Jeff's "teaching boat"--a Chuckanut 12--is about half complete. The boys are building a 15-foot (two-man) version of the same boat using plans donated by the designer: Dave Gentry of gentrycustomboats.com
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Brightest Space Station pass I've seen; another pass Friday
Tonight at about 8:25 was the brightest pass of the Internationa Space Station I've ever seen, topping out at magnitude -3.5, taking about 5 minutes and passing almost directly overhead. It was easily as bright as Venus! Last week I thought the kids would finally see a pass, since it was due to occur that very day just after the program ended. Several kids and parents waited patiently with me, hoping it would peek out from behind the growing clouds, but we never saw it. Since last week's 5:30pm pass was in broad daylight, I wondered whether perhaps the Skies Above site that gave the prediction was on standard time, rather than daylight time--making the real time an hour later. Alas, the clouds that afternoon quicky became a full overcast, so I didn't get to test the idea.
Tonight I did: and I can confidently report that the pass predicted for about 8:25 occurred at 8:25 eastern DAYLIGHT time. On the other hand, that doesn't mean the prediction software knows how bright the sky is at 5:30pm at this location and time of year!
If you haven't seen a pass yet, don't miss another bright one (-2.6) on Friday beginning at 8:08 in the west, rising to peak brightness at 8:11 high in the northern sky, and dropping from view at 8:14 in the northeast. Don't miss it!
Tonight I did: and I can confidently report that the pass predicted for about 8:25 occurred at 8:25 eastern DAYLIGHT time. On the other hand, that doesn't mean the prediction software knows how bright the sky is at 5:30pm at this location and time of year!
If you haven't seen a pass yet, don't miss another bright one (-2.6) on Friday beginning at 8:08 in the west, rising to peak brightness at 8:11 high in the northern sky, and dropping from view at 8:14 in the northeast. Don't miss it!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
More on the International Space Station
In the Tues, Mar 6 post I gave detailed instructions for finding exactly when and where to look for the International Space Station as it orbits the earth several hundred miles overhead. Today my son asked how we could see where the ISS is right now, so I went to the site again. If you go to Satellites, "10-day predictions for" and click "ISS" you will see, besides the dates and times, etc., several links in the upper right. The "orbit" link shows where the ISS is at that moment in three different views: looking at the orbit squarely, looking at it edge-on, and looking at it on a world map. Pretty cool! "passes" will get you back to the previous page, then "info" will give you a beautiful view of the ISS as it orbits over the ocean, and some basic statistics. It's hard to believe the thing is as big as it is: 108.5m width makes it wider than a football field is long, and 450,000kg translates to about 450 tons--by far the biggest thing we've ever put into space. From this page, the "For further information, click here" at the bottom will get you NASA's page on the ISS, and the "Space Station latest news" link will tell you what's happening aboard that "moving light in the sky." Have fun!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Don't forget your jar and dirt!
I asked the kids to bring in a clear jar (at least spaghetti-sauce size) and a bag of good soil to today's meeting. (If it is forgotten, it can come in next time.) The soil is best collected from a place where things grow wild. In other words, don't get it from a dry, dusty corner, or a perfectly-manicured lawn--we want wild seeds to be there and to grow! We will put these on a sunny window sill and see what happens as the weeks go by!
In other news, my early bird feeder project was a disappointment, but not necessarily because of the design. I put up several bird feeders this fall and saw not a single bird UNTIL IT STARTED SNOWING. The birds this year seem to have no trouble finding food, and seldom visit unless it snows--then they come in numbers! If you want to continue feeding birds, the best feeders are the tube-type for small birds, and platform feeders for larger birds. (My platform feeder is a square of plywood about 16" on a side screwed to the top of a 2X2 wooden stick, which is fastened securely to my deck railing. Since I painted the 2X2, the squirrels can't get up there!) A lot of birds love sunflower seeds, but ordinary seed mix is fine, is cheaper, and is what I use.
I began the Afterschool program with high hopes of teaching outdoor skills, but this group, at this age (mostly 3rd graders), mainly need to get OUTSIDE and MOVE AROUND, so that is where the focus has shifted. We do continue to practice knots ocassionally, and learn about animals, the moon, and so forth. Reflecting on my formative years, I realize that the natural world was for me a place to play; only when I got older did I begin to wonder what that bird was, or that tree, or that planet. I hope they'll get to that point some day!
