posted by: pmooney
Dear NANO Colleagues:
I thought you might be interested in a tabletop x-ray laser post at the following NSF site: http://nsf.gov/news/news_images.jsp?cntn_id=124373&org=NSF The researchers published an article in Science in early June 2012.
I don’t know under what circumstances, if any, x-ray imaging would have an advantage over current techniques like STM, AFM and SEM.
posted by: cagostino
Overview of Research
This semester, I have continued using Gold(Au(111)) surfaces coated with Octanethiol molecules by submersing the sample in a solution of Octanethiol for usually around 24 hours. I have, for the majority of the semester, spent my time researching the effects that blue-violet laser radiation (405 nm wavelength) has on the Octanethiol molecules on the surface of the gold. With the functionality of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM), I am able to take scans of the samples. I am looking for changes on the surface between the before and after images, specifically how the Octanethiol molecules rearrange themselves after being heated.
Setup and Changes
The photo above shows the Scanning Tunneling Microscope and the sample holder. The STM takes scans of surfaces by using a metal tip that can conduct electricity. I utilize a Platinum-Iridium (Pt-Ir) tip in my research. The microscope sends an electrical current that passes from the tip, through a small gap of air, to the surface. More advanced Scanning Tunneling Microscopy is done in vacuum to minimize noise and other factors that could negatively affect the surface or tip. The changes in surface height and density result in changes of current. These changes in current are the resulting images which we see.
The sample holder that I use is hollow, as is the sample puck. This allows for the light of the laser to pass through the sample holder without moving it, so as to be able to scan the same region before and after the firing of the laser.
The green box on top of the sample holder in the image above is a piezoelectric stack. The piezoelectric stack is connected by the wires extending out of it to a system which can charge the stack with up 135 V at maximum output. The piezoelectric stack extends a very small distance when charged with electricity. This can be useful for my research because I can scan a sample while having the piezo stack charged with electricity. Then, I reduce it to shoot the laser so the sample can avoid crashing in to the tip and I can take a scan of the sample afterwards by raising the voltage back to its original voltage and scanning. Beginning this semester, during April, I stopped using this functionality and simply scanned without any volts charged to the stack. I did this for a couple reasons. I noticed, when this special sample holder broke one day and I had to use a standard one, that the quality of the scan greatly improved when I was not using the system or charging it with any amount of voltage. Also, when I would try to retract the sample holder so I could fire the laser at it, the sample holder repeatedly crashed into the tip and I was unable to get an after scan. I began trying to take before and after images without utilizing the withdrawal feature of the piezoelectric stack and had much more success.
Above: The laser that I use that emits light at a wavelength of 405 nm.
Results
The majority of my finished scans do not offer any real insight into the molecules on the surface. I took very few images that I thought were worthwhile enough on which to use the laser and most of these ended with the sample crashing when I would decrease the voltage on the piezoelectric stack. After an incredibly long period of unsuccessful attempts, I stopped using the piezoelectric functionality of the system and began shooting the laser without moving the sample. I found a decent bit of success doing this. I completed several different before and after image sets that greatly resembled each other with slight difference.
One of the first times I did this with a fair bit of success came in April. The set below, 4-25-12AD, 4-25-12AE, and 4-25-12AF was a set of three images that resemble each other yet have very significant changes between them.
