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Twisted Universe: More Ways Math Helps Us Understand Space

In this ongoing class learners will study many different ways math helps us understand space by using computation, geometry, statistics, and basic algebra.
Kelly McGrath
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(857)
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What's included

1 live meeting
50 mins in-class hours per week

Class Experience

US Grade 5 - 8
Intermediate Level
Space is an amazing place to study! There are so many things to see and learn about, but one thing we often forget is that math can help us understand things we see in space. The field of astronomy includes many calculations that have revealed vast amounts of information. Each week in this class we study a unique way the tools we learn in math can help us understand what is happening in space. 

Class format is as follows:
~ Listen as I explain space phenomenon and the math that helps us understand them
~ Watch a slideshow that incudes facts, data, and images related to the topic
~ Draw diagrams of the elements of space we study
~ Complete calculations, measurements, or graphs to show understanding of the week's topic
~ Discussion of the phenomena we study, including previous knowledge and questions
~ Occasionally watch gifs or short video clips to illustrate concepts from the lesson

Topics Studied Include:

2024-2025 School Year

September
~ Calculate energy in solar flares (Sept. 8-14)
~ Lagrange points around Earth (Sept. 15-21)
~ Distance between galaxies (Sept. 22-28)

October
~ Transits in Our Solar System (Sept. 29-Oct. 5)
~ Calculating barycenter of binary star systems (Oct. 6-12)
NO CLASS OCT. 13-19
~ JWST Mirror Analysis (Oct. 20-26)
~ Escape Velocity (Oct. 27-Nov. 2)

November
~ Density of a Neutron Star (Nov. 4-10)
~ Study Saturn's Hexagon (Nov. 11-17)
~ Movement of Earth's North Pole (Nov. 18-24)
NO CLASS NOV. 25 - DEC. 1

December
~ Strange Atmosphere of Neutron Stars (Dec. 2-8)
~ Calculate Speed of Objects Orbiting Black Holes (Dec. 9-15)
~ Calculate the Age of the Cat's Eye Nebula (Dec. 16-22)
NO CLASS DEC. 23-JAN. 5

January
~ Examine Spirals of LL Pegasi Star (Jan. 6-12)
~ Graph the Coordinates for Ancient Supernovae (Jan. 13-19)
~ Calculate Lengths of Days on Earth (Jan. 20-26)
~ Estimate the Amount of Water on the Moon (Jan. 27-Feb. 2)

February
~ Information Travel in Our Solar System (Feb. 3-9)
~ Graph Magnetic Field Lines (Feb. 10-16)
~ Analyze Solar Panel Shapes and Calculate Electricity Generated (Feb. 17-23)
~ Calculate Gravity Using a Pendulum (Feb. 24-Mar. 2)

March
~ Acceleration Needed to Travel to the Moon (Mar. 3-9)
~ Learn How Cosmic Rays Impact Solar Panels (Mar. 10-16)
~ How Destructive Was the Late Heavy Bombardment? (Mar. 17-23)
~ Calculate Electricity Create in Auroras (Mar. 24-29)
NO CLASS MAR. 30-APR. 5

April
~ Hubble's Law (Apr. 6-12)
~ Speed of Objects in Saturn's Rings (Apr. 13-19)
~ Calculate the Date of the Final Solar Eclipse (Apr. 20-26)
~ Calculations With Jupiter's Moon Io (Apr. 27-May 3)

May
~ Calculations With Solid Rocket Fuel (May 4-10)
~ Slowing Down of Pulsars (May 11-17)
~ Hohman Transfers for Interplanetary Travel (May 18-24)
Learning Goals
Learners will understand that the field of astronomy depends on math, and also that math can help explain scientific ideas and discoveries.
learning goal

Other Details

Parental Guidance
I teach the Big Bang theory of the formation of the universe and that the universe is billions of years old. This can sometimes come up even if it's not the topic of the day's lesson as learners can find connections I may not be able to predict.
Supply List
For each class learners will need blank paper and a pencil. Some classes may require additional materials such as a compass/circle tool, protractor, ruler, colors, or printouts.
Language of Instruction
English
Joined January, 2020
4.9
857reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Education from St. Cloud State University
I specialize in finding fun twists to standard curriculum to help my students build critical thinking skills as well as scientific knowledge.  By adding a new twist to a familiar topic we can expand our thinking to include new possibilities. I have taught math to homeschool students for the last 16 years and during that time I have developed many teaching techniques and hands-on projects to help students explore concepts in new and exciting ways. 

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Live Group Class
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$16

weekly
1x per week
50 min

Completed by 35 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-13
2-8 learners per class

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