line through the school website with grade & activity updates every 3 weeks & district progress reports if necessary.

Materials
Astronomy
• Text: Investigating Astronomy by Asbell-Clarke; Bardar; Edwards; Lockwood (brought to class every day; online copy available for homework: www.iatinvestigatingastronomy.net;)
• 1” or larger binder for this class only; section in a larger binder; or a spiral notebook with perforated pages & pockets for this class only (brought to class every day)
• Blue or black pen; #2 pencil for tests & homework only; red color pen or any color highlighter for homework corrections; & notebook paper. (brought to class every day)
• We will not be working out of packets like Oceanography. We will be working out of the text & students will need their notebooks; text; & notebook paper every day.
Oceanography
• Text: Essentials of Oceanography by Trujillo & Thurman (bring to class)
• Personal set of headphones; to be kept in bag for use in class when needed.
• #2 pencil – students must have a #2 pencil on all test days. Pencils will not be supplied.
• Folder/binder – keep class materials organized and have them on a daily basis.
• Paper – Loose leaf paper for completing assignments.

Classroom Rules:
1. BE RESPECTFUL!! Be respectful to yourself; others; and classroom equipment/materials.
2. Be responsible: Take responsibility for your own actions.
3. Be prompt: You are expected to be in your seat when the bell rings; if not; you will be marked tardy.
4. Be prepared: Bring all materials on a daily basis.
5. No food/drinks: Water is fine but don’t bring snacks or other drinks to class.
6. No Electronic Devices: Cell phones; MP3/Ipod; game devices should be turned off.
7. All District Code of Conduct policies will be enforced. http://susd.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=118331&sessio...

Assignments
• Students are expected to keep up with the reading in the book. Page numbers are listed on the “Unit Objectives” sheet passed out at the beginning of each unit.
• Students should work on Oceanography for at least .5 – 1 hr. every night. If there is no written work assigned the student should read in the text or study.
• When working with partners or in groups each student is still required to complete all work individually for evaluation and/or inclusion in the packet.
• Any assignments that are illegible disorganized; or lack a student name will receive a reduced grade.
• Students are expected to conduct themselves in a mature and responsible manner.
• Students are expected to follow all lab safety procedures during lab.

Tests and Quizzes:
• Tests and quizzes will contain multiple choice; true false; and short answer questions
• There will be one larger (50 point) test at the end of each unit and a comprehensive final/final project at the end of the semester.

Late Work:
Per District Policy:
• No late credit will be earned for any late assignment once the answers are provided to the students.
• No late credit will be earned for any assignment that was completed and submitted during a single class period.
• All other late work will be accepted for credit within one school day of the assigned due date for 70% of the earned credit. After that time; students will receive a "NS" and it will be calculated as a zero for failure to submit the assignment.

Extra Credit:
Per District Policy: There will be no extra credit.

Grading:

Grading Categories:
Assessments 64%
Checks for Understanding 16%
Final Exam 20%

Grading Scale:
90% and up A
80% B
70% C
60% D
59.9% and below F

Semester Grade Calculation:
• Quarter grades do not get averaged; they are cumulative. This means all grades from the first half of each semester will be included in the second half.
• Your grade in this class depends on your all-around performance. Although some categories are weighted more strongly than others you must put your full effort into each area to earn a respectable grade.
• Student grades will be posted on the class website and updated on a regular basis.
• Please note that all school and district policies regarding tardies and unexcused absences will be strictly enforced in my classroom.

Tardies:
• Students are expected to be present in the classroom and in their seats when the class is scheduled to begin.
• Students who are not present in the room when the class is scheduled to begin will be marked tardy.
• Excessive tardies will be addressed per district and school policy.

Absences:
• Students are responsible for turning in materials which were due during an absence upon their return to class.
• Students are responsible to know what assignments they are missing.
• Lab and test make-ups must be scheduled with teacher within a timely manner.
• Students should ask questions about make-up work outside of class time.
• Failure to initiate make-up in a timely manner may result in a loss of credit.
• Planned/Extended Absences: Please communicate with me via phone; e-mail or office homework request to determine what you are missing and schedule make-up.

