Journey North Mystery Class Spring 2005

Coming Together or Growing Apart?
What's your graph telling you now? Are you noticing any interesting changes? Are the secret sites' photoperiods growing together or apart? And what does this mean? Plot today's fifth set of data, look at your graph carefully, and then try to answer these questions:

Plot today's data, look at your graph carefully, and then try to answer:

Challenge Question #3:
"Look at your graph and think about what you have discovered about sunlight and seasons in your hometown. What type of weather changes do you think Mystery Class #2 might be experiencing right now? How does that compare to your hometown weather?"

Challenge Question #4:
"Can you predict what your graph will look like on March 20, 2005? Why do you think so?"

(To respond to these questions, please follow the instructions below.)

By the way, what's the "standing" of your eggs these days? There's still time to test this "eggcellent" experiment before, during and after the Equinox:
The "Powers" of the Equinox

Longitude Clues Coming Next Week
Over the past few weeks, the weekly sunrise/sunset data has allowed you to determine quite a bit about the Latitude of each Mystery Class.

In next week's Update, we'll provide the long-awaited Longitude Clues and instructions. These clues will help you estimate the APPROXIMATE Longitude of the Mystery Classes. You'll need to follow the instructions carefully. But be patient--it will be worth it!

After the Longitude Clues, we'll post more clues each week for five weeks. These additional clues will provide information on geography, culture, language, history, and other topics, to help you narrow your search for your secret friends until the time when you tell us where you think the 10 secret Mystery Classes are located.

Now Playing: Countdown to Longitude Clues

"They're beginning to narrow it down", says Massachusetts teacher Holly Cerullo. Watch this very helpful video about the coming Longitude Clues:

Countdown to Longitude
Video Clip

(Tips)

This Week's Sunrise/Sunset Times
Remember, the secret Mystery sites recorded their times last Monday, the same day you collected your own local sunrise/sunset data.

Link to This Week's Sunrise/Sunset Data

Have You Marked Your Calendars?
Here's the 2005 Mystery Class Schedule so you know what to expect from Journey North. Please be sure to plan ahead.

February 4- April 15:	Each Friday, Sunrise/Sunset Times are posted for the ten Mystery Sites.
March 11:	The "Longitude Clue" is posted.
March 18, 25, April 1, 8 & 15:	Interdisciplinary clues from the Mystery Sites are posted each week. (Please Note--out of fairness to all participants, we will only post the clues on their scheduled dates.)
April 22: Deadline for Your Answers!	No late entries will be accepted (out of fairness to all participants, no exceptions.)
April 29:	Mystery Sites Revealed!
May 6:	Meet Your Mystery Friends!

Questions? See Mystery Class FAQ's

How to Respond to Today's Challenge Questions:

IMPORTANT: Answer only ONE question in each e-mail message.

1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge-mclass@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question #3 (OR #4)
3. In the body of EACH message, give your answer to ONE of the questions above.

The Next Mystery Class Update Will Be Posted on March 11, 2005