Webquest 4

[Updated: 9:20pm  6/13/11 - three links are at the bottom: lesson plan, webquest, and Telescopes sheet]

1. Develop a concept map, which outlines the big ideas addressed in this webquest along with the fundamental concepts, which students should have as prior knowledge.

This concept map shows how all parts of a webquest are related to each other.  To be able to complete a webquest, the students should have familiarity with the internet, search engines, and how to save and properly cite pictures and references. 

2. What SC standards (science, math, or otherwise) are related to the teachings/activities in the webquest?

Once again there are no South Carolina standards for high school astronomy but the following physical science standards are covered.

PS-7.1 Illustrate ways that the energy of waves is transferred by interaction with matter (including transverse and longitudinal/compressional waves).

PS-7.2 Compare the nature and properties of transverse and longitudinal/compressional mechanical waves.

PS-7.3 Summarize characteristics of waves (including displacement, frequency, period, amplitude, wavelength, and velocity as well as the relationships among these characteristics).

PS-7.5 Summarize the characteristics of the electromagnetic spectrum (including range of wavelengths, frequency, energy, and propagation without a medium).

3. Using your support documents for these standards, what is essential for students to understand?

The big idea that I want students to come away with is the fact that putting a radio telescope on the far side of the Moon is not some way far off in the future mission – it is something that could conceivably be completed in 20 years or so.  The technology of a radio telescope has been around for decades, we have already put people on the Moon, and we are in the process of getting people back to the Moon so all the steps have pretty much been done already. 

The students should be able to understand all of this since waves are covered in physical science and again in astronomy, types of telescopes including radio are discussed in astronomy, and putting men on the Moon is discussed in astronomy as well. 

4. How can the materials/information be used to help students develop their essential understandings?  How can you modify the information or lesson to address the development of these understandings?

I don’t think that I will have my students design a webquest themselves although having them carry out a webquest is a great idea.  Probably my favorite tool in this entire course is Google Moon (and Earth and Mars) and I can see using it for many things in my astronomy class.

I may have the students make up a small scavenger hunt for each other.  They could find a crater or mountain or some feature on the Moon or Mars and give clues as to how to find it using Google Earth.  Other than that though, they would just do webquests that I design.

5. What key misconceptions commonly inhibit a clear and accurate understanding of this content?  How should you modify your instruction to address these misconceptions?

A possible misconception would come up when comparing optical and radio telescopes: Radio telescope does not so much “see” objects as it does “hear” them.  After all, radio waves are used in radios and radios make sound that we hear.  In fact, a radio converts information contained in radio waves (transverse) into sound waves (compressional).  Radio waves are a form of light just like visible light that we see.  It is the same type of wave (transverse) as visible light but the waves are just stretched out a little more.  Our eyes are not able to see radio waves but radio telescopes can just like optical telescopes see visible light.

6. What new scientific information did you learn in this lesson?

I did not know the actual names of the parts of a radio telescope or what exactly each part did.  I knew that it had a dish, an antenna, and equipment to convert the signal into useful information but I did not know the names or functions. 

•         dish – collects radio waves

•         antenna – point where radio waves are focused

•         receiver and detector – electronic devices that interpret the radio signals into useful information

7. What questions do you still have?  (Write at least two and answer them with the resources and links provided.)

One question that I have about webquests in general is what is a reasonable amount of time it should take me to develop a webquest?  The webquest I made for this class took a few hours to put together but I’m sure it would get easier and I would be more efficient if I were to create another one.  I googled the question, “how long does it take to make a webquest” and the result for the website http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/web_quest/ says that it takes 2 minutes with their online template.  I looked at the template and it’s pretty much the same thing I did for this class so it would take much longer than 2 minutes especially if I want to make it worthwhile for student to complete.

8. What new instructional practice did you learn?  Describe how you can use this in the classroom.

I learned how to make a webquest.  As I said above, the biggest obstacle would be the time commitment to make it but I think webquests could be used effectively for some astronomy topics especially those topics that are open ended such as colonization of other planets and extraterrestrial life.  If I have time this summer in between other classes I’m taking and work outside, I may make a webquest or two to use in my astronomy class this coming year.


Do the links below work?  They work for me but I want to make sure that others can use them too.  My lesson plan and webquest should pop up when the appropriate link is clicked.  Also, the Telescopes sheet should be below.

lesson plan
webquest
Telescopes sheet