Fat Questions-Solar System (fixed version, read this one please)

1) What, in your own words, is the solar system? Explain in detail.
(do not google, I want YOUR opinion) The solar system has a star that we call the sun in the middle and eight planets orbiting around it. Most of the planets have moons (exceptions are Venus and Mercury) orbiting them. It also includes a "belt" of rocks floating in space between Mars and Earth. There's also floating rocks that sometimes land on earth, the moon and other planets, these are called meteors. There are also some bodies called "minor planets like Pluto. I'm not sure if I should include comets as part of the solar system since they just pass through (visitors).

2) What would you like to learn about the solar system? List several
topics. I would like to learn about all the planets in detail. Also how
the first four (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) are different from the
others (Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus). Another topic might be
other objects in the solar system like the various moons and asteroids.
Finally how it was formed, how old it is and how long it will last.

Fat Questions - Solar System

23 Mar

Fat Questions: Solar System

1) What, in your own words, is the solar system? Explain in detail.
(do not google, I want YOUR opinion) The solar system has a star that we call the sun in the middle and eight planets orbiting around it. Most of the planets have moons (exceptions are Venus and Mercury) orbiting them. It also includes a "belt" of rocks floating in space between Mars and Earth. There's also floating rocks that sometimes land on earth, the moon and other planets, these are called meteors. There are also some bodies called "minor planets like Pluto. I'm not sure if I should include comets as part of the solar system since they just pass through (visitors).


2) What would you like to learn about the solar system? List several topics. I would like to learn about all the planets in detail. Also how the first four (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) are different from the others (Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus). Another topic might be other objects in the solar system like the various moons and asteroids. Finally how it was formed, how old it is and how long it will last.

Three Things assignment

Fat Questions for 3/18

1) Do you prefer to work in groups or on your own? Explain your choice and give example.
It depends on the assignment. I prefer to work on my own if it's something like answering questions like the last assignment from the last term where we had to answer questions about Earth and Mars. That required some research on my own, and I was able to concentrate better.
I think working in groups is good if we are asked to maybe solve a problem that we don't know anything about. Different people have different experience levels and everyone has something to contribute. An example would be if you asked us to maybe plan a colony on the moon, it would help to have several people working it out, different people in the group can take responsibility for different aspects of the project and it would be much more efficient than trying to figure out everything on your own.
Another example from my RL past, I took a course in cognitive psychology and several of us formed a study group in which each person had to summarize one chapter from the textbook. It was very helpful preparing for exams.

2) What are the consequences for bullying and disruptions of class? Be specific.
 Oh no, I didn't write those down. I think the first offense gets a verbal warning, second offense is a letter to the parents and the third offense gets you a trip to the principal's office where you have to explain why you shouldn't be kicked out from the class.

What do I expect?

What do YOU expect? Assignment (Due Feb 18th)

Now that I've told you my expectations of a good student, what are your expectations of a good teacher?

A good teacher is someone who, hopefully, expects a lot from her students, but who is also aware of their limitations, is patient, but pushes. I like teachers who challenge me to get beyond where I am. Another thing I hope for is one who will be available for help, will listen, and help keep me on the right path.

Tell me about the best teacher you've ever had. What made that person such a good teacher?

I've never had a teacher in SL before, but if I could pick one in RL it would be my high school AP English Literature teacher. She always expected us to put out our best efforts, was quick with a joke, never belittled anyone and took every question seriously. She was one of the few teachers in my high school who actually respected her students.

Now that I've told you some of my ideas about how we will go about learning this year's material, tell me about how you learn best. Give me an example of a project or unit where you learned a lot. Describe the project in detail.

I learn best by total immersion in the subject matter. I'm not the quickest at picking up new things, i have to find a quiet place and forget everything except for the task at hand. I can't think of a specific project, but when I took Linear Algebra in University I was able exceed even my expectations, but it took a lot of time. I made it to every class, took lots of notes and read the book the way a math book should be read. That means reading every section 2-3 times, working through all of the examples given, reading and copying out whatever proofs there were and doing lots of problems, beyond what was assigned. The class only met for 2-1/2 hours once a week, but I must have spent at least 20 hours per week preparing. That's the only way that seems to work for me.

