pHet Earth Science

go to:  http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/plate-tectonics

Run Now.  

Copy and paste this into a new post and answer the questions as you do the activity. 

PhET:  Plate Tectonics                                                        

Go to the PhET website

Select the Plate Tectonics Simulation

Spend a few minutes exploring the simulation.  Don’t worry, you can’t break it.

Select the “Crust” tab at the top of the simulation.  Under view select “Both”.

1)   What are the 3 variables that can be changed in this simulation?  (Scale or zoom is a nice feature, but not a variable.)

          1.

2.  

3.     

2)   Try to duplicate the continental crust as accurately as possible. How did you set 

temperature:

composition:

thickness:

3)  Try to duplicate the oceanic crust as accurately as possible.  How did you set 

temperature:

composition:

thickness:

4)  In terms of the three variables you have investigated, describe how continental crust differs from oceanic crust.

Select the “Plate Motion” tab at the top of the screen.  Under view select “Both”.

8)   Investigate convergent boundaries (green arrows).  Report your findings in the following table:

Left Side Crust	Right Side Crust	Which Crust is Denser?	Which Crust Subducts?	Do non-volcanic Mountains Form?	Does a Trench Form?	On Which Crust Do Volcanoes Form?
Continental	Continental
Continental	Old Ocean
Old Ocean	Continental
Continental	Young Ocean
Young Ocean	Continental
Old Ocean	Young Ocean
Young Ocean	Old Ocean

9)  Describe the relative motion of the plates at ALL convergent plate boundaries.  

10)  Three times you used the same two types of crust, but switched left and right sides.  What do you observe about the results?  Is the side the crust is placed on important?

11)          Look for patterns in density, subduction, and volcanoes in the table.  When volcanoes form, on which plate do they always form? 

12)          Explore how a continental-young oceanic crust collision differs from a continental-old oceanic crust collision.

  Describe the difference in the angle of subduction between old and new plates.

  How does the distance between the volcanoes and the plate boundary differ between old and new plates? 

13)          Investigate divergent boundaries (red arrows).  Click show labels.  Describe the relative motion of ALL plates at divergent boundaries.  

14)          What is generated at ALL divergent plate boundaries?  

15)          Investigate transform fault boundaries (blue arrows).  Describe the relative motion of ALL plates at transform fault boundaries

The Core Posting

http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/movies/thecore_review.html

Why are the bads bad and What is good about the following Bads?
1.  Bad:
We see the Space Shuttle in orbit ....and we hear the sonic booms from the Shuttle as it passes overhead. They wind up landing in the extensive LA drainage basins.

2.  Bad: Premise: The Earth's magnetic field is collapsing, and the field is what's protecting us from deadly cosmic rays and microwave radiation from space.

 

3.  Bad Why is the Earth's magnetic field collapsing? Because the iron core of the planet has stopped rotating. 

4.  Bad:
The ship slams into a giant geode, and snags itself on a giant crystal of amethyst. The crew put on suits, go outside, and free the ship. 

5.  Bad:A microwave beam from space breaks through the weakened magnetic field of the Earth!

Idea for Roof Garden Group

https://www.youtube.com/user/Lowes?v=9j31E28DCCU

Water Webquest

Create an informational blog about your action project and the impact on the watershed.  Make it as a public service announcement.  Include a picture.  

Evaluation:

Your project will be evaluated based on the following criteria: 

• Is your blog clear and concise? 
• Does your public service announcement hook your readers?
• Does your public service announcement educate your readers to the problems of water pollution?
• Does your public service announcement inform your readers on what they can do to prevent or treat water pollution?
• Did you include a photo, creative commons or public domain only, with a powerful title?

The Task:

Th blog should help to increase public awareness about water pollution and it will hopefully help to prevent its spread or keep the water and climate clean. 

In your blog, include the following information (what types of pollutions can affect OUR river?): 

Info links found at http://www.educatoral.com/freshwater_pollution_webquest.html

1. What is water pollution (describe the 7 types)?
2. What is a point source of pollution? What is a non-point source of pollution?
3. What are some of the sources of water pollution (describe 3 causes, tie to your action project)?
4. What are three of the consequences of water pollution?
5. What can be done to improve the quality of water after it has become polluted?  What are some actions that can be taken to help prevent water from becoming polluted?

Solar Energy

go to http://www.erpsk12.org/

go to greyhound spotlight.  go to solar panel array.

How much energy was produced in March?  How many trees saved?  How many batteries?

How much energy was produced in April?  How many trees saved?  How many batteries?

Find today.  How much energy today?

What do you think about our solar panels?  How do you think kids should learn about them in school?

Footprint Blog

Google Carbon Footprint Quiz
Choose a quiz to take.
Examples http://footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/
or http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/
if these sites are busy search for a different one.

Blog the following:
1. The url of your site as a link.
2. Is it a good site for you? Younger kids?
3. What is your footprint?
4. What are 3 ways (9total) to reduce your footprint in each of the following
               a) Yourself
               b) The School
               c) The Community

5. A paragraph about connections to the National Geographic Video.