1. What is a universe?
2. What is a solar system?
3. What is a galaxy?
4. What is a galactic cluster?
5. What is a planet? Give an example.
6. What is a moon? Give an example.
7. What is a sun?
8. What is a dwarf planet? Give an example.
9. How old is the universe?
10. How old is the solar system?
11. How old is earth?
12. What are the planets in our solar system?
13. What is a white dwarf?
14. What is a red giant?
15. What is a supernova?
16. What is a pulsar?
17. What is a quasar?
18. What is a blazar?
19. What is a magnetar?
20. What is a black hole?
21. Is the universe expanding, contracting or staying stable in size? How do we know?
22. What is the composition of the universe (what is it made of)? How do we know?

Read the following article to understand how an LED works: How LEDs Work?

Use the following form to support you in your flashlight/headlamp design. Have the design complete by Thursday, January 23rd. Design an LED Light.

High Tech High Physics Spring 2014 Tentative Syllabus

Delgado 9th Grade Second Semester

The second semester will be broken up into two distinct projects. The first project will run from Monday, January 14th until Friday, March 21st. The second will start after spring break and run through the end of the year. The two projects are described briefly below.

HTH Space

Our first project will focus on developing a mini-space program within High Tech High. Our goal will be to capture images from low earth orbit and begin the fundraising process for obtaining a Cube Sat device. More information will be forthcoming as the semester develops. The deliverables will include the following. Students will:

• make a small LED light with red (or blue) bulbs to be used in our evening star watches.

• attend at least one of the evening star parties with the class. There will be an opportunity to attend three or four.

• create a design for capturing images using a weather balloon thus contributing to our final launch.

• create a short 2 – 3 minute educational film about a topic in cosmology, astrophysics or astronomy.

• learn the basics of how a telescope works and how to set it up in order to get the information you need.

• launch a weather balloon equipped with technology to capture data and images from 20 miles above earth’s surface.

During this project we will focus on circuits, electricity, electromagnetism, motion, gravity, lenses and light as physics topics to be learned.

Freshmanpalooza

Our second project of the semester will be an music and art festival hosted by the entire freshman class. We are still in the planning phases for this project. However, it will be the most student driven project we’ve done this year. Ideas, at present, include music performances, sound/light boxes, or plays. Our focus in physics will be on sound and light.

Class Portfolio

We will again use the your class blog’s for submitting work. Your final grade will be based on the following items listed below:

• Problem sets. We will spend time every week working on problem sets. You will have an opportunity to submit approximately 17 different open ended problems this semester. Your final grade will be based having 10 of those 17 approved and posted to your blog. These will be due by Monday, June 17th.

• Video reflections. You will need to watch and post reflections on 7 approved physics videos. We will watch some in class. I will also post recommended physics videos to my blog. Due: Monday, June 17th.

• Socratic Seminar Posts. Everyone must write a science summary of at least 5 socratic seminars and post those to your blog. We will do approximately 12 seminars this semester. Due: Monday, June 17th.

• LED Light. You will make an LED light. A photo of the final work should be posted by Friday, March 21st.

• Weather Balloon Design. With a partner, you will make a design for the weather balloon. It must be posted by Friday, March 21st.

• Lab Report. You will complete at least one experiment with the results posted in the form of a lab write up on the blog. Due: Monday, June 17th.

• More to come. As we finalize our plans for the Freshmanpalooza, there are sure to be more items that will need to be posted to your blog.

Calendar:

Week of: Topic/Activity

January 13th Electricity and circuits.(4 day)

January 20th Electricity and circuits. Build light (4 day)

January 27th Finish Circuits. Begin Weather Balloon Design

February 3rd Weather Balloon. Gravity. Cosmology. Star Party 1

February 10th Weather Balloon. Gravity. Cosmology. (4 day)

February 17th Finish Weather Balloon. Launch. Star Party 2 (4 day)

February 24th Cosmology. 1 -2 minute movies

March 3rd Cosmology. 1 – 2 minute movies. Star Party 3

March 10th Finish 1 – 2 minute movies. Exhibition Star Party.

March 17th Finish Humanities Exploration Project.