gCORONAL MASS EJECTION ACTIVITY AND ITS CONNECTION TO KINEMATICS IN PHYSICAL SCIENCE AND PHYSICS

(developed by Bill Pletch)

GOALS:

1.  Provide a student activity to calculate velocity and acceleration of a coronal mass ejection (or CME) based on its position in a series of images from the LASCO instrument on SOHO.

2.  Provide a practical application of kinematics that Physics teachers and P physical Teachers may use in there classroom.

3.  Illustrate features of standards based instruction

ASSESSMENT OF SUCCESS:

1.  Teachers indicate that they feel reasonably comfortable teaching the lesson to students.

2.  Teachers are able to score to the standard on the rubric presented in the lesson

3.  Teachers indicate to practical connection to Newtonian physics through active discussion and verify that it is standards based. (New Hampshire standard 5e)

MATERIALS NEEDED:

1. 8-10 computers with Internet link to access web sitehttp://sohowww.nascom.nasa/gov/explore/rdat_cme.html

2.  Motion of a Coronal Mass Ejection handout

3.  SOHO CME images

4.  Ruler

5.  Calculator

6.  Background material for the teacher and student handout on CME

7.  Dynamic Sun CD and solar storm as handouts.

SETTING:

Room with at least 8-10 Internet linked computers, preferably a science lab but a computer resource room will do.

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SCRIPT:

1.  30 minutes: Introduce the topic and goals (Dynamic Sun CD) walk through. 30 minutes

2.  30 minutes Background of SOHO mission at web site http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov in the overview of the sun. Discussion will give an overview of the solar atmosphere and solar wind. Need power point presentation for this or use web site listed earlier. Also look at http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/istp/outreach.

3.  30 minutes Tutorial: Energetic plasma releases in the solar corona. PowerPoint presentation.

4.  15 minutes Break and questions

5.  15 minutes Background material on CME activity

6.  45 minutes Motion of a Coronal Mass Ejection

7.  15 minutes Review data table , displacement and velocity equations

8.  (optional) Slope the velocity graph to estimate acceleration or deceleration of the CME

9.  Hand out New Hampshire Science standards and ask groups these questions:

“ What are the science standards that this activity covers”

“ What are the key learnings during this session?”