The far left image is the original image, “AD”.I shot the laser at it for 30 seconds, let it cool for 45 seconds, and then scanned. In the purple, I have outlined the regions and features inside of them that do not change significantly from this before image to the after image in the middle, “AE”. The region outlined in black in the lower left corner houses clumps of Octanethiol molecules that look to be not included in the after image as a result of the scanning region moving upward combined with the overall expansion of distance between every feature. This is most evident in the region enclosed in purple because it has greatly increased in size from “AD” to “AE”. The clump of Octanethiol molecules in the blue region has disappeared between “AD” and “AE” while the two valleys seem to have become one or the area between them has stretched and the lower of the two is the valley beginning at the bottom left of “AE”. The latter is more likely based on how the rest of the features stretched along with the distance between them. The area in the teal region contains two valleys that I think may have stretched,became larger, and transformed into the region in teal in the second image. I think this because of the two clumps of Octanethiol molecules above and to the left of them that are in a similar position between the two images. The region in red directly above the region in teal houses a clump of Octanethiol molecules that could have either disappeared or combined with the clump slightly lower and to the left of it. The red region below the teal region does not seem to be part of the after image, along with most of the region enclosed in silver. The region in black on the right side looks to have stretched and transformed into the region in red in “AE”. Once more, I shot the laser for 30 seconds at “AE”, let it cool for 45 seconds, and then scanned. Not nearly as much changed between “AE” and “AF” as did between “AD” and “AE”. Except for slight differences in size, the features inside the lime green region remained the same between “AE” and “AF”. The two clumps of Octanethiol molecules inside the black regions have disappeared, and the lower valley in the teal region looks like it has decreased greatly in size, turning into the very think streak that occupies a similar location. Also two of the valleys in the bottom left look like they have combined to form a much longer valley. The rest of the image is fairly unexciting though.
New Project
Professor Kandel suggested that, because of a lack of success with the laser system, we should move in a different direction come summer time. He still wants me to look at the effects that heat have on the surface molecules but he wants me to do it in a different way. I have drawn a diagram of what the new setup should look like.
The idea is to send a current through a wire connected to the sample. Here is a sample of the Gold on micah. As the current passes through the gold sample, the electrons that will pass through to the other wire will cause friction and create heat. A low voltage will be able to generate a fairly high amount of heat because the mass of the sample is so small. There will be another wire on the other end to ground the circuit. However, this will only work if the gold is a strong enough resistor.
Guido and I began testing gold samples for resistance to see if the project would be plausible.
We checked the resistances of old gold samples and then created patterns like the one in the above image to increase the resistance. With a pattern like the one above, we were able to reach a high of 3.2 Ohms of resistance.
The next step was to see if I could attach wires to the sample of the gold and still be able to have a current flow through the system with enough resistance to be able to generate the necessary heat.
I attached wires to the surface of the gold using Silver conductive paint. Then I used a voltmeter and checked the resistance at the two ends of the wires and consistently registered a resistance between 0.7 V and 1.1 V
I am not sure exactly what I will need to do next to further the progress on this project. I assume I will need to develop an efficient process for connecting the wires to the gold while maintaining the integrity of the surface. I will continue working on this project and turning it into a reality this summer. If successful, I will use this system rather than the laser mechanism if it is possible.
Conclusion
This semester I have learned, through a large enough amount of trials, that the use of the Piezoelectric capabilities of my system is not exactly necessary. Also, its use usually resulted in a lower quality scan, probably because there was a higher amount of energy in the system when the piezoelectric stack was charged. I have had fewer accidents this semester that resulted in lost opportunities. Perhaps this was because I had fewer opportunities to do so but I have improved my technique to minimize such accidents. Most of my failed laser attempts were caused by the sample crashing after I reduced the voltage. I solved this by not using the piezoelectric capabilities, which also resulted in higher quality scans.
I look forward to my new project and hope that it brings more success than my current one. I think that it will have a potential for bringing more frequent opportunities than my current project because I will not have to rely on the piezoelectric stack and I will be able to take higher quality scans before and after heating up the sample. I believe that assembling the project will be harder but most likely more rewarding than my current laser based project.
posted by: acarr
This past Saturday (Feb 4, 2012), I volunteered to help NDeRC with the BioEyes exhibit at Science Alive. This took place at the South Bend downtown library, and I believe this was the event’s 20th year.
More info on Science Alive (a local community event that features several exhibitors for K-12 students)…read
http://www.wsbt.com/news/sbt-handson-science-draws-thousands-20120204,0,6787142.story
http://sjcpl.lib.in.us/sciencealive/
A couple of NDeRC pictures (Bioeyes and Nano) was on the WSBT website. Check out Pics #2 and #5 of the online photo gallery.
http://www.wsbt.com/news/sbt-photos-science-alive-20120204,0,1703947.photogallery
There were so many students and families that attended…that the traffic to every exhibit was constant.
