U-32 Middle and High School Pilot Project Learning Plan

astrophysics article
PROJECT: astrophysics article for English credit
I will read from scientist's books and textbooks and explain theories and or
complex ideas/concepts through articles or infographics and demonstrations.

1. What questions are you addressing in your study?

Can I simplify complex theories and concepts in science and write about them for
the general student body to understand?
Why cant you focus on blue light?
Why does time warp?
Why does light bend in space?
What are gravitational waves? How are they made?
2. Why are you interested in this study?
I am interested in this becuase I have always loved stars and space and recently I
have started reading Kips S. Thornes book black holes and time warps and it was
really interesting for me so I would like to continue on that path but incorporate
english into it.

3. Transferable Skills:
List all skills that apply to your project work:

Transferable Skills Application

Working independently and
collaboratively- Exhibit the skills to
work independently and
collaboratively with efficiency and
effectiveness
Self awareness and self direction-
Identify and actively pursue interests
in preparation for lifelong learning
and growth.
Effective expression and
communication-
Communicate effectively and
creatively using oral and written
language
I will work alone to study read and take
note and to draft articles, I will work with
others like my dad to conduct
experiments and to consult him of I am
confused
I am considering becoming a physicist so
learning about this would open doors to
that line of work. I will study theories and
ideas and key concepts.
I will need to start writing articles so
that other students can read and
understand what I'm saying.

4. Content Standards: please list all that apply (use your advisor and content
area specialists for help with this!) Add the name of the teachers who will
approve of this.

Standard Indicators
Reading for information, note taking,
Researched writing
Design, conduct and analyze
scientific investigations- Design
investigations that generate data to
provide evidence that supports
claims they make about phenomena
Matter and energy-
informational writing
I will perform demonstrations connecting
to light and gravity demonstration.
I will research topics and write about
them do scientific experiments to
demonstrate different theories having to
do with space, gravity and time.

ACTION and EXPLORATION

7. What activities does this project require you to conduct outside of U-32? (Ex.
Interview experts, participate in a work-site visit, collect survey data, collect scientific data)
Possibly interview professors, research, experimenting, looking through
telescopes.

Which methods of information gathering do you plan on using? (Check all that
apply)
o Interviewing
o Internship
o Observing, documenting, and/or surveying
o Video or audio-taping
o Gathering and reviewing published information (reading)
o Searching online and electronic databases
o Creating a symbolic representation (g/g/, model building, map
making)
o Discussion
o Experimentation (maybe)
o Writing, and reflecting
o Other

PROOF
8. How will you apply the knowledge that you have gained? What will you
produce to document your work? (Ex. design a product, organizing an event, produce a
CD, create a portfolio)
I will apply this knowledge through the chronicle article I will sum up theories and
concepts.
9. What will you show to advisors and mentors to show what knowledge and
understanding youve gained by creating this project?
Possibly a slide show at exhibition showing all the things Ive learned.
BUILDING CONNECTIONS & MENTOR RELATIONSHIPS
10. What experts would be relevant to your work? Who can best address
questions, provide feedback, etc.? 5. Where in the real world might one see
the problem or question addressed by the project tackled by an adult at work or
in the community? (Ex. Local fish and game scientists also study species in our local creek.)
The experts that would be relevant to this study would be an astrophysicist or a professor at
university or college.

11. How will you develop a sense of the real world standards for this type of
work?
By reading articles similar to mine like articles in like national geographic or
others

12.Whats your plan for connecting to an adult mentor?

I will use my dad as a mentor.
AUTHENTICITY
6. What type of audience might you share your work with? (Ex. Industry experts,
community decision-makers, parents, other staff members, local service clubs, other students)
Other students.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
13. Make a list of the resources you plan on using in your study. Make sure that
you maintain and update this list as your study progresses.
Books
1. Black holes and time warps by Kips S. Thorne
2. Surely youre joking Mr. Feynman by Richard Feynman
3. The black Hole War by Leonard Susskind
4. The grand Design, A Brief History of Time, and The Universe in a
Nutshell by Stephen Hawking
5. (Possibly) Spacetime Physics (textbook) by Taylor Wheeler
6. The Elegant Universe, The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene
Sites/articles:
1. https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-
nasa/2015/19mar_nanoflares
2. http://nautil.us/blog/this-is-why-understanding-space-is-so-hard
3. http://www.comprsci.howard.edu/masspace.htm
4. http://space.mit.edu/LIGO/more.html
5. https://www.astro.umd.edu/~miller/poster 1.html
6. http://www.space.com/25126-big-bang-theory.html
7. https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/page/what-are-gw
8. http://phys.org/news/2016-09-incoherent.html
9. http://phys.org/news/2016-07-dense-transparent-materials.html
10. http://phys.org/news/2016-09-distant-quasar.html
11. http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class
Blue perception:
12. http://hyperphysics.phy-
astr.gsu.edu/hbase/geoopt/refr.html#c2
13. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/vision/rodcone.html
14. http://hyperphysics.phy-
astr.gsu.edu/hbase/vision/retina.html#c2
15. http://hyperphysics.phy-
astr.gsu.edu/hbase/vision/colcon.html#c1
16. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hframe.html
17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cone_cell
18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photopsin
19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refractive_index
20. https://science-
edu.larc.nasa.gov/EDDOCS/Wavelengths_for_Colors.html#red
21. http://www.ronbigelow.com/articles/color-perception-
3/perception-3.htm
22. http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/refrn/Lesson-1/The-
Direction-of-Bending
23. http://www.universetoday.com/74027/what-are-photons/
24. http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150731-what-is-a-ray-of-
light-made-of
Time warps/ black holes
1. http://archive.ncsa.illinois.edu/Cyberia/NumRel/glossary.html
2.
People:
1. Brandon Poulson

