Wednesday: The Rock Cycle

Where do rocks come from?  Will Earth ever run out of rocks?  These are questions students will answer today as they investigate the rock cycle and the 3 main types of rocks.  Students will have a vocabulary page to complete using resources from class.  Here are resources and notes:

igneous rock – rock that forms from cooled magma. Ingredients: magma. Examples of igneous rock are basalt, obsidian, granite, pumice, scoria and tachyte.

sedimentary rock  – rock that forms from the compacting and cementing of sediment (rock particles and organic material). Ingredients: igneous rock, metamorphic rock, shells, bones, fossils, plants and sand. Examples: sandstone, shale, breccia, coal, chalk/limestone,

metamorphic rock – rock that has changed form due to heat, pressure, or a chemical reaction. Ingredients: igneous rock, sedimentary rock plus heat and pressure.  Examples: slate (transformed from shale), gneiss (transformed from granite), marble (transformed from chalk), quartzite.

magma – molten (liquid) rock beneath Earth’s surface. Ingredients: molten rock made from Earth’s crust, igneous rock, metamorphic rock and sedimentary rock.  Magma is known as lava when it is on the surface of the earth (above ground)

Students that miss class can get more information here: CK12 Rock Cycle Reading

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Rock Cycle vocabulary due Thursday
• Students wishing to retake their Space Test from last week must do so on Thursday at Homework Club or Friday at Lunch or Period 7

Tuesday: Is it a rock?

This week students begin a short unit focused on Geologic Change.  The focus of today’s lesson is on defining what exactly a rock is and the criteria used to determine if something is or is not a rock.  Here are some resources from class:

• Is it a rock? Slideshow
• Introduction to Rocks Notes

For the purposes of class, we define a rock as:

Any solid mass of inorganic (not alive)* matter that occurs naturally through geologic processes as part of our planet.

*there are some exceptions to the inorganic rule as is the case with coal and other sedimentary rock

Students that have extra time may want to check out these links:

• National Geographic: Geology 101
• Kids Love Rocks: Learn About Rocks and Minerals
• Maine Minerals and Where to Find Them

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Students wishing to retake their Space Test from last week must do so on Thursday at Homework Club or Friday at Lunch or Period 7

Friday: Space Unit Test

Today students had their test assessing what they know about space, moon phases and the reason for the seasons.  Students will be able to see their grades immediately after completing the test since it is online.  Grades will be posted in Infinite Campus shortly thereafter.  Students interested in retaking the test should arrange a time to come in next week.

Starting next week, students will begin a short unit on rocks and geologic change.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday: Space Test Study Game

Today students played a study game to prepare for tomorrow’s test covering what students have learned about space.  Students can play the study game after school here:

Click here for Kahoot Space Test Game

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Space Study Guide  due Thursday
• Space Unit Test on Friday (study!)
• All missing work and revised work related to space must be turned in by the end of the school day on Friday

Wednesday: Mars Colonization

Mars exploration has been a popular topic in the news the past few years as NASA has sent robotic explorers to the surface of the planet.  We now believe there is water in the soil and there is strong evidence that simple life forms may have existed on the planet in the past.  NASA is planning to send humans to Mars in the 2030s.  However, private companies are hoping to send humans to Mars sooner.  People on these missions would take ONE-WAY trips to the planet and spend the rest of their lives on Mars.  Today we are going to discuss the idea of a one-way journey to Mars.

Here is a short video about the Mars One Project: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4tgkyUBkbY

Other Mars Links:

• Mars One Website
• Video with more about Mars One
• Canadians in the running for a one-way trip to Mars
• Newsela: Trump budget will fund NASA mission to Mars scheduled for 2033
• Newsela: ”Astronauts” return from “Mars” trip
• Newsela: Test results indicate that space travel to Mars could be dangerous
• Newsela: NASA says future astronauts to Mars will likely have drinking water there
• How long can you survive on Mars in a jeans and t-shirt
• Did life start on Mars?
• China to grow veggies on Mars?
• 3D Printed Pizza to Feed Mars Colonists?
• Why We Can’t Send Humans to Mars Yet (And How We’ll Fix That)
• Water Discovery Is Good News for Mars Colonists
• Brainpop Mars (no login required)

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Space Study Guide  due Thursday
• Space Unit Test on Friday (study!)
• All missing work and revised work related to space must be turned in by the end of the school day on Friday

Tuesday: Space Unit Review

Students did a few different activities in class today to review what they have learned the past month about space, the seasons, and the phases of the moon.  Students worked together and independently to review the big ideas.  Here are some of the resources from class:

• Review – Seasons, Phases and Eclipse
• Universe word sort

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Space Study Guide  due Thursday
• Space Unit Test on Friday (study!)
• All missing work and revised work related to space must be turned in by the end of the school day on Friday

Monday: Space Unit Study Guide

Today students will be working on their Space Study Guide in preparation for the test on Friday.  Test questions are usually very similar to the questions in the study guide. Students can use their notes and my blog to complete the study guide, but no notes may be used during the test on Friday.   This is also the last week to turn in or revise and work for science related to our study of space.

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Space Study Guide  due Thursday
• Space Unit Test on Friday
• All missing work and revised work related to space must be turned in by the end of the school day on Friday

Friday: Seasons Review

All this week students have been discussing and investigating why Earth has seasons.  Students will take a practice test in class today to see what they have learned so far.  Following this, students will have time to complete and revise science assignments from the past couple of weeks.  All grades are up to date in Infinite Campus.

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Space Unit Test next Friday (a study guide will be handed out in class on Monday)

Wednesday: Seasons and Daylight

Today students will continue to apply what they have learned about seasons by researching the relationship between Earth’s tilt and the angle of sunlight as it orbits around the sun by looking at differences in light at different times of the year and various locations around the Earth.  Students will need these links to help them with their research:

• Daylight Hours Explorer (hours of daylight)
• Seasons Simulator (angle of light)
• Sunrise/Sunset, Portland, Maine

The complete assignment can be found here: Seasons and Light Research

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Seasons and Light Research due Friday
• Field Trip to the Sea Dogs tomorrow!

Tuesday: Models of Earth’s Seasons

Today students will be asked to apply what they have learned about Earth’s orbit and the seasons by using online models that look at the tilt of Earth’s axis and the angle of sunlight reaching Earth as the planet orbits the sun.  Students will need these links for their work:

• Link #1: Earth In Motion
• Link #2: Seasons Simulator (if this doesn’t load in Chrome, try Firefox or Safari)

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Earth’s Motion Notes due Wednesday