Mr. Plossl

Mars - Last of the Inner Planets

Here is the Mars powerpoint for assistance with notes.  Test next Tuesday.

Download Mars

Inner Planets

The inner planets are Mercury, Venus and Mars.  Here are the PowerPoints for Mercury and Venus to use for notes for students.

Download Mercury2005

Download Venus

2/13/09 Notes

Here are two power points with the info on the Earth and the Moon.  These will help with notes on both of these topics.  Remember our test will be on Friday, Feb 20th on this material.

Download Unit 5 Moon 2004

Download Unit 4 Earth

Astronomy - In the Beginning

Here are the course requirements:

Astronomy

 Instructor: Mr. Plossl                   Spring Term 2009

 

Description:  Astronomy is a one-term course dealing with everything or anything in the physical universe above the surface of the earth, with two related exceptions—the earth’s composition and heat capacity.  Included in the course are the atmosphere, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the universe.  This course should not be used to replace the more comprehensive background type courses, such as chemistry or physics, in the college bound student’s course of study and should be taken by these students only in addition to their other science courses.  This course carries one unit of science credit.

 

Astronomy is one of our “last frontiers”, filling us with wonder and captivating our imagination.  What is beyond our “spaceship earth”?  Where did it begin?  Will it end? How will it end?  Many other questions haunt us as we look into the night sky.

 

Mark Twain said:  “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it?”  What makes the weather? Where does the wind come from and where does it go?  Can we predict the weather?  Each cloud seems to pose a new question.

 

Teaching style:  This is a science course that presupposes a laboratory approach to knowing what we know.  The teaching style then, will use observation, record keeping, discussion, hypothesizing, experimentation, and more observation.  Lecture, small group and whole class discussion, projects, quiet reflection, reading, research, and questioning approaches also will be used.  Students will be required to keep a notebook of observations, notes, research, thoughts, and questions.

 

Course supplies:  Science requires the recording of observations; therefore, a binder (and pen), laptop computer, or system for recording information is highly recommended (Stonehenge is one recording system, but will prove unwieldy for this course.)  A binder, with dividers, would allow for an orderly organization of notes and handouts.  The paperback, “Contact” by Carl Sagan, is required reading as is the book “A Brief History of Time” by Stephen Hawking.

 

Grades:  During the semester there will be approximately 3200 points distributed as follows:

Projects/Labs	25%
Homework/Classwork	15%
Quiz	05%
Tests	45%
Final exam	10%
Total:	100%

Following the Cobb County system: A’s, 89.5-100; B’s, 79.5-89.4; C’s, 73.5-79.4; D’s, 69.5-72.4; F, below 70; I, incomplete.

 

 The daily work includes, but is not limited to:

Notes	Homework	Research projects
Quizzes	Term papers	Bonus work
Lab observations and write-ups

(Students should keep all graded materials throughout the term.)  Limited extra credit will be available only as announced!  Late work will lose 20% credit.  Excused absences will have three days to submit assignments before counting as late—please see instructor.  Tests are announced in advance, so tests and quizzes missed will be taken on the first day the student returns to class.

 

Please note that since this is astronomy we will be going outdoors to view the night sky in Marietta.  The viewings are worth an Extra Credit Grade.  This will probably be one of your only chances to receive extra credit!!!  You are responsible for making two of the three scheduled viewings.  If you make both viewings your grade will replace your lowest test grade at the time.  These will be announced two weeks in advance of the viewing.

                                    Night viewing dates: 1^st –  TBA

                                                                      2^nd –  TBA

                                                                      3^rd – TBA

 

Contact:          Email: keith.plossl@cobbk12.org

 

Classroom and laboratory responsibility:

1.      Students will respect one another’s voice, property, and being.

2.      Students are responsible for their own academic and social self.  That means that students are responsible for all class and laboratory information (including any missed classes), responsible for all assignments, and behavior.

3.      Students will be in their seats, when the bell rings (not coming through the door, and will be dismissed only when permitted by instructor.  Emergencies must be attended to between classes.  See instructor before class if there is a problem.

4.      Students will operate in a safe, scientific manner in the laboratory.

Consequences:

1.   Students will be reminded of their responsibilities; then

2.      Students will receive a warning and conference with instructor; then,

3.      Students may be sent to another room and/ or students will serve detention; then,

4.      Parents will be called

 

Any assignment containing any plagiarized work will receive 0 points (that includes any work copied, etc., from another student or source).  That means that the entire assignment (e.g., test, lab report, portfolio, or term paper will receive a 0).

