Waving at the International Space Station

As regular readers will know, we are really keen to get our students at Luna into the reading habit, and creating independent thinkers & travellers of the mind. I think it is really important to enjoy what you are reading, and that it means something to you.                                                                                                                I was thrilled we managed a stellar "Eureka" moment last night with a group of extremely chuffed Eigonauts! Having finished their first choice readers (action packed stories) the last one in the bag was "In the Sky". Potentially a bit dull & flat - except we have an incredible resource just outside the front door!                                                                                                                                        During our previous lesson we'd talked about planets & stars, constellations too; we'd spotted Orion easily and noticed the half moon from the car park. Tonight's mission was time critical (and weather). My satellite tracking app told me it'd appear on the southern horizon at 18:32, giving us 8 minutes before the end of class to spot the International Space Station. My girls were watching the countdown while we did a few other tasks, and coordinated with our classmate in Nagano - via Zoom - what we were going to do & how (needed to use my iPad to "take the class for a walk!").                                                                                                                                                                                                            First of all we found Orion again, and tried to spot Gemini. We had watched a short NASA video

constellation identification

explaining the constellations in view in March, but we could not see Castor or Pollux. The moon was hiding brightly, behind BigBoy (restaurant next door) which was also very lit up, making our view west & south somewhat obscured. Next, we realised the buildings in front of us hid the horizon, and from the app we could see the ISS was going to keep fairly low as it tracked westwards over Utsugushigahara.                                                                                            We dashed upstairs and turned all the lights off, stepped onto the roof (safely!) and were immediately able to see the bright white dot moving across the dark sky exactly where the teacher said it would be! The girls realised that if they might be able to see it again in an hour & a half, it must be going very fast indeed! I asked them if they thought the seven astronauts would be waving back ("probably not, it's dinner time" they decided!)...but they kept waving frantically anyway :)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        And that was about all we had time for, though homework is to draw a picture of the night sky (I found them in the waiting room with the lights off, being very diligent, later!). "Happy?" I asked them. Far from it - they were deliriously chuffed to bits...and so, therefore, is the teacher.

Tracking satellites 

The "AHA!" moment :)

Science fiction helps you to learn new vocabulary.

Re:Genesis is a Canadian TV series about the scientists. NorBAC, "North American Biotechnology Advisory Commission," is the science lab which police ask for help when weird and struggling cases occur. Topics are what we are facing in the real world. NorBAC investigates wide variety of cases such as bio-terrorism, infectious diseases, sudden and massive fatalities of people or animals due to sudden mysterious changes in environment.

David Sandstrom, the leader of NorBAC team, has many issues like alcoholism and family issues. He is rather human-like character when comparing with Holmes. But sure you can enjoy thrilling action, love romance, family bonds, and the latest science technology in Re:Genesis. NorBAC team utilizes the most advanced equipment identifying much smaller details. A magnifying glass or a microscope cannot do that much.

Let me introduce one episode. Multiple blackouts in cities occurred and police started investigating for possible terrorism. However, police failed to find a single evidence which shows the presence of human being on sites and they asked NorBAC for help.

NorBAC team finds weird traces on power cables in power plants and further conducts DNA examination. As the results, the team identifies bacteria which eats artificial and synthetic substances causing blackouts.

When I watched this series during high school years and themes seemed unrealistic, yet we are now actually identifying various issues including strange climatic variation, radical shifts in ecosystem, and ethical issues in accordance with rapid developments in science like artificial gene synthesis.

In real world, Japanese scientists find bacteria eating plastic in 2016 and they expect to largely reduce plastic wastes. But what if such bacteria expands in public? The story can be realistic.

Re:Genesis is the one you need to learn science, math, medical science, politics and to gain your knowledge and vocabulary! Moreover, this drama is also good for someone who wants to improve your pronunciation and listening skill. Main characters speak Canadian, American, British, Latin and Asian English since the NorBAC lab has many staffs with different nationalities.

Why I hate science - after reading C.H.O.I.R. Boy

I hate science.. Because everything is difficult for me!! I have an aptitude for humanities course not science course.

I don't like see mathematical formula at all, so I have never felt that science class was fun or interesting. I didn't remember the science words although I tried to study hard. So, my test score was terrible.. I liked to empiric test but I could not find interesting poing for the other stuff.

Also, science teacher class was difficult and it is hard to understand what he said. I'm not sure but I liked science more if the class was fun.

Posted for Miyuki

The Right Stuff - not in Japan's classrooms this week, thank you.

Chuck Yeager with Bell X-1. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I think this is one of the coolest and most significant things I have witnessed for ages. And I CANNOT believe kids in schools in Japan were not pushed in front of a TV screen & shown history/science in the making. This story is a classic opportunity to teach and inspire a generation about pushing the limits, marvellous tech and sheer damn bravery! Not one of my students knew anything about this - so I have unashamedly sat them down in front of Youtube and pressed play. I have delighted in watching their faces light up in sheer amazement at the scale of Felix's achievement. Kids get it. They ask questions, and who gives a shit if it is not in the national curriculum this week?

Man breaks speed of sound with his head? Come on! 65th anniversary of Chuck Yeager breaking Mach 1 for the first time? Beating Kittinger's records that have stood since 1960 (and how brave must he have been, in the pre-computer, pre-synthetic fibres, pre-GPS, pre-weather satellite era)? His team doctor's personal mission to do something after his wife's death in the space shuttle Columbia tragedy (in the same skies over Texas)?  So much could have been taught this week...education failure Japan. Knackers to precious entrance tests. - learn some real stuff. The Right Stuff.

See the drama here

           
           

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Matsusho High School - a day in the life

I usually get up at seven o'clock in the morning, and I leave home at eight fifteen. I have to wear a uniform, which I like. The lessons start at eight fifty, and I have a break at ten o'clock

I have lunch at school between twelve o'clock and twelve forty. I usually eat onigiri (a rice ball) and talk with my friends about TV.

I have science lessons three times a week, but I don't like it because it isn't interesting. My favorite lesson is PE, which I have on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. I am good at tennis.

The lessons finish at three thirty, and I go home by bicycle. It takes about twenty minutes. After school I do homework for two hours. I hardly ever use a computer. I have some important exams next month and in April.