Monday, April 17, 2023

Week #31 - Let's save Earth before colonizing Mars ...

 04.17.2023 - Monday - Week #31 - Science (7)


  1. Intro:  Clip of Ray Charles … He was the answer to today’s trivia …
    1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdbrIrFxas0


II.  Current Events: Clip from last night’s “60 Minutes”

A.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6HpE1rhs7w

B. It should be noted that the students are living just a few miles from where these technologies are being developed! The Bay Area is a dynamic hub of innovation!


III.  Seventh grade standards: As we continue our unit on the Engineering Design Process (EDP) and technology tie-ins with biology we looked at the current challenges with AI. As a journalism student in the 1980s there was controversy when a photo of then-President Ronald Reagan was touched up (a pencil that obscured part of his face was deleted so the picture would look good for a front page.) Now, the current generation has to learn to navigate a computer world of “deep fakes” and computer-generated content. 


IV.  Key terms:  The Terms will be due Friday (04/21/20203) They nay be used for our open note quiz on Friday. (See the board pics)


V.  Notes on understanding physics arrows, which are important for understanding engineering drawing and designs. A focus on ORBIT - which will go along with a clip from the movie “Gravity” we’ll see tomorrow.


VI.  Students had time to work on Key Terms - Then we concluded with ten minutes from a History Channel documentary- 

A.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT3R-POqYug


VII.  We began the year using Mars vs Earth as a way of teaching the standards regarding why Earth is a harbor for LIFE.

A.  Size and density differences.

B.  Plate tectonics and internal heat.

C.  Chemicals and distance from our sun.

D.  Water! THE compound of life.


VIII.  Recap of the last few weeks:  As we are living through the SIXTH major extinction of life one Earth; we learn about the engineering challenges for colonizing Mars (as a way of learning the EDP - Engineering Design Process - ) Also, as a way of teaching ecology. If Elon Musk wants colonies on a cold, rusted rock in space (Mars) - that’s a wonderful engineering challenge. Yet. We’re presiding over the destruction of the BIOMES that make Earth the only known place in the UNIVERSE where life thrives.