 

Failure to adhere to safe laboratory practice will result in earning 0 points for the lab and the loss of laboratory privileges.  Proper class behavior is expected even when a substitute is in the room.

 

Help:  For any questions or problems, please see me as soon as possible.  If needed, appointments after school are available.

 

Astronomy Course Outline & Schedule

 

Week	Unit Topic	Topic Summary	Assessments
1-2	History of Astronomy	Why do we study Astronomy?  Who are the famous Astronomers?  Cosmological Theory, eccentricity, constellations, Astrology vs. Astronomy	Constellations Portfolio   Test
3	Light and Astronomical Measurement	Electromagnetic Spectrum, Distance and direction, parallax, temperature and distance, spectrographic information	Test
4	Telescopes and Optics	Types of telescopes and their parts	Test
5	Earth	Solar and Sidereal Time, Atmosphere, Formation, Celestial Sphere	Test
6-7	Moon	Phases, Geology, Topography, Tides	Test
8-9	Inner Planets	The characteristics and exploration of Mercury, Venus, and Mars	Test
9-10	Outer Planets	The characteristics and exploration of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto	Planet Project (maybe a game) Test
11	Asteroids, Comets, Meteors, Oh My	Unit Topic is self explanatory	Test
12-13	Stars Baby	Our Sun’s anatomy, changes of stars in general, black holes, relativity, pulsars, white drawfs, and other cool words you have heard but had no idea what they are.	Test
14-15	Rocketry, Space Exploration	Trace Man/Women’s exploration into space, rocket anatomy, Newton’s Laws revisited.  This is generally a propaganda unit for NASA.	Space Project     Test
16	Galaxy types and Extraterrestrial Life	Galaxies, LAWKI, any other random topics I forgot earlier in the term	Debate Test
17	Review for Final/ Buffer Week	Make Astronomy Games!
18	Finals		Final

Physics - The Beginning

Physics begins with the fundamentals of measurements, scientific notation, significant figures, vectors, scalars and basic math.  The characteristics of science standards will continue being emphasized all semester.

 

Characteristics of Science

Habits of Mind

SCSh1. Students will evaluate the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science.

a. Exhibit the above traits in their own scientific activities.

b. Recognize that different explanations often can be given for the same evidence.

c. Explain that further understanding of scientific problems relies on the design and execution of new experiments which may reinforce or weaken opposing explanations.

SCSh2. Students will use standard safety practices for all classroom laboratory and field investigations.

a. Follow correct procedures for use of scientific apparatus.

b. Demonstrate appropriate technique in all laboratory situations.

c. Follow correct protocol for identifying and reporting safety problems and violations.

SCSh3. Students will identify and investigate problems scientifically.

a. Suggest reasonable hypotheses for identified problems.

b. Develop procedures for solving scientific problems.

c. Collect, organize and record appropriate data.

d. Graphically compare and analyze data points and/or summary statistics.

e. Develop reasonable conclusions based on data collected.

f. Evaluate whether conclusions are reasonable by reviewing the process and checking against other available information.

SCSh4. Students will use tools and instruments for observing, measuring, and manipulating scientific equipment and materials.

a. Develop and use systematic procedures for recording and organizing information.

b. Use technology to produce tables and graphs.

c. Use technology to develop, test, and revise experimental or mathematical models.

SCSh5. Students will demonstrate the computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data and developing reasonable scientific explanations.

a. Trace the source on any large disparity between estimated and calculated answers to problems.

b. Consider possible effects of measurement errors on calculations.

c. Recognize the relationship between accuracy and precision.

d. Express appropriate numbers of significant figures for calculated data, using scientific notation where appropriate.

e. Solve scientific problems by substituting quantitative values, using dimensional analysis and/or simple algebraic formulas as appropriate.

SCSh6. Students will communicate scientific investigations and information clearly.

a. Write clear, coherent laboratory reports related to scientific investigations.

b. Write clear, coherent accounts of current scientific issues, including possible alternative interpretations of the data

c. Use data as evidence to support scientific arguments and claims in written or oral presentations.

d. Participate in group discussions of scientific investigation and current scientific issues.

 

The Nature of Science

SCSh7. Students will analyze how scientific knowledge is developed.

