Common Core State Standard L.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: Video of a current news event is presented for discussion to encourage student participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the video. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.
01/30/2017
LED lights might regulate sleeping patterns
NASA is experimenting with LED lights on the International Space Station to help astronauts get some much needed sleep. The orbit of the space station interferes with the natural cycle of light and darkness that regulates our sleep. So, NASA recently outfitted the station with an LED system that has three settings with varying color wavelengths and blue-intensities: one regular, one for alertness and one low-intensity pre-sleep setting.
■Class discussion: Do changes in light affect how you feel, perform or sleep? Does your mood change if the sky is sunny or cloudy? What affects your sleep besides light? How has modern technology affected the way we sleep? How has man-made light and noise disrupted the animal world? Do you ever have trouble falling to sleep? If you do, how do you cope with it? Can sleeping pills cause serious problems?