The BioEyes exhibit was ran by Anita Beebe, myself, and Manuela Lahn (a postdoc in ND Hyde’s zebrafish lab).
We had 3 stations of microscopes showing embryos that were 5 days, 3 days, and few hours old. Anita also set up a video on her laptop that showed the first 24 hours of embryo development. There was also a tank of glow fish, and the visitors were allowed to shine a black light on the fish to make them glo.
Some of the visitors never seen the zebrafish larvae/embryos, while others were former students and teachers that went through BioEyes at their schools.
posted by: viola.ftw@gmail.com
I work primarily with Au(III) and occasionally graphite surfaces. Au(III) refers to gold (Au) that is cut in a certain way, in order to have a flatter surface. This is then put in a vial with a certain amount of octanethiol. Octanethiol (abbreviated 8thiol), is a self-assembling monolayer consisting of eight carbon atoms with a sulfur on the end. This sulfur bonds to the gold surface and the molecules assemble themselves in a signature fashion
*image belongs to Christopher Agostino*
This is an example of octanethiol arrangement on Au(III). The faint lines, particularly in the middle, are the 8thiol.
After scanning the gold or graphite, it is exposed to radioactive bombardment.
The idea behind this is quite simple- a radioactive ‘source’, or an element which emits radioactive particles, in this case Strontium-90, a beta particle emitter. We used to use Polonium-210, an alpha emitter. The chief difference between the two is the particle emitted during decay- Strontium-90′s beta particle is significantly larger and heavier than Polonium-210′s alpha particle.
What we expect to see is what we would expect from a human-sized impact on a surface- a crater and surrounding debris. The graphite, being a ‘softer’ element than gold, is more easily damaged by particles and is easier to scan- if a scope is ever failing to scan or scanning badly, we use graphite, which we are quite familiar with, to figure out what is wrong with scope and correct it.
Being that beta particles are larger and heavier than alpha particles, they would be expected to have a greater effect on the surface, even if craters are not actually the product. Logic dictates that a crater would be expected, but it’s tricky to know for sure
-This is the apparatus used to expose the gold and graphite samples. The tray on screws (bottom black box) is where the sample is placed with the radioactive sample for exposure. The tube on the left carries a constant stream of nitrogen and the metal enclosure itself is only filled with nitrogen, a ‘nitrogen purge’. The glove on the right is inflated when the nitrogen is flowing, alerting the lab students when the flow has stopped.
The pure nitrogen environment ensures that no ‘air’ particles will effect the surface of the sample.
Scanning Tunneling Microscope:
This is the Scanning Tunneling Microscope that I use. It is a portable scope in the sense that it is relatively lightweight and easy to move. This is especially helpful when bringing it to area high schools for demonstrations.
The gold part itself is the scope with the grey-brown cord on the left connecting to the black cylindrical box behind, which contains the computer element of the scope. This box is then connected to a laptop, which i use to control the scope and take images.
The silver cylinder in the scope is the sample piezo. It has a magnet on the end which is used to attach the sample holder which clamps down on the sample.
The picture above is of a sample. The gold is attached to the clear mica underneath. The dark stone is the base of the scope and assists in isolating vibrations.
Because of the extremely small scale on which we work, any and all vibrations can wreak havoc on the image and potentially damage a sample if it crashes into the tip or holder.
Results:
The scope is a very delicate piece of equipment and, because of this, can be easily disturbed and difficult to use effectively. This has led to long stretches of time with few, if any results.
However, there are other times when the scope performs exceptionally well, and it usually is some in between these two extremes- not excellent images, but they’re still useful.
This is an example of when the scope is not scanning well. The cause behind this failure of an image was traced to the sample holder, but it serves to illustrate what happens occasionally.
This is an example of a very good, though not exceptional image.
The black boxes were added by me to highlight the interesting features of the gold surface. The holes present throughout are typical of gold surfaces. The ‘islands’ however, are not due to the exposure. I have been told they are products of a process that smoothes the surface of the gold called annealing, in which the sample is heated with a hydrogen torch, then allowed to cooled, then heated again. This expands and contracts the gold, making it even flatter.
