Week #3: The Sun-Earth-Moon System

This week's Tasks : September 22nd - September 28th, 2014

1. Complete Quiz #2: Chapter 28 - The Sun-Earth-Moon System (DEADLINE to complete is 11:59 pm on September 28th) using the LMS (Based on Chapter 28 Study Guide). Remember that you will only have one attempt to complete all quizzes. You also only have 20 minutes to complete, so make sure that you have completed the reading and study guide(s) before you attempt any quiz in this course.

2. Open, read and complete all handouts for the following Powerpoint slideshows.

a. PPT: Earth's Rotation and Revolution (no worksheet, but I would encourage you to take brief notes)

b. PPT: Models of Our Solar System (student worksheet)

* Remember that content from course power points, activities and assignments, discussions and the textbook will be on the Unit tests.

3. Online Demonstrations and Simulations

* Each week I will be asking you to complete a series of online demonstrations and / or simulations that will help supplement your understanding of the key concepts in that section of the course. Please be sure to visit and complete these demos and / or simulations as most of them are quite useful and relevant.

a. What a year on Earth really looks like.

b. Mechanisms of the Seasons

c. Retrograde Motion Simulation

4. Complete the Chapter 29 Study Guide - you will need to print this directly or you can complete it using google docs. Although I will not be collecting or evaluating the Study Guides, I highly recommend completing them as I often use questions directly from these guides on quizzes and unit tests. These guides are useful for keeping up with all course content.

Access to Textbook Chapters for this week's content

Chapter 29: Our Solar System

5. Discussion and Debate: Please log in to the chat room in the LMS and contribute regularly to the class discussions / debate for this week. Students will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of their responses. Students are expected to post at least 2 comments under each discussion / debate topic and must respond to at least 2 others comments in the class. Students are also expected to make specific references to external websites, journal articles, books or magazines that support their point of view (doing so will help you achieve that LEVEL 4!)

This week's discussion / debate topics are:

a. Discussion Topic #3: Pluto: Planet Worthy or Not?

b. Discussion Topic #4: Are we alone in our Universe?

6. Unit Activities / Assignments: Please complete the following activity this week and submit to Mr. Durk via the DROP BOX on the LMS. To access this activity go to Class Tools, Content, Look for Assignment #2: Classifying and Measuring Stars.

Assignment #2: Classifying and Measuring Stars

7. Complete weekly Video Journal Submissions: You are required to take detailed notes on the various informative videos that you will be watching this semester. Some videos you will need to take notes, others you will be asked to answer specific questions. You should be prepared to watch and copy / prepare notes for approximately 2 hours of relevant videos each week in the course.

VIDEOS TO WATCH THIS WEEK - Please add comments and point form notes to your "Video Journal" for each. Submit your Video Journal to Mr. Durk via the DROP BOX or Google Share. (DUE: 11:59pm on September 28th).

1. Models of Our Solar System - Online Lecture (44 min.)

2. Solar System Exploration - 50 years and counting (28 min.)