End of Year!

Students have wrapped up their study of 6th grade Earth Science!  Next year will focus on the Life Sciences. Please note that I will be out on maternity leave until February of 2018 – more information will be coming home to families about this.

Over the summer, students are encouraged to continue to explore science both formally and informally. Here are some links to help you out:

• Science Learning Links
• Science Summer Camps

Students are also highly encouraged to check out the solar eclipse viewable from Maine on August 21st.  More information about eclipses can be found here:

• Solar Eclipse Lesson

Have a great summer!

Tuesday: Can We Make it to Mars?

Today students watched part of the NOVA ScienceNOW special entitled “Can We Make it to Mars?”  Students can access the full episode here: NOVA: Can We Make it to Mars?

Monday: End of Year Kahoot Marathon!

Today students are reviewing what they have learned in 6th Grade Earth Science using Kahoot.  Students can bring their notes from the year or just wing it. Good luck!

NO ASSIGNMENTS THIS WEEK

Friday: Geologic Change Test

Today students have their test covering what they have learned about Geologic Change.  Test grades will be posted in Infinite Campus before the end of the school day.  After the test, students will have time to complete any late work.  Students that have completed everything should check out this documentary of the articles about Earthquakes:

• NOVA: Earth’s Deadliest Earthquakes
• Newsela: The Science of Earthquakes

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Today is the last day to turn in any missing work or revised work related to our study of Geologic Change

 

Thursday: Study Game and Review

In preparation for tomorrow’s Geologic Change Test, students played a study game in class today and then had time to study or complete missing science work.  In addition to the test, tomorrow is the last day to turn in any late or revised science work.  I am available to help students before school, after school today and Period 7 today and tomorrow.

Here is a link to the study game: Kahoot Geologic Change Study Game

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Geologic Change Study Guide due Friday
• Geologic Change Test on Friday
• The last day to turn in any missing work or revised work related to our study of Geologic Change is THIS Friday, June 16th.

 

Wednesday: Rippleffect Field Day and Reading Plus Assessment

Today students will be on a team-building field trip with Rippleffect for the most of the day.  Students also have their final Reading Plus assessment in the morning.  Students should complete this Reading Plus Survey once they have finished their assessment:

• Student Reading Plus Survey

Tuesday: Mapping Plate Boundaries

Today students will be mapping plate boundaries around Earth’s tectonic plates.  Students will need to apply what they have learned about divergent, convergent and transform boundaries.  Here are the resources from class today:

• Option 1: Interactive Plate Boundary Map
• Option 2: Interactive Plate Boundary Map
• ASSIGNMENT: Mapping tectonic plates

Students that finish with extra time can check out these links about the split of the African continent:

• Article: African Desert Rift Confirmed as New Ocean in the Making
• Article: Giant Crack in Africa Will Create a New Ocean
• Video: African Lava Lake

ASSIGNMENTS:

• ASSIGNMENT: Mapping tectonic plates due Thursday
• Geologic Change Study Guide due Friday
• Geologic Change Test on Friday
• The last day to turn in any missing work or revised work related to our study of Geologic Change is THIS Friday, June 16th.

 

Monday: Plate Boundaries

Today students will be focusing on the 3 types of tectonic plate boundaries: divergent, convergent and transform.  Students will look at the differences among these boundaries and diagramming what happens at each boundary type.  Here are the resources from class:

• Plate Boundaries Presentation
• ASSIGNMENT: Plate Boundaries Vocabulary

 

Students that finish with extra time should go to this link and try the plate and boundaries challenge at the bottom of the page: http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/plate.html

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Plate Boundaries Vocabulary due Tuesday
• The last day to turn in any missing work or revised work related to our study of Geologic Change is THIS Friday, June 16th.

Friday: Plate Tectonics Continued

Yesterday students were given an overview of Earth’s interior structure and how this drives the movement of tectonic plates.  Today students will be reading about this process in more detail and collecting notes on this worksheet: ASSIGNMENT: Newsela Plate Tectonics Notes.  Here are the links they will need:

• Newsela: Inventors and Scientists – Alfred Wegener and Harry Hess
• Bill Nye: Greatest Discoveries in Earth Science

ASSIGNMENTS:

• The last day to turn in any missing work or revised work related to our study of Geologic Change is Friday, June 16th.

Thursday: Earth’s Structure and Plate Tectonics

For the past few days students have been learning about the evidence that supports the idea that continents have moved over millions of years.  Today we will focus on HOW they move by looking at Earth’s structure and beginning our study of tectonic plates.

Here are the resources from class:

• Earth’s Structure Keynote
• Earth’s Layers Notes Worksheet

 

If there is time, students can learn about a project underway to drill to Earth’s mantle. Here are some resources:

• Article: Japanese Scientists Want To Be First To Drill Into The Earth’s Mantle
• Video: Billion-dollar drilling project aims for Earth’s mantle
• Article: The $1 billion mission to reach the Earth’s mantle
• Article: Could you dig a hole all the way to the Earth’s mantle?

ASSIGNMENT:

• Earth’s Layers Notes Worksheet due Friday
• The last day to turn in any missing work or revised work related to our study of Geologic Change is Friday, June 16th.