8-12 Lesson 1

Sunrise...Sunset - Bilingual Telemation Unit

8-12 Lesson 7:
Where am I? Where are You?

Background:: People can gain insight into modern-day problems by observing environmental changes systematically.
The time of sunrise and sunset, measured in Universal Time, can determine the longitude of the person making the measure.
Concept:: The sun's angle (a noon shot in celestial navigation) at its highest point in the sky can determine the latitude of the person making the measure. The highest point, "local noon," is close to 1:00 pm during daylight savings time.
Scientific Investigation:: How can people communicate their location on the earth's surface to others who may need to know that position?
Interactive Science Telecommunications Lesson:: Students reporting the time of sunrise and/or sunset at various longitudes (on the equinox) can effectively communicate what the earth is doing as it rotates during our planet's day.
Telecomputing Applications/Timelines/Schedules:
Students should report the following information to "The Group"

Name of person reporting observations (and other identifying info)
School name, city, and state
Date of observation
Time of observation
Time of sunrise and/or sunset in local time
Time of sunrise and/or sunset in Universal Time
Estimate of longitude from calculations
Sun's angle at "noon" (highest position in the sky)
Estimate of latitude using navigation tables
Your actual latitude and longitude from maps or charts
Assessment:: Scientists work in a very methodical fashion. Maintaining accurate records of observations and measurements is a key component in this systematic method. Every student should keep accurate chronological record, possibly in a scientific investigations journal or science lab book, of everything which they do in the investigation. These notes should be placed within the student's portfolio for assessment purposes.
Universal systems of communication are very important in science, particularly as we enter the age where electronics reduces the size of the planet to less than a second. People across the whole globe share experiences today, almost in the same time frame. Each day almost everyone in the United States responds to events worldwide which only 50 years ago we would have never known about.
As a student increases their sophistication in the nature of our modern global existence, they must also have the knowledge which relates places on the globe to one another. Describing a position in terms of latitude and longitude are very basic communications in the new global village. A student must be able to use these most basic notations effectively. Evidence for the development of these skills should be included in the documentation of the student's growth and placed in their portfolio.
Assessment of the quality of the student's work should respond to a rubric. This assessment tool describes how the level of involvement and completeness of a student's work will be related to the evaluation they will receive for the portfolio. Refer to a sample of a rubric included at the conclusion of these lessons.
Conclusion:: Where am I? Where are you? What does the communication of a position in terms of latitude and longitude tell you about a person's other experiences? What can you deduce about the climate from their location on earth? How can you know if they are experiencing basic environmental changes in a similar way to that which you are experiencing? How are environmental conditions in the earth's two hemisphere's related to one another? If we are sharing experiences at the same time through electronic media, yet living in such diverse environmental situations, how can we come to better understand one another?
Extensions:: Science Investigations/Activities:
How fast are you moving as the earth rotates? Design an experiment which organizes the following task. Students can calculate the speed of their movement as the earth turns by using a map (or differences in longitudes) to determine the separation of two students' locations in miles. The time measure for the movement of the more westerly person relative to the more easterly person's location will be approximately the time difference in the times for sunrise or sunset, given a reasonably close movement of the more westerly person and a close measure of latitude.
Mathematics:
Students can calculate their longitude from sunrise by using the know-ledge that in each hour the earth turns 15°ree; of angle.
Using the relationship of 1 nautical mile being equal to 1 minute of the earth's "great circle" arc, two students living in different places can determine the number of miles of longitude which separates them.
Using navigation tables, and knowing the sun's angle at "noon" and the date, students can determine their latitude.
Language Arts
Communication between the participants in this investigation will be through the transmission of text files. Students should write their message in a word processor, making corrections as necessary to clarify what they wish to send to others who are working with them on the project. The word processing file should then be saved as an ASCII file, up-loaded, and sent within the time frame of the project's schedule.
Social Studies/History Multicultural
(Archeoastronomy/Geography):
Travel on the "featureless" sea required that people knew how to find their way other than by keeping tract of landmarks. Long distance travel compounded the errors of dead-reckoning navigation" techniques, and became dangerous in foggy, hazy and nighttime conditions. Techniques of celestial and solar navigation solved many problems which threatened the safety of people traveling on the open seas. Even today, these techniques are still useful. There should be many interesting references in your school library relating to these navigational aids and historical artifacts as well as stories which relate to this subject.
Language Development Strategies:
Communication via telecomputing requires the use of written statements. Students will be encouraged to ask people to clarify their written messages when they are not clearly communicating something to the other party. Through these feed-back techniques, students will learn how to more effectively and clearly communicate with people with whom you are not able to explain yourself and your message as people are able to do in person or on the telephone.
Art:
Clocks and sextants as objects on board ships were both utilitarian and artistic. Students can be encouraged to develop art projects which communicate the dependence of sailors on these navigational aids, and how our lives today have evolved to another technological level of dependence.
Resources:: Navigational Tables to calculate latitude from "noon shots" need to be included or referenced in the library.

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