In other news, my early bird feeder project was a disappointment, but not necessarily because of the design. I put up several bird feeders this fall and saw not a single bird UNTIL IT STARTED SNOWING. The birds this year seem to have no trouble finding food, and seldom visit unless it snows--then they come in numbers! If you want to continue feeding birds, the best feeders are the tube-type for small birds, and platform feeders for larger birds. (My platform feeder is a square of plywood about 16" on a side screwed to the top of a 2X2 wooden stick, which is fastened securely to my deck railing. Since I painted the 2X2, the squirrels can't get up there!) A lot of birds love sunflower seeds, but ordinary seed mix is fine, is cheaper, and is what I use.
I began the Afterschool program with high hopes of teaching outdoor skills, but this group, at this age (mostly 3rd graders), mainly need to get OUTSIDE and MOVE AROUND, so that is where the focus has shifted. We do continue to practice knots ocassionally, and learn about animals, the moon, and so forth. Reflecting on my formative years, I realize that the natural world was for me a place to play; only when I got older did I begin to wonder what that bird was, or that tree, or that planet. I hope they'll get to that point some day!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Our last chance to see the night sky...
This Wednesday will be our last chance to see Venus during the meeting--with the days getting steadily longer, we haven't seen stars lately, and with the beginning of daylight savings time we won't see sunset at St. Andrew's at all. I do hope the full moon is high enough in the sky to see before we leave tomorrow, also. At the end of the week, Venus and Jupiter will be side-by-side in the early evening sky. (Does this mean these planets are close together? Ask you St Andrew's After School student!)
Computer resources: Stellarium and Heavens Above
I will take this opportunity to pass on some cool web resources related to the night sky. First, you can download a very nice night sky simulator called Stellarium here:
http://www.stellarium.org/
Once you have it downloaded and up and running, you have to give it a latitude and longitude so you will be simulating the sky from your location. Bring up the left-hand menu by bringing your mouse cursor to the left hand edge of the screen. Then click on the compass rose at the top of the menu. For the church (which is plenty close enough no matter where you live in New Bedford), those numbers are: N 41 degrees 40' 7.78" W 70 degrees 55' 46.80" Change the latitude and longitude bly clicking on a number (degrees, minutes ', seconds " are all separate) and using the arrow buttons. Then give this location a name (St. Andrew's, New Bedford), add it to the list, and check the default box.
Whenever the program is started, it shows you the sky at that time of day. If you want to change that time (including date), move your cursor to the bottom of the screen to pull up the bottom menu, and click on the clock face. Once you get it to an appropriate time, it's interesting to change the date one day at a time to see how the positions of moon and planets change. Play around with the other things on these two menus! Have fun! AND DON'T FORGET TO GET OUTSIDE AND LOOK AT THE REAL THING!
Another good web resource is "Heavens Above" (http://www.heavens-above.com/)run by a dedicated sky enthusiast, which enables you to find a lot of things in the sky. My favorite is to find out when the International Space Station will be visible as it orbits a few hundred miles up over our heads. Although the station is the biggest man-made object ever orbited, it is still impossible to see at that distance UNLESS it passes overhead when it is dark on the ground, but the sun is still shining on the Station. Most days the Station is looping over some other location, but on days it happens to pass over eastern Massachusetts, it might be visible once or twice. To use this feature you have to set up an account and log in to the site. (This is easy and quick, and has no down side that I've ever noticed.) Then you can set your latitude and longitude (use those above). Then under :Satellites, 10-day predictions for:" click on ISS. the table tells you what dates to look for it, how bright it will appear, what direction it will first appear in, will reach its highest point at, and will disappear at (including brightness for all of these).
Understanding the details: Brightness is a number in which the more negative it is, the brighter it is. In the city where outside lights make it hard to see the night sky, I don't usually even look for the ISS if it doesn't get brighter than -2 (of course, -3 is even brighter). The azimuth is the compass direction. You don't need a compass for this; just remember the sun sets in the west. Altitude is how high above the horizon to look. (0 is the horizon, 90 would be straight up.) Again, I don't bother to look unless the altitude is at least 30 degrees. Since a minute one way or the other means you might miss it, check to make sure your clock is accurate before you go looking.
What will you see? The appearance of the ISS makes me think of a slow, high-flying airplane, except it shines steadily, with no flashing or colored lights. Good luck! If you see it, write a comment here!
