Mystery
Class Update: February 13, 2004
Today's
Report Includes:
Just
in Time for Valentine's Day
Every year around this time, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between
loved ones, all in the name of Valentine's Day. And this year is no exception
because your secret mystery friends have sent you a gift of their latest
sunrise/sunset data.
Remember
this information was recorded on Monday, February 9, 2004, the same day
you collected your second set of hometown sunrise/sunset data.
Mystery
Class, Oh Mystery Class . . . Whereforart Thou?
As you plot this week's data on your graph, ask yourself the following
questions. Can you determine:
1) Where
is photoperiod changing the most quickly?
2) In which
places is it increasing? In which places is it decreasing?
3) What
might these things tell you about the location of each site?
More Tips from the Pros
If you haven't already read her insights, Nebraska teacher Gayle Kloewer
has some suggestions to help students get the most out of graphing in
this Teacher Tip:
Reasons
for Seasons: Exploring the Astronomy of Spring
As you begin to notice changes in your graph, now is a good time to explore
why we have seasons and changing day length. Many people have misconceptions
about this. The real reason for seasons lies in the fact that the Earth
is tilted on its axis. The tilt of the Earth affects the length of days
and also the amount of direct sunlight received during the seasons. Take
a look at the lesson below called Reasons for Seasons:
We always
welcome tips from practicing Journey North teachers. Please share your
ideas! jnorth@learner.org
Who
Knows What Time It Is? Responses to CQ #1
Last week we asked about the meaning of two expressions that most people
use everyday, but probably never stop to think about: "What do the
initials 'A.M.' and 'P.M.' stand for anyway?" We
had many correct answers from students across the United States from Arkansas
to Wisconsin. Several answers took us for a quick Latin lesson on the
meaning of these expressions:
The
3rd Grade Discovery Class from Hambrick Elementary School in Stone Mountain,
GA wrote that: "A.M. stands for ante meridian (before
noon).P.M. stands for post meridian (after noon or after the sun has
passed its highest point). The Latin is ante meridiem and post meridiem.
"
Mrs. Berlin's Third Grade Class in Framingham, MA knew
that a.m. meant morning, and p.m. afternoon, but they went to their
dictionaries and learned that a.m. was the abbreviation for ante meridiem,
a Latin word meaning before midday. P.M. is Latin for post meridiem
meaning after midday.
Emily from Denver, CO wrote that "A.M. and P.M.
stand for the Latin words ante-meridiem and post-meridiem meaning being
before noon and being after noon."
Ms. Goforth's class at Fairview Elementary in TN answered
that "a.m. means before noon in Latin, ante meridian p.m. means
post meridiem in Latin, being after noon."
Mrs. Lodge's classes in Hebron, CT were packed and
ready to move into a new school. They unpacked their dictionaries to
answer that "A.M comes from the Latin for ante meridian, it is
the time from midnight to noon. P.M. is from the Latin for post meridian,
the time from noon to midnight."
Our
thanks and congratulations to all the students who answered Challenge
Question #1. Nice job everyone! We wish we had space here to list all
your answers.
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.
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! |
The
Next Mystery Class Update Will Be Posted on February 20, 2004
Copyright 2004 Journey
North. All Rights Reserved.
Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form
|