14. Who might help you find and refine your resource list throughout your study?
The Internet, the ladies in the library and my Dad. Aanika.

Annotated Bibliography for this study that you hope to earn

credit for, with at least 3 people, four books, and ten internet sources
Sites:

Philips, Tony, Dr. "The Mystery of Nanoflares." NASA. N.p., 19 Mar. 2015. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
Something interesting to add to the unit of star development.

Falk, Dan. "Why Understanding Space Is so Hard." Nautilus. N.p., 23 Jan. 2016. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
Write an article to help kids understand space a little better.

Taylor, By Ben. "THE MASS/SPACE UNIVERSE." THE MASS/SPACE UNIVERSE. N.p., n.d. Web. 25
Sept. 2016. Help me and kids understand Space and the matter in ot a little better.

"LIGO | MIT." LIGO | MIT. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016. Better understanding of Gravitational waves
connect to black holes.

Miller, Cole. "Black Holes and Neutron Stars." N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.Expand on black holes in
general, getting energy from other stars and formation.

Howell, Elizabeth. "What Is the Big Bang Theory?" Space.com. N.p., 22 June 2015. Web. 25 Sept.
 2016. Add to Big bang theory hopefully something interesting.

"What Are Gravitational Waves?" LIGO Caltech. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016. Also add to Black holes
and knowledge of Gravitational waves.

Stacey, Kevin. "Researches Make Better Sense of Incoherent Light." Phys.org. N.p., 16 Sept. 2016.
Web. 25 Sept. 2016. Add to the light unit.

"Dense Yet Transparent Material Offers New Way to Control Light."phys.org N.p., 14 July 2016. Web.
25 Sept. 2016. Add something interesting to the light unit.

Shelton, Jim. "Change in Distance Quasar."phys.org N.p., 16 Sept. 2016. Web. 25 Sept. 2016. Add
something interesting to the planetary cycle unit.

Nave, R. "Refraction of Light." Hyperphysics. University of Georgia, n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2016. refraction
of light

Nave, R. "Color Sensitive Cones." Hyperphysics. University of Georgia, n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.Cones.

"Rods and Cones." The of the Human Eye. University of Georgia, n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2016. rods and
cones

Nave, R. "The Fovea Centralis & The Retina." Hyperphysics. University of Georgia, n.d. Web. 23 Oct.
2016. Retina.

Books:

Thorne, Kip S. Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Explains some basic theories that are useful for me to understand what I'm talking about.

Feynman, Richard P., Ralph Leighton, and Edward Hutchings. "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!":
Adventures of a Curious Character. New York: W.W. Norton, 1985. Print. I haven't read this book in
it's entirety but it so far has explained some interesting things and I think more will come of it.

Hawking, Stephen, and Leonard Mlodinow. The Grand Design. New York: Bantam, 2010. Print. Has
helped me understand things and I will look back and reference it in the future.

Hawking, Stephen. A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes. Toronto: Bantam, 1988.
Print. I want to read this is the future because it explains things of a higher level that I would like to
get to.

Hawking, Stephen. The Universe in a Nutshell. New York: Bantam, 2001. Print.Most likely when I read
 this it will contain interesting and helpful info.

Taylor, Edwin F., and John Wheeler Archibald. Spacetime Physics. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman,
1966. Print. I don't know if I will get into anything this complex But I will cite it just in case.

Greene, B. The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate
Theory. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. Anika recommended this to me.

Greene, B. The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality. New York: A.A. Knopf,
2004. Print. Anika recommend this.