Earth Science
The major units of study in earth science this year include the water cycle, weathering and erosion, tectonic plate movement and changes of the Earth over time. As we examine how the Earth's resources form and are changed over time, we will see how they are important to humans and all of the natural world.
The Water Cycle
Why does it rain more when the weather gets hotter? In the STEMscopes unit The Water Cycle, we examine the mechanisms of the water cycle, how the water cycle compares to other cycles in nature, and identify two major forces that drive the water cycle. The final project involves learning where people living in a particular location get their water, and where the waste water goes.
Water Cycle Vocabulary
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Click here to see a short video about the water cycle.
Click here to see a video on the Ogallala Aquifer. What is the danger in over-pumping? Where do you find water in a desert? Watch the video here from the desert survival trainer. |
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Explore the carbon cycle and the nitrogen cycle and see how they are similar to the water cycle. How are they different?
The Carbon Cycle
The Nitrogen Cycle
Why does it rain? Try reading the Wonderopolis answer here.
Click here to see how NASA's Cloudsat mission helps collect data to predict the weather. Click here for current Cloudsat images. If you've got this, take a break and watch "The Song for Rain" here. |
Water in the Atmosphere
How does a meteorologist (weather forecaster) know when it will rain? Learn about what causes a "rain shadow" in Oregon. Click here for an image from NASA's Earth Observatory. Click here for a short video that describes this effect in many places around the world. Click here for another good rain shadow explanation.
Click here for US Climate Data webpage for Do #1 Rain Shadow and Moisture Lab. |
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How is climate different than weather? Learn about climate from NASA's Climate Kids.
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Size Matters: Measuring Raindrops from Space. How can they measure the size of the raindrops in a storm cloud? Watch the video here.
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What happens when our climate changes and our Earth warms up? Watch the video Melting Ice, Rising Seas to learn about the latest data.
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Dream of a Green Career and explore different jobs that involve climate and weather. Click on the link here to explore at least 3 different careers.
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What air masses determine our weather? What global winds guide those air masses? Try these videos to explore these factors of weather and climate.
So how do meteorologists predict the weather? Here are two links to help you answer the question.
Wonderopolis Predicting Weather
Wonderopolis Predicting Weather
Water on Earth
Why would the temperatures on the same latitude be different in different parts of the world?
Why is the Dead Sea so salty? Is the Dead Sea really deadly? What does the salt from the Dead Sea look like? Where does the salt in the ocean come from? Where does sea salt come from? And what is the Great Pacific garbage patch?? Click on the questions to learn the answers to these questions. See how they can help you understand the movement of water on our Earth in ocean currents.
Why is the Dead Sea so salty? Is the Dead Sea really deadly? What does the salt from the Dead Sea look like? Where does the salt in the ocean come from? Where does sea salt come from? And what is the Great Pacific garbage patch?? Click on the questions to learn the answers to these questions. See how they can help you understand the movement of water on our Earth in ocean currents.
Try your hand at the PBS virtual density lab here.
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Check out these short videos to help you understand how ocean currents work and the Ocean Conveyor Belt.
* The Global Conveyor Belt * The Gulf Stream Explained - Global Thermohaline Circulation
* Thermohaline Circulation * The Corilois Effect (and why hurricanes spin the way they do)
Want a more in-depth look at currents? Click here for NOAA's view.
A map of ocean surface winds. A cross section animation of the Global Ocean Conveyor Belt
Study with another NOAA view of currents. Click here for all of NOAA's Ocean Explorer links.
Going beyond? Try this Cloud Lab
Read more about harvesting salt and playing an ocean currents game here.
* The Global Conveyor Belt * The Gulf Stream Explained - Global Thermohaline Circulation
* Thermohaline Circulation * The Corilois Effect (and why hurricanes spin the way they do)
Want a more in-depth look at currents? Click here for NOAA's view.
A map of ocean surface winds. A cross section animation of the Global Ocean Conveyor Belt
Study with another NOAA view of currents. Click here for all of NOAA's Ocean Explorer links.
Going beyond? Try this Cloud Lab
Read more about harvesting salt and playing an ocean currents game here.
What is the difference between weather and climate? For example, why do different states have different weather? Click here for the Wonderopolis answer.
Click here for NASA's Climate Kids for LOTS of links and answers. |
Water Cycle Project
Try these resources to help you get started with your Water Cycle Project. These sources should give you an overview of how water is taken from a source and treated once it is used.
Weathering and Erosion
How does an oxbow lake form? What causes sinkholes? In this unit we are learning about weathering, erosion, and deposition. These processes create some very interesting formations and cause some not so constructive events. Here are some resources to help you learn more about weathering and erosion.
