Observing the Moons of Jupiter

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Observing the Moons of Jupiter

• A Participatory Example of Contemporary Inquiry
  Instruction

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DISCUSSION

• Everyone has been talking about INQUIRY in
  teaching. Lets generate some ideas about what
  that means.
• Describe three inquiry experiences that youve
  had
• Write down you description of what INQUIRY looks
  like in the ideal classroom
• Our collective image of ideal inquiry

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The most effective inquiry experiences

• Engage us with meaningful questions,
• Cause us to evaluate evidence and analyze data in
  the pursuit of answers to our questions, and
• Require we share the results of our
  investigations.
• (National Research Council, 1996)

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2009 Inquiry Science Mini-ConferenceTodayFirst
(and last) Call for Poster Presentations

• Conference Theme Heavenly Motions
• Studying the Dynamics of Jupiters 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.

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Ok,,,,,

• GO! Do your inquiry!

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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?

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Inquiry using the Hubble Space Telescope

• Hubble Deep Field Multimedia Journey
• http//hubblesite.org/hubble_discoveries/hubble_de
  ep_field/
• Hubble Deep Field North
• Hubble Deep Field South
• Hubble Ultra Deep Field

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

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More Hubble to Investigate
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Questions that well 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?

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Jupiters moons are easily seen with Earth-based
telescopes
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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/

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Solar System Simulator

• Question How long does it take for Earths 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 0000 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

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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 0000 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

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Solar System Simulator

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

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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.

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2009 Inquiry Science Mini-ConferenceTodayFirst
(and last) Call for Poster Presentations

• Conference Theme Heavenly Motions
• Studying the Dynamics of Jupiters 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.

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Inquiry Using a Backwards Faded Scaffolding
Approach

• Traditional Inquiry
• Pose researchable questions
• Design strategies to pursue evidence
• Defend data-based conclusions

• Backwards Inquiry
• Defend data-based conclusions
• Evaluate others strategies and design your own
  strategies to pursue evidence
• Pose researchable questions based on previously
  seen models

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Backwards Faded Scaffolding and the Galilean Moons

• How was this sequence of inquiries designed?
• Drop one or two scaffolds with each inquiry
• Limited content area
• Ultimate destination is a Big Idea
• What are the advantages to this sequencing?
• Lots of experience with inquiry
• Comfort with the content area before question
  formulation
• Confidence, self-efficacy, and improved attitudes!

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Pictures of Students
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Hidden Back Up Slides In Case Internet is Down
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Jupiters moons are easily seen with Earth-based
telescopes
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How CAN we know how long it takes Io to orbit
Jupiter once? (what is the experimental
procedure?)
Moons of Jupiter, A GEMS Guide from LHS
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Moons of Jupiter, A GEMS Guide from LHS
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In general, what do you think makes a lousy
inquiry question? A great inquiry question?

• Attributes of Good Questions
• Often takes the form of
• How does the _____ change over time? or How
  does ____ compare with _____?
• What is the relationship between ___ and ___?
• Rarely answered with a yes or no
• Rarely begins with Why.
• These frequently require lots of relationship
  questions in order to arrive at a valid answer.
• Involves research and data analysis
• Indicates the type of data that will be
  collected, either directly or implicitly
• Note For real scientist, a good question often
  starts with I wonder what Ill see if I take a
  look at ______?

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Four Questions to Avoid

• Not theory-laden
• So what?
• Already know the answer
• Black box