Mystery Class Update: February 9, 2007

Today's Report Includes:

This Week's
Sunrise/Sunset
Data

for Monday Feb 5
>>

This Just In! First Greeting from a Mystery Class 
Take a look at this friendly TXT message sent to you today.
It's not a true clue, but can you decipher the greeting?
 

"Hey there! WU! We're GR8 here watching the sun @ MC1. We R soooo Xcited 2B a secret mystery site! We wonder WUF? ATM we R eager 4 U 2 find us, but 4 now, our lips R sealed. GL/HF finding us! TTFN!"


 Journal Question: What Do Day Length Changes Tell You?

With one season slowly slipping into another, "the times are a changing" already. As you plot this week's sunrise/sunset data on your graph, ask yourself these questions:

1) Where is photoperiod changing the most quickly?
2) In which places is it increasing?
3) In which places is it decreasing?
4) What might these things tell you about the location of each site?

Then, write your ideas in a journal.




Advice from Teachers: Graphing Photoperiod
Explore: Reasons for Seasons -- the Astronomy of Spring


As you notice changes in your graph, explore what are the reasons we have seasons? All seasonal changes -- temperature, plant growth and life cycles, animal migrations, and so on -- are due to the tilt of the Earth on its axis as it revolves around the sun. The tilt causes shifts in the amount of sunlight (photoperiod) and its intensity (angle).



Click image to enlarge
Resources: This Week's Mystery Class Resources
  • Teacher's Guide: for February 9, 2007 >>
  • Mystery Class Deadlines: Mark your Calendars >>

More Mystery Class Lessons and Teaching Ideas!

The Next Mystery Classs Update Will Be Posted on February 16, 2007.