Computer resources: Stellarium and Heavens Above
I will take this opportunity to pass on some cool web resources related to the night sky. First, you can download a very nice night sky simulator called Stellarium here:
http://www.stellarium.org/
Once you have it downloaded and up and running, you have to give it a latitude and longitude so you will be simulating the sky from your location. Bring up the left-hand menu by bringing your mouse cursor to the left hand edge of the screen. Then click on the compass rose at the top of the menu. For the church (which is plenty close enough no matter where you live in New Bedford), those numbers are: N 41 degrees 40' 7.78" W 70 degrees 55' 46.80" Change the latitude and longitude bly clicking on a number (degrees, minutes ', seconds " are all separate) and using the arrow buttons. Then give this location a name (St. Andrew's, New Bedford), add it to the list, and check the default box.
Whenever the program is started, it shows you the sky at that time of day. If you want to change that time (including date), move your cursor to the bottom of the screen to pull up the bottom menu, and click on the clock face. Once you get it to an appropriate time, it's interesting to change the date one day at a time to see how the positions of moon and planets change. Play around with the other things on these two menus! Have fun! AND DON'T FORGET TO GET OUTSIDE AND LOOK AT THE REAL THING!
Another good web resource is "Heavens Above" (http://www.heavens-above.com/)run by a dedicated sky enthusiast, which enables you to find a lot of things in the sky. My favorite is to find out when the International Space Station will be visible as it orbits a few hundred miles up over our heads. Although the station is the biggest man-made object ever orbited, it is still impossible to see at that distance UNLESS it passes overhead when it is dark on the ground, but the sun is still shining on the Station. Most days the Station is looping over some other location, but on days it happens to pass over eastern Massachusetts, it might be visible once or twice. To use this feature you have to set up an account and log in to the site. (This is easy and quick, and has no down side that I've ever noticed.) Then you can set your latitude and longitude (use those above). Then under :Satellites, 10-day predictions for:" click on ISS. the table tells you what dates to look for it, how bright it will appear, what direction it will first appear in, will reach its highest point at, and will disappear at (including brightness for all of these).
Understanding the details: Brightness is a number in which the more negative it is, the brighter it is. In the city where outside lights make it hard to see the night sky, I don't usually even look for the ISS if it doesn't get brighter than -2 (of course, -3 is even brighter). The azimuth is the compass direction. You don't need a compass for this; just remember the sun sets in the west. Altitude is how high above the horizon to look. (0 is the horizon, 90 would be straight up.) Again, I don't bother to look unless the altitude is at least 30 degrees. Since a minute one way or the other means you might miss it, check to make sure your clock is accurate before you go looking.
What will you see? The appearance of the ISS makes me think of a slow, high-flying airplane, except it shines steadily, with no flashing or colored lights. Good luck! If you see it, write a comment here!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Three Weeks in...
...and we are beginning to hit our stride. The first meeting, on Wed 11/30, was a bit chaotic, though homework got completed and I think everyone had some fun. (Kids went home with a bird feeder made from a coffee can. My own coffe can feeder has yet to see a single bird--but I bet they'll have discovered it by the time we have snow on the ground!) A better feeder is a cheap tube-type feeder (I bought one at Lowe's for about $6). Keeping squirrels away can be a challenge--on the other hand, squirrels are facing a tough winter, since the acorn crop is small this year.
On our second meeting, Wed 12/7, kids learned to tie a square knot and two half-hitches, and they began to learn to identify some common birds.
This week, Wed 12/14, kids practiced birds and knots, learned to tie a taut-line hitch, and made a decimal ruler that they can use to measure rainfall, using any straight-sided, flat-bottomed container as a rain guage.
On the Wednesday to come (12/21) I hope to watch the International Space Station pass over New Bedford. (Did you know you can see it easily if conditions are just right?) Then we will learn moon phases, have a peek at Jupiter through a telescope, and add a constellation or two to our night sky observations--all this IF we have a clear sky. If the sky is cloudy, we will begin learning about animals with a ball-toss game.
I am determined that the kids will have the opportunity to observe birds this winter. Soon I plan to begin platform feeders with the kids. A platform feeder is a large (about 189 inches on a side), flat platform with low edges that, usually, sits atop a post. The kids will build and paint their own platform feeders, taking them home probably sometime in February. I'm not sure how materials will be paid for; I may ask parents to chip in two or three dollars apiece. Having a feeder is a bit of a commitment: the feeder needs room outdoors, and the bird food costs money. Of course, you only put food out as often as you wish.
Finally, I am dreaming of Saturday field trips! I would like to get the kids to Brooklawn Park for a couple of hours in January if we have good enough weather. If there is snow, maybe we could share sleds and go sledding on a nearby hill! Either way, I will post notice here, send emails to parents, and telephone any parents I do not have email addresses for.