Weathering can be either physical (also called mechanical) or chemical. Click here for an overview.
- Check out this animation of mechanical weathering of ice in cracks of rocks here.
- Learn more about chemical weathering here.
Erosion is the transport of weathered materials from one place to another. Wind, water, gravity, ice are four main agents of erosion.
- Click here to learn more.
Deposition heis the depositing or laying down of sediments or pieces of rock in a new place. This deposition creates new landforms like deltas and moraines.
- Click here for an overview of many examples of depostion.
- Check out this animation of mechanical weathering of ice in cracks of rocks here.
- Learn more about chemical weathering here.
Erosion is the transport of weathered materials from one place to another. Wind, water, gravity, ice are four main agents of erosion.
- Click here to learn more.
Deposition heis the depositing or laying down of sediments or pieces of rock in a new place. This deposition creates new landforms like deltas and moraines.
- Click here for an overview of many examples of depostion.
Let's see some sinkholes in action!
Learn about the latest sinkhole situation in Michigan here. Would you consider this a true sinkhole?
Want to understand more about glaciers? Learn how they are formed, how they weather rock, and how they create a LOT of erosion. How do glaciers shape the landscape? The formation of glaciers. The work of glaciers. Glacier formation made easy (described by a teacher from Indiana). All About Glaciers for Kids. A glacier in Central Park? Check it out here.
How do sinkholes form? What are caves and how do they form? Are there things that live in caves? Are there caves in canyons?
Rivers and Stream Erosion - Learn about how rivers and streams create changes on the Earth's surface. We explore how a stream can change the course of the flow of the river using our stream tables. Check out the links below for more examples of stream erosion.
Watch a time lapse stream table erosion sequence here.
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This is a much larger stream table. How does this set-up explain more about the affects of stream erosion?
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Here's a list of links for more stream erosion exploration!
What is a meander? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STgbHFvUMlE
Why do rivers curve? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a3r-cG8Wic
A weathering and erosion crash course https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-Iak3Wvh9c
Meanders and oxbow lakes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qKS_Nk7UmY
Meandering river dyed red https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubP_-ptVDbY
What is a meander? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STgbHFvUMlE
Why do rivers curve? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a3r-cG8Wic
A weathering and erosion crash course https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-Iak3Wvh9c
Meanders and oxbow lakes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qKS_Nk7UmY
Meandering river dyed red https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubP_-ptVDbY
So, what is a sinkhole? How does it form? Is it an example of weathering, erosion, or deposition? Let Wonderopolis explain sinkholes. What about the oxbow lake? Click here to review meandering streams as they develop. Click here to see the oxbow lake formation as an animation.
Geologic History of the Earth
Are all fossils about the same age? Let's examine how scientists have learned about the age of our planet Earth and how changes over time have helped us figure out the secrets of the ages. Learn about different laws that govern our thinking and assumptions we make to understand the geologic history of our Earth.
Click here to start your understanding of the Law of Original Horizontality. This law says that sediments are deposited in horizontal layers due to gravity. Sediments form sedimentary rock in horizontal beds via water or wind because gravity settles them that way.
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Click here to continue your learning about the history of the Earth using the Law of Superposition. Remember the prefix "super" means above. The newer layers of rock are found above the positions of the older rock layers.
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Click here to examine the different laws of relative rock dating. Remember, this method of dating or finding the age of rocks is in relative terms, not actual numbers.
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Click here to learn about how radiocarbon dating works. Maybe in social studies you have heard of carbon dating as a method to find out how old a mummy is or other ancient artifacts. This briefly explains how this is done.
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Click here to go a bit more in-depth on the subject of determining the more precise age of fossils.
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Click here to see how carbon dating and examining layers of rock in different locations can make the puzzle of "how old is the Earth" even more complex. This is a good video to help you with Do 3.
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BONUS! How is the Law of Superposition used in studying bodies in space? Click here to check out some images of the moons of the planet Jupiter. Look at the image seen here on the left. Which crack in the ice happened last? Which crack happened before that one?
Geologic Time Scale
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Rock Cycle
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Learn more about the Earth's geology with these sites.
Click the buttons below to take you on your adventure!
Geoscience Processes
Click the words below for a short animated explanation.
Divergent and Transform Boundaries Seafloor Spreading Convergent Boundaries Causes of Plate Tectonic Motion
Erosion and Deposition
Divergent and Transform Boundaries Seafloor Spreading Convergent Boundaries Causes of Plate Tectonic Motion
Erosion and Deposition