I do not work well under pressure, Example: the last class of the previous term we had a substitute teacher. We had to do 4 very intensive in-class assignments that included research and answering questions, with very little time to get them done. I was not able to do my best under those circumstances and don't think I did very well. I'm something of a perfectionist and need sufficient time to get an assignment done right.

I hope this is acceptable, and look forward to a wonderful term with you.

Scotty (Tremont) Stormcrow

Life on Venus (Not)

Dear Phoebie,
Hiya sister, hope you mommy and daddy and the other one are doing well, I'm not. It's horrible here on Venus, we gots sulfuric acid rainin' down all the time, need to where a oxygen tank because the atmosphere is all carbon dioxide. I need to spend most of my time underground it's just too hot here. They talk about greenhouse gases on earth, but this place is the real thing, talk about you global warming. Ya know, way back this planet was a lot like earth, but something went wrong and it started to heat up, all the water evaporated and we're left with this mess. Funny how it's called Earth's "sister planet", they couldn't be further apart.
Okay sis, enough griping from here, I hope to get home soon, hugs to all of yas.
Love,
You're li'l bro Scotty

What kind of critter could live on Mercury and how?

I don't think any could live there but if they did they would probably have to live underground since it's either too hot (800 degrees F daytime) or too cold (-300 F nighttime) to be on the surface. And since Mercury is mostly made of heavier elements (mainly iron) then the critter would probably be made of the same stuff, kind of a metal person, a lump of ore. It wouldn't move much, just sit underground and wait for something better to happen.
This makes for another question: Mercury is closest to the sun, is a ball of metal, so it doesn't sound like there's a lot of organics (molecules of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen, plus other lighter elements). So I'm thinking that this alien would be like one of the clay people from the 1930's Flash Gordon shows, but made of iron somehow.

Some Stuff to Think About

Source: Halliday Resnick & Walker, Fundamental of Physics, Sixth Edition
Let's remember:
Our Earth is not the center of the Solar System
Our Sun is but one star among many in our Galaxy.
Our Galaxy is but one of many, and our Sun is an insignificant star in it.
Our Earth has existed for perhaps only a third of the age of the universe and will surely disappear when our Sun burns up its fuel and becomes a red giant.
Our species has inhabited Earth for less than 3 million years, a blink in cosmological time
But guess what?
All the laws of physics that taught us this stuff tell us this:
The laws of physics hold, as far as we know, throughout the known universe.
And the laws of physics were uncovered on Earth. And much remains to be discovered.
The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.

Letter to my sis: This New Job Stinks!

Dear Phoebie,
Hi sis, greetings from Mercury. Hope you, mom, dad and Chey are doing well. I'm not.
You know I got posted here as a metallurgy guy to try and find out if there's a profitable way to extract some of these metals and get them back to earth, and frankly, I think it's a big fail.
Take a look at this pic on the postcard, I'm stuck on a line between day and night, We're only 58 million km from the sun so it's too darn hot during the day (800 degs F) on one side and bloody cold (-300 deg F) at night. Since there's no atmosphere I've gotta where a suit all the time. The temp difference between day and night means I always have to following this line between the side facing the sun and the one facing away (hence the temp difference, the sunny side is always hot and the night side is always facing into the cold void of space). But guess what, the line keeps shifting because like all planets Mercury rotates, so I'm constantly moving, dodging asteroids and all kinds of junk that just keep landing here. And since it's smaller than earth I had to learn to walk all over again since I'm about 50 pounds lighter than I would be at home.That means it's harder to move, and I have to keep moving all the time, no time to do the assessment I was sent here to do. I wanna come home! I can't keep this up! Mercury is a horrible place to live plus have to do a job! But they won't let me, they tell me I have to stay at least six months.Please tell mom and dad to make sure there are plenty of adult beverages when I get home, I'm gonna need 'em, plus about 2 years of therapy. Love you sis, can't wait to get home again, hugs.
Love,
Scotty

Drawing Assignment: Scotty on Mercury