These islands are seen before the exposure and can be used as reference points in judging the effect of the radioactive particles. If the same area is actually observed before and after exposure, which is very difficult, nigh impossible due to the scale and technique, they would easily relate how the surface had been effected by the exposure.
10-26-11
Exposed to beta source for an hour and fifty minutes.
11-3-11AA
Au(III) exposed to beta source for one hour
This image provides an excellent baseline for comparison in a search for change in the surface. The ‘flaking’, or layers of gold, are distinct and varied in both height and shape.
Conclusion:
The data we have gathered thus far is difficult to judge. We don’t exactly know what we’re looking for, though we have an idea of what it could be. Because of this, our results are inconclusive until looked at in a larger context. Several small similarities, months apart, could reveal a trend. This is merely an example to illustrate how grand an operation this is.
Since starting in the lab in June of 2010, I have learned a great deal from both the grad students in the lab and professors. They have helped me get much better at scanning, as well as teaching me how to prep samples and various other odd jobs related to scanning. The lab is a dynamic environment and always has something new for a researcher to learn.
This semester provides a climax for all that I hav learned the past year and a half or so. I hope to narrow my errors and entice the scope into behaving and churning out some good images.
Future plans:
For this semester, my lab liaison has in mind to increase the exposure time with the beta particles. The longer the exposure, the more likely impact on the surface is, which means a higher chance of encountering such an impact. This being my last semester of high school and, by extension working in the lab, I hope to have better results and spend extra time in the lab if need be.
posted by: cagostino
Introduction
Hello, my name is Christopher Agostino. I am currently a junior at Saint Joseph’s High School. I am involved in the science research class working in Professor Kandel’s lab at the University of Notre Dame. I joined the lab June 20, 2011, and I learned laboratory procedures and how to use the specific software and equipment that I currently use with Guido Caponigri-Guerra. On June 30, 2011, I began research on my own project.
Overview of my Research
My research is based on the use of gold surfaces (Au(111)) submerged in Octanethiol solutions, allowing for a layer of the Octanethiol to arrange on the surface of the gold. The goal of my research is essentially to look for changes caused by laser heating to the structure of Octanethiol chains on the surface of the gold. With the capabilities of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope (shown with the silver sides and golden top below), it is possible for us to take scans of the surfaces of these gold samples (Au(111)) covered with Octanethiol. I am essentially looking for differences in the structure of Octanethiol molecules on the surface of gold caused by heat from a laser. The quality of these scans is directly related to the quality and sharpness of the Platinum Iridium (PtIr) Tips that I employ. The lower the area of the tip in possible contact with the sample is, the sharper and more clear the image will be. When I am able to obtain a high enough quality image, I utilize the laser. However, to combat thermal expansion, I use a sample holder specifically created for my research.
Scanning Tunneling Microscope and Sample Holder
This sample holder is a hollow metal tube that has a hole to allow light to reach the backside of the sample and contains a piezoelectric stack on the top of it (the green box-like object in the above picture). Also, the sample puck has a hole in it to allow for light to pass through and hit the back side of the gold. This piezoelectric stack expands and retracts when voltage is applied or lowered. This change in length is so minute and minuscule that it allows for adequate room for thermal expansion but also enough so as to avoid crashing into the tip. Also, because this change is so small, it allows for the possibility of scanning an extremely similar surface after the laser is applied. The piezoelectric stack is powered by fifteen 9-Volt batteries inside a box that can be controlled by two knobs, one for coarse adjustment(ones) and the other for fine adjustment(tenths). The third knob is in place for a possible future need. As of now, it has no use.
