Observing the Moon’s of Jupiter

A Participatory Example of Contemporary Inquiry Instruction

DISCUSSION

• Everyone has been talking about INQUIRY in teaching. Let’s generate some ideas about what that means.

• Describe three inquiry experiences that you’ve had

• Write down you description of what INQUIRY looks like in the ideal classroom

• Our collective image of ideal inquiry:

2009 Inquiry Science Mini-ConferenceToday

First (and last) Call for Poster Presentations

Conference Theme: Heavenly Motions:Studying the Dynamics of Jupiter’s Moons

This announcement calls for contributed poster presentations describing an original and never before published inquiry research study. Inquiry research teams of no more than two authors can present a poster as large as 4’ x 4’ OR as a series of no more than 5 PPT slides. Your participation requires prior approval by the chair of the Science Organizing Committee (SOC) by submitting a description of your research question and strategy for collecting data with a maximum length of 50 words one hour before the conference.

Ok,,,,,

GO! Do your “inquiry”!

The Compassionate Teacher gives students a nudge in some direction….

• Imagine I gave you any three nights over the next year to use the Gemini Observatory atop Mauna Kea to observe anything you wanted to look at for a class project. This observing time has a value of about $90,000.

• What would you choose to do?

Inquiry using the Hubble Space Telescope

• Hubble Deep Field Multimedia Journey• http://hubblesite.org/hubble_discoveries/hubble_deep_field/

• Hubble Deep Field North• Hubble Deep Field South• Hubble Ultra Deep Field

• What observations can we make when we look at these images?

More Hubble to Investigate

Questions that we’ll come back to…

• You were prompted to engage in two different astronomy inquiry experiences---– Of the two lists of questions that we generated,

which list was “easier” to create?– What are the implications for the classroom

teacher and for the students?

Jupiter’s moons are easily seen with Earth-based telescopes

Solar System Simulator

• Online software that allows the user to observe any solar system object, from any vantage point, at any date and time, with (nearly) any field of view

• http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/

Solar System Simulator

Question: How long does it take for Earth’s Moon to make one trip around the Earth?

Process: – Use SSS to look at our moon from the surface of

the Sun– Starting today at about 00:00 notice where the

Moon is its orbit, and measure the distance between the two with a ruler.

– Advance the date and time until the Moon returns to the same location

Solar System Simulator

Question: How long does it take for Io to make one rotation on its axis?

Process: – Use SSS to look at Io from the surface of the Sun– Starting today at 00:00 look at Io and find a

landmark. Measure the distance between the landmark and the nearest edge of the moon.

– Advance the date and time until the landmark returns to the same location

Solar System Simulator

Question: How long does it take for Io to make one trip around the Jupiter?

Solar System Simulator

Question: Jupiter has four large moons. What question would you like to ask about the motion of the Galilean moons?

• Make a list of questions. Then choose your favorite and design a procedure to answer your question.

2009 Inquiry Science Mini-ConferenceToday

First (and last) Call for Poster Presentations

Conference Theme: Heavenly Motions:Studying the Dynamics of Jupiter’s Moons

This announcement calls for contributed poster presentations describing an original and never before published inquiry research study. Inquiry research teams of no more than two authors can present a poster as large as 4’ x 4’ OR as a series of no more than 5 PPT slides. Your participation requires prior approval by the chair of the Science Organizing Committee (SOC) by submitting a description of your research question and strategy for collecting data with a maximum length of 50 words one hour before the conference.

Definitely, With Clear Evidence

Somewhat, implicit, or

inferred

Not Clearly Evident

NOTES

Circle one

1. Is the problem stated clearly and unambiguously?

3 2 1

2. Is the question worthy of investigation?3 2 1

3. Was there an appropriate procedural plan for obtaining a solution? (Does the plan closely match the question being asked?)

3 2 1

4. Do the presentation and paper clearly explain the purpose, procedure, and conclusions? 3 2 1

5. Is the data presented clearly ? 3 2 1

6. Was the graphic presentation of the data the best choice of possible alternatives?

3 2 1

7. How completely was the problem investigated?

8. Are there adequate data to support any conclusions?

3 2 1

9. Is the data clearly described in writing? 3 2 1

10. Does the project summary meet the stated requirements?

3 2 1

TOTAL POINTS =

Inquiry Using a Backwards Faded Scaffolding Approach

Traditional Inquiry1. Pose researchable

questions

2. Design strategies to pursue evidence

3. Defend data-based conclusions

Backwards Inquiry1. Defend data-based

conclusions2. Evaluate others’

strategies and design your own strategies to pursue evidence

3. Pose researchable questions based on previously seen models

Pictures of Students

International Year of AstronomyInternational Year of AstronomyA YEAR OF SCIENCE CELEBRATIONA YEAR OF SCIENCE CELEBRATION

400400thth Anniversary of Galileo’s Observations Anniversary of Galileo’s Observations 400th anniversary of the publication of Johannes Kepler’s 400th anniversary of the publication of Johannes Kepler’s

first two Laws of Planetary Motion. first two Laws of Planetary Motion. 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th

Anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species. Anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species. 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln (whose 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln (whose

contributions to science include founding the National contributions to science include founding the National Academy of Sciences, as well as creating the Land grant Academy of Sciences, as well as creating the Land grant system of agricultural colleges system of agricultural colleges

100th anniversary of the discovery of the Burgess Shale 100th anniversary of the discovery of the Burgess Shale by the paleontologist Charles D. Walcott. by the paleontologist Charles D. Walcott.

100th anniversary of the establishment of USDA Forest 100th anniversary of the establishment of USDA Forest Service Experimental Forest and RangesService Experimental Forest and Ranges

http://www.youtube.com/user/astronomy2009

http://astronomy2009.us/http://astronomy2009.us/

What is he most famous for?

Physics?

Telescope Observations?

Being Excommunicated?

The telescopeThe telescopeinvented by Dutch lens maker in 1608invented by Dutch lens maker in 1608Galileo quickly built a small 30X Galileo quickly built a small 30X

scope and started astronomical scope and started astronomical observationsobservations

Described his observations in Described his observations in SIDERIUS NUNCIASSIDERIUS NUNCIAS - - The Starry The Starry MessengerMessenger

There are thousands more stars in There are thousands more stars in the Milky Way than are visible to the the Milky Way than are visible to the naked eye.naked eye.

Universe is bigger than imagined.Universe is bigger than imagined.

The Bulge of SaturnThe Bulge of Saturn

Saturn is not a sphere.Saturn is not a sphere.Circles and spheres do not dominate the Circles and spheres do not dominate the

heavens.heavens.

The MoonThe Moon

The moon has The moon has craters.craters.

The moon is not a The moon is not a perfect heavenly perfect heavenly body.body.

SunspotsSunspots

The Sun is not a The Sun is not a perfect heavenly perfect heavenly body.body.

The Sun rotates The Sun rotates about its own axis.about its own axis.

Galileo’s telescope revealed that

Jupiter had moons which orbited

Jupiter instead of Earth.

Galileo’s telescope revealed phases of Venus which could only occur IF

Venus orbits the Sun.

A Short Video Clip: A Short Video Clip: State of the UnionState of the Union