Aurora Borealis

I saw this amazing photo of the Northern Lights today on one of my favorite websites, SpaceWeather.com. Photo caption: "The solar wind is gaining speed as it buffets Earth's magnetic field for the second day in a row. Bright moonlight, however, is overwhelming all but the brightest auroras. Traveling through Alaska, British photographer Paul Alsop is hoping for another display like this." Click on the photo to see the entire scene.

This Week in Earth Science: September 27 - October 1

• Monday - Warm-up (StarDate Podcast), Kepler's Laws demos & notes, Draw an Ellipse lab.
• Tuesday - Warm-up, Solar System Formation lab, Birth of the Solar System video clip.
• Wednesday - Solar System video clip, Goldilocks Hypothesis organizer.
• Thursday - Warm-up, Ancient Astronomy demos, Stonehenge PowerPoint presentation & notes, Solar Motion Demonstrator activity.
• Friday - Warm-up, Solar System Video assignment.
• Reminder! - The Sun Clock Project is due Wednesday Oct. 20th.
• Disclaimer: The Honors Earth Science Class will follow a slightly different plan than what is presented above.

This Week in Earth Science: September 20 - 24

• Monday - Warm-up (Bob Moler's Ephemeris), What Planet is This? Bonus Challenge, Models of the Solar System Notes, Sun Clock Blueprint assigned.
• Tuesday - Warm-up, Longitude demo, Seasons diagram & demos.
• Wednesday - Autumnal Equinox today!, Warm-up, Review Seasons, Solar System Survey laptop lab.
• Thursday - Warm-up, Carbone CD demo, Solar System Survey laptop lab.
• Friday - New Warm-up (StarDate Record Sheet), Solar System Survey Quiz (open note), Solar System Video.
• Reminder! - The Sun Clock Project is due Wednesday Oct. 20th.
• Disclaimer: The Honors Earth Science Class will follow a slightly different plan than what is presented above.

This Week in Earth Science: September 13 - 17

• Monday - Warm-up (Bob Moler's Ephemeris Program all week), Scientific Method notes & demos, The Large Hadron Collider Rap DVD.
• Tuesday - Warm-up, Review the Scientific Method, Time Zones overhead, Michigan Map Search activity.
• Wednesday - Warm-up, Scientific Method quiz, Latitude demo, Michigan Map Search continued.
• Thursday - Warm-up, Latitude demo #2, Michigan Map slide show & notes.
• Friday - Warm-up, Michigan Map quiz, Sun Clock Project assigned (due Wed. Oct. 20th), Expert on Sundials reading.
• Disclaimer: The Honors Earth Science Class will follow a slightly different plan than what is presented above.

Welcome Back!

Welcome to a brand new school year Benzie Central! I am looking forward to working with all of my students this year - some are familiar faces (like those who had me for 8th grade science last year) and lots of new faces too. Our first week is a short one with no school Monday and an early release on Friday, but we'll use the week to orient you, get acquainted with one another, & start delving into Earth Science. Visit the BC Earth Science Blog each week to keep track of what's ahead in class, homework assignments and interesting Earth Science related posts. You can also become a friend of Benzie Central Earth Science on FaceBook. See you soon!