Piezoelectric Stack Power Supply Box
I have found that small amounts of time such as between 30 seconds and one minute are conducive to getting results and maintaining a similar surface between the before image and the after image. Through experience, I have concluded that a decent amount more than a 45.0 V difference of applied electricity between the scanning state and the lasing state is necessary to allow for thermal expansion without crashing the tip. I have not figured out currently what difference is large enough to allow for thermal expansion but to minimize movement between the before image and the after image.Next semester, I hope to find the optimal difference that allows just the right amount through tests involving different changes in voltages. By doing this, I hope to increase the number of before and after images that have the same area and hopefully retain the quality of the tip and of the sample by avoiding crashing. The laser that I use is a blue-violet laser.
Laser Power Supply
As implied above, this box houses the proper circuitry and batteries for properly powering the laser.
Laser Apparatus and Piezoelectric Wires
It produces light with a wavelength of 405 nm. I may look into the possibility of procuring a lens to perhaps focus the light to create a much steeper increase in temperature in a shorter amount of time, potentially allowing for a greater change in the surface of the gold because of the rapid change in temperature and the new, faster alignment of the Octanethiol molecules on the surface. One consistent problem will be the quality of the tips involved in the scanning. I will attempt to cut sharper tips but the process of getting better tips more often will be a continuous and experimental one.
Results
6-28-11AI
Although this image from June 28, 2011, was before the beginning of my specific research, it accurately depicts the surface of Au(111) covered with Octanethiol. The groups of about five rows all oriented in the same direction display the arrangement that we expect to see for a surface of Au(111) covered with Octanethiol. This helps as a guide for what to look for in future images.
9-14AF-AG
These two images clearly show the piezoelectric stack’s ability to retract with such a minor difference that allows for thermal expansion but also allows for the same area to be scanned in both the before and after image. I shot the laser at the sample for fifty seconds then let it cool for two minutes. “A” in these side-by-side images represents the white, elevated surface in both images. This particular region expands from the before image to the after image. It also seemingly eliminates the valley represented by “D” and the one right below and to the left of “D”. It seems as if this region expanded and in doing so, heat was transferred and the region became a more level surface as the sample cooled. The hill indicated by “B” helps to show how the two areas of the images are similar. “B” also indicates the region where the hill is located. This region expands from the before to after image, extending to the end of the scan. Perhaps, as the sample cooled, this region also became more level. This could possibly explain the disappearance of the valleys in the black box in the bottom half. The hills inside the white triangle all expand in size and the distance between them increases slightly. The distance between the valleys in the black triangles does not seem to change much at all.However, the three valleys inside all increase in their individual size. “C” is the semi-circular region it is at the center of and shows two important things: a similarity in both areas to help support that they are the same area and a decrease in the quality of the tip between the before and after image. This is clear in the increased amount of streaks in the after image. These streaks are also obvious on the valleys in the black triangle. These images show the possibility of the thermal expansion of the tip resulting in a poorer tip for the after image. It shows that some of the light does travel through the sample and hit the tip., causing it to expand and change. This could pose many problems when faced with before images of much higher qualities. If I were able to scan with atomic resolution and I ended up using the laser, it could damage the quality of the tip and lower the applicability of the after image when it pales in comparison to the quality of the before image. This might need to be looked in to next semester and a means of preventing this would possibly need to be looked into also. This could help keep the quality of tips and prevent the foiling of laser attempts.
10-5-11AE-AF
I shot the laser at this sample for one minute and let it cool for five minutes before approaching with the piezoelectric stack. The black boxes show the similar regions between the two images. The hill designated by the letter “A” seems to widen but also seems to have a smoother border in the second images. The valley designated by the letter “B” also becomes wider in the second image but it is too difficult to truly analyze the smoothness of the edges of the valley.The valley designated as “C” looks sort of like a trapezoid in the before image. In the after image, it appears much more circular. The hill designated as “D” appears to form a rectangular shape but it is also too difficult here to tell if the edges of this hill are smoother in the after image than in the before image. Also, the tip in the after image appears to have improved in quality from the before image. This could be due to the light actually sharpening the tip rather than making it dull. The after image simply appears slightly less blurry than the first one. It is not a drastic change but it is possible for it to happen. However it is also possible for the tip to become duller as a result of its own heating and cooling, causing a rearrangement of the atoms on the end of the tip. If possible, I would attempt to have this happen every time that I shoot the laser. I do not see this having a very high probability of success nor do I currently know how I would be able to do this. I may look into this next semester or sometime after.
