Mystery
Class Update: February 6, 2004
Today's
Report Includes:
- First Greetings from Your Secret Mystery Friends
- A Teacher Tip a Day Keeps the Confusion Away
- What Time Is It? Challenge Question #1
- This Week's Sunrise/Sunset Times
- Tune In! Trendsetting Data Is On its Way
- Note to Teachers: Plan Ahead and Mark Your Calendars
First Greetings from Your Secret Mystery Friends
The NASA space rovers on Mars have successfully transmitted their first data back to Earth, but that's not the only data being transmitted--because the secret 10 secret Mystery Sites have sent in their first data too!
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Their first sunrise/sunset times are provided below. So "follow the sun" and get started with your quest to find the secret sites. (Photo Credit: NASA)
We'll continue to provide their sunrise/sunset times each week, and we'll "leak" a few clues from them later in the season too. They'd just love to tell you where they are, but for now you're on your own--their lips are sealed!
Remember to record the Mystery Classes' sunrise/sunset data on Datasheets, and use the Graphs to chart their photoperiod too. Teachers, you may want to divide your class into 10 groups.
A Teacher Tip a Day Keeps the Confusion Away
Why not think BIG when it comes to graphing the ten secret sites? Afterall, they are hiding all over this BIG planet! We recommend the large wall graph used by Cathie Plaehn, veteran Fifth Grade Teacher and member of Journey North's Advisory Board.
Because the sunrise/sunset times posted today are the first set of the season, Cathie's Teacher Tip is especially helpful because it also contains ideas for calculating photoperiods. And get Kingwood, TX Teacher Jo Leland's helpful insights on using a 24 hour clock, which can help throughout the Mystery Class activities.
- Teacher
Tip: Thinking
Big and General Organization
- Teacher
Tip: Visualizing
the 24-hour Clock
We always welcome tips from practicing Journey North teachers. Please share your ideas! jnorth@learner.org
What Time Is It?
The sunrise/sunset times below are posted in military time, which divides the day into 24 hours. But most of us don't use military time very often. Instead, most of the "time", our days are divided into 12 hour sets, one for "A.M." and one for "P.M.". (Afterall, when was the last time your parents told you to go to bed at 22:30?!) This made us think to ask you...
Challenge Question #1:
"What do the initials "A.M." and "P.M." stand for anyway?"
(To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.)
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.
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Link to This Week's Sunrise/Sunset Data
Tune In! Trendsetting Data is on its Way
Take a look at this video from Journey North's Julie Brophy to see what's coming in the Mystery Class activity (see calendar below too).
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Note to Teachers: Plan Ahead and Mark Your Calendars
Here's the 2004 Mystery Class Schedule so you know what to expect from Journey North. Please be sure to plan ahead.
| February 6- April 16: | Each Friday, Sunrise/Sunset Times are posted for the ten Mystery Sites. |
| March 12: | The "Longitude Clue" is posted. |
| March 19, 26, April 2, 9 & 16: | 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 23: Deadline for Your Answers! | No
late entries will be accepted (out of fairness to all participants,
no exceptions.) |
| April 30: | Mystery Sites Revealed! |
| May 7: | Meet Your Mystery Friends! |
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 #1
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 February 13, 2004
Copyright 2004 Journey
North. All Rights Reserved.
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