Journey North Mystery Class Spring 2005

Mystery Class Update: March 25, 2005

Today's Report Includes:

A Sneak Peek from Space
All Things Being Equal? Challenge Question #5
Eggstraordinary Reminder
This Week's Sunrise/Sunset Times and Challenge Question #6
CLUES from Your Mystery Friends
Teachers: Plan Ahead and Mark your Calendars

A Sneak Peek from Space
Would you like to see your Mystery sites a little early? Here's a sneak peek.

Looking down from space, the locations of the 10 secret sites are shown in this recent image of Earth from Space. But where?

Of course we CAN'T tell you everything, but see if this helps...

Sneak Peek

All Things Being Equal?
A few weeks ago, we asked you to think about what your graphs would look like on the Equinox. It is said that on the Equinox, every place on Earth has the same amount of daylight and night, twelve hours each. Is that what you discovered? As some of you may have observed on your graph, many locations do not appear to have EXACTLY twelve hours of equal day and night on the Equinox. This made us wonder:

Challenge Question #5:
"Why don't all locations appear to have EXACTLY twelve hours of day and night on the Equinox?"

(To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.)

Eggstraordinary Reminder
Remember to continue your egg balancing tests this week and next! After that we'll ask if you had any eggstraordinary experiences in your testing.

In the meantime, take a look at the photograph of York Nebraska teacher Mrs. Kloewer taking her turn at this eggsperiment

Did you get similar results?

This Week's Sunrise/Sunset Times

The latest data on your mystery friends' sunrise/sunset times are here again. As you look over this week's times carefully, see if you can answer this:

Challenge Question #6:
"Do you see any unique changes in any site's sunrise/sunset times this week? How do these changes compare to the site's prior sunrise/sunset time trends? Why do you think they occurred? Is the site's photoperiod trend affected by the changes you see?"

(To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.)

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

CLUES from Your Mystery Friends
Here is the second set of interdisciplinary clues from the Mystery Sites themselves.

Link to This Week's Clues from Your Mystery Friends

Teachers: Plan Ahead and Mark 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 #5 (OR #6)
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 April 1, 2005