I have also decided to include a PowerPoint that I have created which shows all the before and after images side-by-side that I have gathered throughout the entirety of my research. Also it gives certain details about the images, the time exposed to the laser, the time the samples cooled, and, beginning September 8, 2011, it includes the parameters used while scanning the samples.
Conclusions
The quality of the scans depends heavily on the quality and sharpness of the tip and I will need to attempt to make better tips. I will also attempt to be more careful seeing as how there were several instances throughout the semester where I could have possibly had a well-defined after image but I messed it up and accidentally bumped into something or moved something causing the sample holder to move and ruining the chances. I will continue to make sure every day when I arrive that the laser is aligned correctly so as to have maximum and proper contact with the sample.
I have several goals which I hope to achieve next semester:
I wait with exuberant anticipation for the day where I will obtain results worthy of extensive insight and full of revealing information.
posted by: acarr
Yesterday evening, I had the opportunity to attend the Exploring Potential Event for Washington High School students. It started with a dinner in Jordan Hall which included a gathering of three WHS students and their parents as well as a host of other attendees, including teachers, counselors, NDeRC graduate fellows and ND representatives. An additional eight WHS students did RSVP, but unfortunately did not show. However, the small gathering was still enough to have a great impact.
After dinner, the group of students and fellows went to Jordan 209 for a nano activity, while the parents attended a college preparation session. At the nano activity, val, natalie and becky lead the group in a simulation activity of the atomic force microscope.
We learned about the size of nanometers, and worked on a larger simpler model of AFM probing, which included ping bong balls, a wooden probe stick, rulers, and lego blocks. And yes I say “we learned,” because I have never done the nano activity. I also did my own lego building as well with the students. The nano-NDeRC fellows also showed us the workings of the AFM and STM microscopes, which they brought to the classroom. Thus, the students could get a real experience using the nano-research tools.
As a WHS alum (’99), I had the opportunity to meet the WHS students and parents. I remembered a couple faces from a Bioeyes event last year at Jordan Hall. This was when the WHS students had to a scale project in which they measured the size of embryos, and compare this to the size of other objects.
Surprisingly, I also had a chance to converse with one of the WHS guidance counselors, who was my middle school counselor at Jackson Middle School back in ’93-94. Funny, that no matter how much time passes, teachers and counselors still remember you. I also knew two of the ND representatives: Iris Outlaw and Arnel Bulaoro, both of ND Multicultural Student Programs and Services. They have been part of my graduate support staff at ND. And, Ms Outlaw was part of my high school experience as well (debutante cotillion believe it or not…and no picture will be posted, lol).
One thing I took from this event is that it is really worth it to invest in support events like “Exploring Potential.” When I think back on all the small events I went to during my GK-12 years, hosted by ND and other agencies, each event planted a seed for college. And, each event gave me a network of people to support my academic endeavors. I am still connected to that network today.
And, a super incentive to “Exploring Potential” is exposing the students to research and the broader world of science outside of textbooks. Yesterday’s event will have a long-lasting impact, and I am sure other events in this series will do the same. Think about how many of the students went home pondering on the nano-world….and thinking more about careers and college studies in sciences. Priceless.
posted by: mmelady
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Astro and Nano Institutes I participated in this summer. I would really like to take the information I have learned back to my classroom to spark an interest in the very young.
I also enjoyed participating in the Hoosier Writing Project Advanced Institute and look forward to the book the Indiana (HWP) Fellows are writing to spark an interest in the Hoosier Writing Project in Indiana which is part of the National Writing Project (NWP).
Thanks to Notre Dame for helping to make these programs available to teachers in the summer.
Marilyn Melady
posted by: nwasio
Hey everyone! Welcome to my first blog post. So far it’s been a busy summer. It all started with the NANO Summer Institute in mid-July. We had six (mostly) K-8 teachers participate where they learned about Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and my personal favorite, Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM). It’s always interesting to see the reaction of others when you try to describe how “small” small really is. They were a great group and I hope they enjoyed their week with us. They seem especially excited to integrate “nano” into their classrooms.
