Using the News in the Classroom for BellRingers/Exit Tickets

Thought I'd share two news stories which might be of interest to use in the classroom in the beginning of the class period or at the end of the class.

ESPN to Use DRONE for the First Time!

Drones are finding their way into our daily activities. For the first time ESPN will utilize drones in their coverage of the Winter X Games,to be held this week, in Aspen, Colorado.  ESPN has gotten permission, from the Federal Aviation Administration, to fly tiny drones over the athletes. The drones,with cameras, will hover above, aside and behind the racers during their the snowmobiling and snowboard events. In other uses, drones are being used to video some football teams' practices and  CNN is hoping to soon use drone technology during live news event. Amazon would also like to have the ability to use drones to deliver packages right to your home.

Questions:
How might such drone usage be helpful in our lives?
Can you think of negative aspects about drone use?
Can you think of why drone use is being carefully monitored by the Federal Aviation Administration?

Photograph from digitaltrends.com

Out of this World Experiment!

Scientists plan to study two identical twins in an out of this world experiment. Astronaut Scott Kelly, will leave on a space mission lasting one year at the International Space Station. His brother, Mark, who is also an astronaut, will remain on earth. Both will be involved in the same experiments to see the effects that long periods in space may have on the body. They are the only identical twin American astronauts(of the 2.25 million sets of American twins).For future long distance space missions such as Mars,which will take an estimated three years for the round trip, scientists want to study the effect of lack of gravity on human bones, the heart and other organs. Scott will travel to the ISS on March 28th, with another Russian astronaut(called cosmonaut in Russia) named Mikhail Kornienko. It will be the longest space time of any American astronaut.

Questions:
Despite the experiments,you would have some "free" time. What would you do for a year in space? What would be three things you'd pack along to bring with you?
Other than family and friends, what would be some things you'd miss about being away from Earth?

Photograph from nasa.gov

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Gail
http://www.gailhennessey.com-my website for teachers and kids