NASA:Northern lights may be visible
Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, Jan. 9, 2014 Expository writing
Article Review
Main Idea: What is the main point that you get from this text?
There might be the possible chance of seeing the northern lights on Thursday, January 9, 2014.
Factual Summary: Write a 3-5 sentence summary of the piece you read. Include significant ideas, places, and people.
A NASA expert says that the northern lights will be visible Thursday night instead of Thursday like he originally thought. The solar storm's arrival time was originally predicted to be earlier int he day but this time turned out to be to early according to Joseph Minow who works at NASA. "The good news for North American observers is onset of the event coinciding with sunset so there is alot of time with night skies ahead of us," Minow said.
Vocabulary: Identify at least two words from the article that were difficult or unusual. Define them. Aurora: a natural electrical phenomenon characterized by the appearance of streamers of reddish or greenish light in the sky, usually near the northern or southern magnetic pole. Coinciding: Occur at or during the same time.
Criticism:
From this article, I learned that the northern lights appear when atoms in the earth's high-altitude atmosphere collide with energetic charged particles from the sun. Astronomers can see the flare when it leaves the sun but it's invisible until it arrives here on earth.
One thing the author should have done or said differently is… (“Nothing” is not an acceptable answer)
In my opinion, the author could have given better definitions for some of the words used in the article. This way I wouldn't have had to look up definitions while reading the story.
Personal Response: How does this relate to your life? Give specific details of connection or comparison.
I have been trying to think of a comparison between me and the northern lights and it is very difficult. I know that the northern lights are created by the change in the solar flares from the sun. My moods are also different because of the change in the sun or weather. When solar flares are released and enter the Earth's atmosphere it causes the northern lights to appear. When the weather is nicer and sunnier I am in a better mood. The sunlight and warmer temperatures make me happier than if it is cold and cloudy. The northern lights are cool and a fun sight to see and that makes people happier. I hope to be able to see the northern lights someday.