Patricia sighed inwardly, she had regained some of her points. Her hand went up again, "When a meteorite fell at Thrace near Aegospotami, Aristotle was forced to take the position that strong winds had lifted an Earth rock into
the sky, then dropped it.." she said, "but, an alternate theory was developed to explain stones that fell from the sky. This theory held that meteorites somehow formed in the sky during violent thunderstorms, sir."

"The alternate theory suggested that the metiorites were made in the sky during violent thunder storms. Supposedly the heat from the lightning consolidated the particles in the clouds," Jayne said.

Allie raised her hand.
"Well, when a meteorite fell Aristotle was forced to take
the position that strong winds had lifted an Earth rock into
the sky, then dropped it..The alternate theory was This theory held that meteorites somehow formed in the sky during violent thunderstorms. Proponents of this idea suggested that particles inside the clouds consolidated because of the heat during a lighting flash. For this reason the rocks were sometimes referred to as thunderstones." she said.

Ana raised her hand "Aristotle was forced to take the position that strong winds had lifted an Earth rock into the sky, then dropped it. The other said that meteorites formed in the sky during violent thunderstorms."

"Very good, 4 points each.

Around the 17th century, science and the scientific method began to develop. Scientists learned to set aside their beliefs and observe the natural world as it naturally existed. This advanced all parts of science, except the beliefs on meteorites. Why?"

Anna raised her hand to answer the next question, as well. "The fall of a rock from the sky was so rare that the chances of a scientist being there in person to observe it was very small. Also, reports of rocks falling from the sky had always been associated with evil omens or stories of disaster. This made accounts of meteorite falls that came in from the countryside easy to dismiss as folklore," she said.

Cam raised his hand. "The fall of a rock from the sky was so rare that
the chances of a scientist being there in person to observe
it was very small. Also, reports of rocks falling from the sky
had always been associated with evil omens or stories of disaster.
This made accounts of meteorite falls that came in from the
countryside easy to dismiss as folklore."

Pondering the question for a second, the fifth year's hand shot to the air, "The fall of a rock from the sky was so rare that the chances of a scientist being there in person to observe it was very small. Also, reports of rocks falling from the sky had always been associated with evil omens or stories of disaster."

Valentine put her hand up. "Where scientists may have learned to set aside their beliefs, the common man had not yet. A falling rock from the sky was to rare, that the chance a scientist would be the person to see it was even rarer. So where the scientist and other men and women of knowledge was looking upon fact, our everyday farmer was still raveled up in their beliefs."

Juniper raised her hand. "Meteorites were rare, so not many scientists got to see them. Also, everybody had always thought that they were bad omens and associated falling rocks with folklore and myths," she said. "So when people started to think logically, they figured that rocks did not actually fall from the sky, and they regarded meteorites as stories that did not actually happen."

Allie raised her hand.
"Well, it is very rare that meteorites fall from the sky, sir. So many scientist may never be able to observe it in there lifetime." she said. "And since the incedent had always been associated with evil omens and stuff, lots of people believed it to be made up."

"Excellent job! 2 points


"In 1790 a fireball raced across the sky near the
town of Barbotan in southwest France. Immediately after the
fireball disappeared a shower of stones fell. Over three-hundred
people witnessed this event, making it difficult for French
scientists to discount. The scientists were forced to admit
there was some connection between the fireballs that fell from
the sky and the rains of stone. In 1794, four years later, more
than 200 stones fell from the sky near Siena, Italy with enough
witnesses to make the existence of the event undeniable. Though
many scientists explained the stones as condensations from "igneous
clouds" or volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius, a German researcher
had a different idea.

What was that idea?"

Anna raised her hand again. "The theory said that rock falls were related to fireballs even if the fireballs were not observed. He also reached the conclusion that fireballs because of their very high-speeds, among other characteristics, had to be coming from outer space," she said.

Dominic raised his hand, "The idea said that rock falls were related to fireballs even if the fireballs were not observed. He also reached the conclusion that fireballs because of their very high-speeds, among other characteristics, had to be coming from outer space"

Raising his hand, he spoke. "Chladni built a case that rock falls were related to fireballs even if the fireballs were not observed. He also reached the conclusion that fireballs because of their very high-speeds, among other characteristics,
had to be coming from outer space."

Willow raised her hand, "The theory said that rock falls were related to fireballs even if the fireballs were not observed. He also reached the conclusion that fireballs because of their very high-speeds, among other characteristics, had to be coming from outer space."

Allie raised her hand.
"The idea was that rockfalls were realted to fireballs, and that they came from outer space." she said.

Cela raised her hand, "The theory was that rock falls were related to fireballs even if the fireballs were not observed. He also reached the conclusion that fireballs because of their very high-speeds, among other characteristics, had to be coming from outer space. "

Camira quickly raised her hand. "The idea was rock falls were related to fireballs even if the fireballs were not observed. He, Ernst Friedrick Chladni, also reached the conclusion that fire balls because of their very high-speeds, among other characteristics, had to be coming from outer space."

Excellent! 2 points.


"However, the theory of thunderstones isn't quite dismissed, though many have decided it's merely folklore. What, from the text, suggests that thunderstones exist?"

Valentine looked in her textbook and read the reading aloud.

"During a heavy thunderstorm which ensued on
Monday, March 4, between 2:30 p.m. and 4.15 p.m., an aerolite
was observed to fall at Conleny Heath, near St. Albans. The
observed who has placed the specimen in my hands for examination,
stated that the stone fell within a few feet from where he was
standing, and that it entered the ground for a distance of about
3 feet. Its fall was accompanied by an unusually heavy clap
of thunder. The example weighs 5 pounds 14 1/2 ounces and measures
6 3/4 inches by 5-5/8 inches at its great length and breadth
respectively. The mass is irregularly ovate on the one side,
and broken in outline on the other. The actual surface throughout
is fairly deeply pitted, and under magnification exhibits the
usual chondritic structure of the crystalline matter with interspersed
particles of what appears to be nickeliferous iron."

Camira raised her hand again, almost completely sure of the answer. "Sir, that would be the fact that reports of stones falling to the ground during heavy thunderstorms still occasionally occur."

He immediately raised his hand to answer the question. "There are reports of stones falling to the ground during heavy thunderstorms as they occasionally occur aaaand..." he took a deep pause to read from the text. "There was one issue of Nature on March 14, 1920 which said..."

Allie raised her hand.
"The thunderstorm on March 14, 1920, where there were reported stones falling from the sky." she said.

Maddox raised his hand and said, "The fact that reports of stones falling to the ground during heavy thunderstorms still occasionally do occur ."