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Fall 2009-Day 4
Instructional Strategy of Homework

Ongoing assignment: Look at the sky at least once daily when the weather is cooperating. Record in your sky journal what you see (clouds? sun? moon? stars?). Formulate a question or questions that you can answer by making such regular observations. Note that a good time to look for the moon this week is after sunset.


1. Reviewing pinhole phenomena A few years ago, Corvallis experienced an unusual event, a severe winter storm in which many trees blew down on cars and houses. A family wants to know whether a nearby tree is tall enough to hit their home should such a storm with strong winds occur again. One of the children has learned about pinhole cameras at school.

a. How can the family use a pinhole camera to estimate whether this tree might hit the house should it topple directly toward their home? Sketch the scenario and describe in words what needs to happen to answer this question.

b. State the relevant powerful ideas about light

c. Draw a ray diagram that represents this scenario.

d. Use the powerful ideas about light to explain what the family will see.

e. Describe this scenario mathematically:
. What are the relevant quantities to be represented?

. Use a letter to represent each relevant quantity and state in words what the letter represents.

. Use the letters to write an equation that represents this scenario. Also write this equation with words

f. Solve the equation algebraically for the quantity the family needs to calculate.

g. Make some estimates of the relevant quantities needed for the calculation

h. Do the calculation and state your answer to the family’s question.

Student Response Example: h2question1example.pdf




2. Finish your portion of your small group’s website that documents your explorations of light.

State: small group username _ for the website. URL for the website

Briefly describe your contribution to creating the website

How did creating the website foster or hinder your learning?

Student Response Example: h2question2example.pdf




3. Create a table that summarizes your exploration of light phenomena

Day	    Powerful Idea          	Evidence	Sketch of set up(s)      Relevant Vocabulary

Student Response Example: h2question3exampleresponse.pdf




4. Summarize your experiences in class:

a. Compare the temperatures of two types of metal, wood, and Styrofoam that have been sitting in the room for a long time . What were your initial ideas? What did you observe?

b. State the powerful ideas about thermal phenomena that we developed in discussing these observations.

c. Use these powerful ideas to explain why the metal legs of a chair feel cold compared to the plastic seat. Be careful to consider in what direction heat flows.

Student Response Example: h2question4exampleresponse.pdf




5. Friends and Family assignment Invite a friend or family member to explore thermal phenomena with you in terms of thinking about how materials differ in the rate at which they transfer heat energy. Post a reflection on BlackBoard in which you describe what happens and reflect on what you learned about learning and teaching through this process. Please come to class with you homework completed. Turn in your notebook pages as well as your completed homework. If you need help, please come to office hours, 8:30-9:30 before class in Room 204

Student Response Example: exploringthermalphenomenawithfriendsandfamily.pdf