On our second meeting, Wed 12/7, kids learned to tie a square knot and two half-hitches, and they began to learn to identify some common birds.
This week, Wed 12/14, kids practiced birds and knots, learned to tie a taut-line hitch, and made a decimal ruler that they can use to measure rainfall, using any straight-sided, flat-bottomed container as a rain guage.
On the Wednesday to come (12/21) I hope to watch the International Space Station pass over New Bedford. (Did you know you can see it easily if conditions are just right?) Then we will learn moon phases, have a peek at Jupiter through a telescope, and add a constellation or two to our night sky observations--all this IF we have a clear sky. If the sky is cloudy, we will begin learning about animals with a ball-toss game.
I am determined that the kids will have the opportunity to observe birds this winter. Soon I plan to begin platform feeders with the kids. A platform feeder is a large (about 189 inches on a side), flat platform with low edges that, usually, sits atop a post. The kids will build and paint their own platform feeders, taking them home probably sometime in February. I'm not sure how materials will be paid for; I may ask parents to chip in two or three dollars apiece. Having a feeder is a bit of a commitment: the feeder needs room outdoors, and the bird food costs money. Of course, you only put food out as often as you wish.
Finally, I am dreaming of Saturday field trips! I would like to get the kids to Brooklawn Park for a couple of hours in January if we have good enough weather. If there is snow, maybe we could share sleds and go sledding on a nearby hill! Either way, I will post notice here, send emails to parents, and telephone any parents I do not have email addresses for.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Appreciating the Great Outdoors
Welcome to St. Andrew's After School! We are an after-school program of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church that meets every Wednesday school day from 3:30 to 5:30pm. Our mission and policies are described in the page (link) to your right.
My mission as program director is two-fold: first, to improve your child's achievement at school by supporting their homework accomplishment and helping parents continue that support from home; second, to connect your child to the world out-of-doors.
We hope to be a resource for any difficulties your child has in completing homework and learning from it, and in helping to make homework a regular routine. Your child should have all assignments written down, and checked by us or a parent.
As a child, I sometimes practically lived outdoors, having adventures real and imaginary, building forts, and just lying in the grass with a library book in the abandoned field and woods beside my house. That land has long since been converted to house lots; I remember it fondly and mourn its passing. Today I feel that most children spend little time outside. Their lives are bounded by the walls of their homes, their schools, and perhaps a few stores and a mall. Electonics claim a lot of their attention. Kids are often tightly-scheduled, and parents are less willing to allow their children to roam as freely as I did. Of course, most people in New Bedford don't grow up with such a wonderful place to play so close by.
I cannot change where you live, but I can try to give your child an appreciation of the outdoor world, and the adventures that are possible close to home. After all, the "outdoor world" is enormously bigger and more real and varied than the indoor one! Even an ordinary neighborhood has bird life, plants and squirrels, while interesting clouds drift by overhead. And the moon, stars and planets visible on a clear night are a window into an incredibly vast universe. Appreciating all this takes only knowledge and a little experience, and can often be had for free.
My mission as program director is two-fold: first, to improve your child's achievement at school by supporting their homework accomplishment and helping parents continue that support from home; second, to connect your child to the world out-of-doors.
We hope to be a resource for any difficulties your child has in completing homework and learning from it, and in helping to make homework a regular routine. Your child should have all assignments written down, and checked by us or a parent.
As a child, I sometimes practically lived outdoors, having adventures real and imaginary, building forts, and just lying in the grass with a library book in the abandoned field and woods beside my house. That land has long since been converted to house lots; I remember it fondly and mourn its passing. Today I feel that most children spend little time outside. Their lives are bounded by the walls of their homes, their schools, and perhaps a few stores and a mall. Electonics claim a lot of their attention. Kids are often tightly-scheduled, and parents are less willing to allow their children to roam as freely as I did. Of course, most people in New Bedford don't grow up with such a wonderful place to play so close by.
I cannot change where you live, but I can try to give your child an appreciation of the outdoor world, and the adventures that are possible close to home. After all, the "outdoor world" is enormously bigger and more real and varied than the indoor one! Even an ordinary neighborhood has bird life, plants and squirrels, while interesting clouds drift by overhead. And the moon, stars and planets visible on a clear night are a window into an incredibly vast universe. Appreciating all this takes only knowledge and a little experience, and can often be had for free.
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