Description: Students are given a newspaper article, in the report they are told that large asteroids have been tracked in an orbital paths close to earth. The asteroids were located in the constellation of Orion "The Hunter". Students are given the opportunity to determine what they can do to prove or disprove the news report.
Subject: Astronomy, Conceptual Physics, Algebra
Grade Level: Ninth Grade (ie. "Project Based Curriculum")
Learner Description: The ninth grade students are recruited from the feeder elementary
schools. The students are low to middle income from the inner city of Chicago.
The students are mixed in ability, most students are at or above state reading
and math levels. L.D. students are mainstream into the regular classroom
with a resource teacher available for support.
Time Frame: This project should begin in
the spring of the second semester term. Students should know how to use
the image processing software and feel comfortable in image recognition.
This project could take between 1-3 months and could be ongoing while the
teacher covers other topical areas.
Learner Outcomes: Students will do "real
up to date" science inquiry and investigation. Students are motivated
to learn and retain scientific and mathematical concepts because they see
the direct application of such material. They enjoy using the computer and
see it as much more than a word processor as they participate in the project.
Many students who do not think of themselves as scientifically-inclined,
can come away from the project experience with a much better understanding
of what a research scientist does and feel that they could and may pursue
science as a career. A A startling discovery and valuable science can occur
when high school students are given access to professional telescopes. The
percentages of students finding an asteroid are very high. However the possibility
of this asteroid coming close enough to the earth to warrant concern is
extremely low. If the group finds a new asteroid, their findings will be
confirmed and placed in the National Planetary Index.