Students will recognize that:

a. The universe is a vast single system in which the basic principles are the same everywhere.

b. Universal principles are discovered through observation and experimental verification.

c. From time to time, major shifts occur in the scientific view of how the world works. More often, however, the changes that take place in the body of scientific knowledge are small modifications of prior knowledge. Major shifts in scientific views typically occur after the observation of a new phenomenon or an insightful interpretation of existing data by an individual or research group.

d. Hypotheses often cause scientists to develop new experiments that produce additional data.

e. Testing, revising, and occasionally rejecting new and old theories never ends.

SCSh8. Students will understand important features of the process of scientific inquiry.

Students will apply the following to inquiry learning practices:

a. Scientific investigators control the conditions of their experiments in order to produce valuable data.

b. Scientific researchers are expected to critically assess the quality of data including possible sources of bias in their investigations’ hypotheses, observations, data analyses, and interpretations.

c. Scientists use practices such as peer review and publication to reinforce the integrity of scientific activity and reporting.

d. The merit of a new theory is judged by how well scientific data are explained by the new theory.

e. The ultimate goal of science is to develop an understanding of the natural universe which is free of biases.

f. Science disciplines and traditions differ from one another in what is studied, techniques used, and outcomes sought.

SCSh9. Students will enhance reading in all curriculum areas by:

a. Reading in All Curriculum Areas

• Read a minimum of 25 grade-level appropriate books per year from a variety of subject disciplines and participate in discussions related to curricular learning in all areas

• Read both informational and fictional texts in a variety of genres and modes of discourse

• Read technical texts related to various subject areas

b. Discussing books

• Discuss messages and themes from books in all subject areas.

• Respond to a variety of texts in multiple modes of discourse.

• Relate messages and themes from one subject area to messages and themes in another area.

• Evaluate the merit of texts in every subject discipline.

• Examine author’s purpose in writing.

• Recognize the features of disciplinary texts.

c. Building vocabulary knowledge

• Demonstrate an understanding of contextual vocabulary in various subjects.

• Use content vocabulary in writing and speaking.

• Explore understanding of new words found in subject area texts.

d. Establishing context

• Explore life experiences related to subject area content.

• Discuss in both writing and speaking how certain words are subject area related.

• Determine strategies for finding content and contextual meaning for unknown words.

 

See Physics 122 Syllabus  Download Physics 122 Syllabus

Unit 8 Physical Science

The next unit is Unit 8.  Unit 8 covers the following GA Physical Science Standards.

Specific GA Standards in this Unit (These are co-requisites with the content.) 

SCSh1.       Students will evaluate the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science.

SCSh2.       Students will use standard safety practices for all classroom laboratory and field investigations.

SCSh3.       Students will identify and investigate problems scientifically.

SCSh4.       Students will use tools and instruments for observing, measuring, and manipulating scientific equipment and materials.

SCSh5.       Students will demonstrate the computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data and developing reasonable scientific explanations.

SCSh6.       Students will communicate scientific investigations and information clearly.

SCSh7.       Students will analyze how scientific knowledge is developed.

SCSh8.       Students will understand important features of the process of scientific inquiry.

Content

SPS 9 – Students will relate transformations and flow of energy within a system.

Lessons in Physics

Unit 8 – Waves, Sound, Light, Color and Optics (Chapter 10 in Textbook)

Harmonic Motion, Waves, Frequency, Resonance, Sound and Music, Light, Electromagnetic Spectrum, Color, Mirrors and Lenses

 

This unit is planned to be taught starting Monday, November 17 through November 21 then we have Thanksgiving break.  This unit resumes December 1^st through 5th.  We will then review for the EOCT.  The EOCT in Physical Science is the 11^th and 12^th of December.  The EOCT review will be done from December 8^th through December 10^th.  The remainder of this unit will be completed from December 15 through December 19^th with study and construction of a kaleidoscope.  This schedule is planned but is subject to change if student learning can be enhanced by revision of that schedule.

10-25-08 Unit 6 Physical Science

Unit 6 covers the following GA Physical Science Standards. 

SCSh1.       Students will evaluate the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science.

SCSh2.       Students will use standard safety practices for all classroom laboratory and field investigations.

SCSh3.       Students will identify and investigate problems scientifically.

SCSh4.       Students will use tools and instruments for observing, measuring, and manipulating scientific equipment and materials.

SCSh5.       Students will demonstrate the computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data and developing reasonable scientific explanations.

SCSh6.       Students will communicate scientific investigations and information clearly.

SCSh7.       Students will analyze how scientific knowledge is developed.

SCSh8.       Students will understand important features of the process of scientific inquiry.

Content

SPS 7 – Students will relate transformations and flow of energy within a system.

SPS 8 – Students will determine relationships among force, mass, and motion.