List of Laboratories for Each Semester
Oceanography
• Oily Spills
• Brachiopod Evolution
• Evidence of a New Theory
• Bathymetry
• A Pile of Water
• A Sticky Molecule
• The Universal Solvent
• Temperature and Density
• Ocean Layers
• Demo: Current; Temperature; and Salinity
• Demo: Wave Tank
• Ocean Density Currents
• Salt Water Gizmo (online lab)
• Exploring Temp of Water
• Murder on the Beach Lab
• Multiple Marine Life Projects.
Astronomy
• Birth of the Universe
• Scale Measurements
• Solar System Scale Model
• Moon; Sun; & Seasons Lab
• Moon Phases Modeling Lab
• How to make an Impact Crater
• Ellipses and Eccentricity
• Retro-Grade Motion of Mars
• Spectroscopes Lab
• Constellations and Season Changes
• Stellar Evolution
• Make a Comet Model
• Meteorite Activity
• How to Build and Launch a Foam rocket.

Copy of Oceanography Lab:
Lab: Temperature & Density
Objectives
You will discover:
 How temperature affects density.
 How fluids of different densities interact.
Background
Temperature is one factor that affects the density of a fluid (liquid or gas). The same fluid is less dense at a higher temperature than it is at a lower temperature. This means that there are fewer atoms or molecules in the same amount of the fluid when it is hotter. Fewer atoms or molecules mean less mass. Warmer (less dense) fluids will rise above or be pushed up by cooler (more dense) fluids.
Materials
 1 water tank with divider
 2-250 mL beakers
 2 plastic pipettes
 250 mL hot red water
 250 mL blue cold water
 Plastic tray
 Paper towels

Procedure & Data
1. Line a plastic tray with paper towels & place the water tank on top of the towels.
2. Get 250 mL of cold blue water in a 250 mL beaker.
3. Get 250 mL of hot red water in the other 250 mL beaker.
4. Make sure the divider is pushed firmly to the bottom of the tank.
5. Have on student pour 200 mL (leaving 50 mL in the beaker) of the hot red water in one side of the tank & another pour 200 mL (leaving 50 mL in the beaker) of the blue cold water in the other side of the tank.
6. Wait until the water in the tank is still then carefully pull the divider up & out of the water tank.
7. Using colored pencils draw what you see before removing the divider; while the water is moving; & after it finally settles.

before during after
8. Describe what you saw. __________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Using one of the clean pipettes gently add 2 drops of hot red water from the beaker to the top surface of the water in the tank. Draw what you see & label where you added the drops.

10. Now add 2 drops of hot red water to the bottom of the water by gently & slowly pushing the tip of the dropper to the bottom of the tank. Draw what you see & label where you added the drops.

11. Using the other clean pipette gently add 2 drops of cold blue water from the beaker to the top surface of the water in the tank. Draw what you see & label where you added the drops.

12. Disturbing the water as little as possible; have each member of your group; one at a time; slide a finger slowly down into the water. Describe how your finger felt when you slid it down to the bottom of the tank. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. Carefully; disturbing the water as little as possible; put the divider back into the tank. Using one of the pipettes stir the water in only one side of the tank. Draw what you see & label where the hot; warm; & cold water are.

Predict what will happen when the divider separating the layers of hot & cold water from the warm water is removed from the tank. _________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
14. Slowly & carefully remove the divider from the tank. Was your prediction correct? ______________ Draw & label what the water looked like after it stopped moving.

15. Using what you observed in this activity:
a. List the warm; hot; & cold water in order of decreasing density (from most dense to least). ______________________________________________________________________________________________
b. What did you observe about how much the different temperatures of water mixed on their own? _________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
c. Where do you think you would find the warmest water in the ocean? ______________________ ____________________________ Where do you think you would find the coldest water in the ocean? _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Copy of Astronomy Lab
Building a Scale Model of the solar system
Problem: Many students find is difficult to understand the scale of our universe. Today; you will investigate the dimensions of our solar system.