After the institute, I had two high school students, Chris (junior, St. Joe HS) and Guido (senior, St. Joe HS) as well as Sharon Brandt do research in the lab that I work in at ND. Sharon used the STM to study co-adsorbed surfaces on gold. In our lab, we like to tell a little bit of a story for what is happening on the surfaces we study. Chris is doing just that. He is using the STM to do laser experiments on plain gold surfaces and surfaces with an ordered monolayer. So he has been working on scanning the surface before and after shooting it with the laser to look at changes on the surface. Guido, who will be starting his second year with us, will be studying alpha-particle bombardment on graphite using the AFM. We plan to also move toward beta-particle bombardment studies very shortly!
I use a low-temperature, ultra-high vacuum STM for my research. The grand scheme of my research is molecular electronics….where maybe one day we’ll use single molecules in our computers so that they’re better, more efficient, and faster than ever!! Of course, we’re a looooong ways away from that but I do look at single molecules on the surface and study their properties.
That is the summer so far in a nutshell!
posted by: gmynsberge
I thoroughly enjoyed my week at the Astro Institute. I had never taken an astronomy course, and I have new astronomy standards, so now I feel much more comfortable teaching them. I felt like could “ask the experts” as I designed a lesson plan and just learn more about astronomy. I really enjoyed all of the presentations and felt that each presenter’s expertise added to this week’s experience. Of course, Kate’s energy and enthusiasm added to the week. I enjoyed her enthusiasm and her dvt presentation and slide show. Learning how to link astronomy to the arts will help me in my cross curricular presentations. Learning about telescopes really puts into perspective how much what we learned about space has evolved. Her use of inquiry as a model and making us think and get involved in our learning made learning more fun, as inquiry should. Caroline’s lab on the planets will be fun to implement in my fifth grade classroom. Aaron really got me interested in using telescopes and he patiently explained to me how to complete a study on analemmas and the movement of the sun. Shelly really linked Caroline’s lab on spectrum’s to the study of stars and the life cycle of the stars. I loved learning about the transit of Venus . Chuck ‘s enthusiasm was obvious and I will assuredly present the lessons we did in class to them. Wow- a great week, and I know coming to this week in Astro will make me a better teacher. And I know if I have questions I can blog them. Thanks a million.
posted by: gmynsberge
Well, I thought Iwould create a lessson plan using the standard I felt most uncomfortable with at the beginning of the week, which is standard 5.2.2: Observe and use pictures how the sun appears to move across the sky in the same general way every day but rises and sets in different places as the seasons change. Since students should not directly look at the sun, this was a major concern to me. But the Astro Institute has save me.
Prior Knowledge- I use inquiry to teach so beginning by learning their knowledge about the sun helps. I will teach about the sun being an average sized star (which most students don’t know).
I will have students make a model of the sun using a stryofoam ball. They will label the layers of the sun. I can use cookies to show prominences and flares form a lab I found on line. I think these labs will help them to remember the vocabulary for this unit.
Lesson Plan- I plan on teaching this standard several ways.
I think I can acquire cheap materials and have students make a model to track the movement of the sun as Aaron did with his daughter. Hopefully, we can go outside at 1:44 weekly and plot where the shadow of the sun is located. This will teach students to create an analemma.
We can also build sundials teaching the students how to track time. Aaron told me that I could go outside at the same time during different seasons of the year to demonstrate the differences on their sundials. So, journaling a picture each time will be helpful. Also, using the concept of the sundial at Notre Dame to show where the sun sets at equinoxes and having the students role play this can also help them toreinforce the concept.
Aaron also showed me a very neat website called Stellarium which will allow students to change the movement of the sun by minutes, days, seasons, etc. So, I know students will be able to comprehend this concept.
Also, I do plan on going to the DVT for a field trip where showing the movement of the sun will be reinforced.
I can also use the webquest on the sun at www.solarview.com/eng/sun/htm.