Lessons in Physics

Unit 6 – Work and Energy (Chapters 8, 9 in Textbook)

Forces in Machines, Work, Potential and Kinetic Energy, Types of Energy, Energy Conservation and Transformations, Specific Heat and Thermal Energy

 

Unit 6 includes the building of a tennis ball trebuchet.  This project reinforces the use of levers, work, energy, and transformations of energy.  The students will build a trebuchet as a team project and test it as a laboratory experiment with a lab. report.  Teamwork is critical in this project as each student will be part of a team with a defined role on that team.  This fosters teamwork while keeping grades for the project and lab. report as individualized.  This is exactly the way the corporate world works and fits nicely into the GA Standards and gives them hands-on relevant work.  The project report will count as a test grade and the lab. report will count as a lab. grade.  This is both fun and educational.

10-6-08 Unit 5 Physical Science

This is the first week for Unit 5.    Unit 5 covers the following GA Physical Science Standards.

Specific GA Standards in this Unit

SCSh1.       Students will evaluate the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science.

SCSh2.       Students will use standard safety practices for all classroom laboratory and field investigations.

SCSh3.       Students will identify and investigate problems scientifically.

SCSh4.       Students will use tools and instruments for observing, measuring, and manipulating scientific equipment and materials.

SCSh5.       Students will demonstrate the computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data and developing reasonable scientific explanations.

SCSh6.       Students will communicate scientific investigations and information clearly.

SCSh7.       Students will analyze how scientific knowledge is developed.

SCSh8.       Students will understand important features of the process of scientific inquiry.

Content

SPS 8 – Students will determine relationships among force, mass, and motion.

Lessons in Physics

Unit 5 – Forces and Motion (Chapter 7 in Textbook)

Time, Distance, Speed, Acceleration, Force, Mass, Weight, Gravity and

Newton

’s Laws

This unit is the foundation for the physics part of Physical Science.  This begins with a review of basics and with the first real use of algebra to solve word problems.  This unit has several labs and will require precision in measuring and calculation for the first time.

9/22/08 Unit 4 Physical Science

This is the first week for Unit 4.   Unit 4 covers the following GA Physical Science Standards.

Specific GA Standards in this Unit (These are co-requisites with the content.) 

SCSh1.       Students will evaluate the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science.

SCSh2.       Students will use standard safety practices for all classroom laboratory and field investigations.

SCSh3.       Students will identify and investigate problems scientifically.

SCSh4.       Students will use tools and instruments for observing, measuring, and manipulating scientific equipment and materials.

SCSh5.       Students will demonstrate the computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data and developing reasonable scientific explanations.

SCSh6.       Students will communicate scientific investigations and information clearly.

SCSh7.       Students will analyze how scientific knowledge is developed.

SCSh8.       Students will understand important features of the process of scientific inquiry.

Content

SPS 2 – Students will explore the nature of matter, its classifications, and its system for naming types of matter.

SPS 6 – Students will investigate the properties of solutions.

SPS 7 – Students will relate transformations and flow of energy within a system.

Unit 4 – Changes in Matter (Chapters 6 in Textbook)

Chemical Reactions, Types of Reactions, Energy in Reactions, Nuclear Reactions, Carbon Chemistry

This unit contains the Carbide Cannon project which proves and demonstrates that there is a "correct" quantity of a chemical for the best results.  It disproves the concept that more of a substance is not necessarily better.

Unit 3 Physical Science

Syllabus Unit 3 coverers the following GA Physical Science Standards:

Specific GA Standards in this Unit (These are co-requisites with the content.) 

SCSh1.       Students will evaluate the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science.

SCSh2.       Students will use standard safety practices for all classroom laboratory and field investigations.

SCSh3.       Students will identify and investigate problems scientifically.

SCSh4.       Students will use tools and instruments for observing, measuring, and manipulating scientific equipment and materials.

SCSh5.       Students will demonstrate the computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data and developing reasonable scientific explanations.

SCSh6.       Students will communicate scientific investigations and information clearly.

SCSh7.       Students will analyze how scientific knowledge is developed.

SCSh8.       Students will understand important features of the process of scientific inquiry.

Content

SPS 4 – Students will investigate the arrangement of the Periodic Table.

SPS 6 – Students will investigate the properties of solutions.

Unit 3 – Atoms, Elements and Compounds (Chapters 3, 4, 5 in Textbook)

Periodic Table, Bonding, Compounds and Formulas, Acids, Bases and pH