Research:
Mercury is the planet nearest the sun. Neptune is about 80 times as far away. Other small minor bodies called dwarf planets; such as Pluto; Charon and Sedna; orbit the sun hundreds of times farther than Mercury. To measure these distances in the solar system; astronomers use the astronomical unit (AU.). One AU equals the distance between the Earth and the sun. This is approximately 150 million kilometers (92 million miles). The planets range in size from Mercury to the gas giant Jupiter. The volume of Jupiter is about 200;000 times that of the dwarf planet Pluto and 25;000 times that of Mercury; the smallest inner planet. Since the distances between the planets are so much greater than their diameters; it is necessary to use two different scales when plotting planets on a single diagram.

Objective:
Using planet data and scale conversions you will construct diagrams that show the relative sizes of planets. A scale model of distance between planets will be plotted on a strip of cash register paper.

Materials:
Metric ruler and meter stick
Cash register paper roll
Paper
Scissors
Tape/glue
Drawing compass

Procedure A:
Comparing Size of Planets
1. Complete the data table below.
a. Use a scale of 1mm = 700 km (This means that for every 700 real kilometers; you will use 1 mm.
b. Round all of your answers to the nearest tenths place (0.1).
c. Convert the scale diameters from millimeters to centimeters.

Data Table 1: Size Comparisons of Planets
Planet Diameter (km) Scale Diameter (mm) Scale Diameter (cm)
Mercury 4;880
Venus 12;104
Earth 12;756
Mars 6;787
Jupiter 142;800
Saturn 120;000
Uranus 51;800
Neptune 49;500
2. Draw a circle that represents each planet. Use the scale diameters. Use a compass to draw the larger planets. If a planet is too small to use the compass; then you will need to draw it free-hand. Measure the diameters carefully.
3. Save the circles for procedure B.

Conclusion
Questions for Procedure A:
1. What are the two largest planets?
2. Which planet is the closest to the size of Earth?
3. How do the sizes of the inner planets compare to the outer planets?
4. How many times bigger is Jupiter’s diameter than the Earth’s?
5. The Sun has a diameter of 1.394;000 km. Using the scale used in Procedure A; how big would the Sun be in millimeters? ___________________ cm = ___________________

Procedure B:
Relative Distances Between the Planets
1. Complete Data Table 2 using a scale of 1 cm = 10;000;000 km.
2. Convert all answers greater than 100 cm to meters.
3. Data Table 1: Size Comparisons of Planets
Planet Distance from Sun (km) Scale Distance (cm) Scale Distance (m)
Mercury 57;900;000
Venus 108;200;000
Earth 149;600;000
Mars 227;900;000
Jupiter 778;300;000
Saturn 1;427;000;000
Uranus 2;869;000;000
Neptune 4;496;000;0004

Next measure 6 meters of cash register tape/paper. At one end; list the names of all students in your group. Draw a line across the tape near one end and label it “Sun”. Measure all planet distances from this marked line.
5. After measuring the distance of each planet and labeling them; attach the planets you cut out in Procedure A.
6. Answer conclusion questions 5-10.

Conclusion
Questions for Procedure B:
6. How do the distances between the inner planets compare to the outer planets?
7. Which two planets are closes to Earth?
8. How far away would Neptune be if you used the scale from Procedure A?
9. The star closest to our sun is Alpha Centauri. It is 4.3 light years (41;000;000;000;000 km) away from Earth. Using the scale from Procedure B (1mm = 10;000;000 km); calculate the distance it is from Earth.
10. The Large Magellan Cloud is a galaxy near our Milky Way galaxy. It is 160;000 light-years from Earth. Using the scale from procedure B; calculate how far away it is from Earth.
(Note: 160;000 light years = 1.5x1018 km) 11. Create a T-chart that highlights the differences between the Gas giant planets and the Terrestrial planets.

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• LINT
• Integrated science

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Online / Virtual