Archived+Earth+Science+Page


 * Trimester 3**

Alternative final available for those who can't attend.
 * week 11** June 17 - 22
 * Yellowstone Field Experience and Final**



Finish research and print out documents to take with you on the trip. Bring items for the trip to school on June 15th, and we will pack up as much as we can so we are ready to go on Sunday.
 * week 10** June 11 - 15

Yellowstone research
 * week 9** June 4- 8


 * week 8** May 29 - June 1
 * Practice for Disaster Day!**
 * JUNE 2nd 11-1 Disaster Day educational carnival and Yellowstone trip fundraiser**

Construction continues completed set up due by Friday, May 25.
 * week 7** May 21-25

Materials are due for the project Construction begins Work on Yellowstone research when you have time this research is the start of your final portfolio for the class Include the science behind the item, as makes sense. For example, explain how limestone caverns form? How do geysers and hot springs work? How did Earthquake Lake form? Discuss the controversy surrounding the reintroduction of wolves into the Yellowstone ecosystem. All sections can include pictures. Develop one topic in such a way that you feel you know it fairly thoroughly. This will require about three pages of written work. **Due by June 15.**
 * week 6** May 14 - 18

Those are not attending the trip choose one area of interest from the list and create a three page document that explains the science behind how it works and the importance of the topic. **Due by June 15.**



work time on disasters Elements for STEM introduced Sketch of set up for disaster area created
 * week 5** May 7 - 11

Propose carnival game to go with disaster information Propose prizes for the game
 * week 4** April 30- editing papers


 * week 3** April 23- lab report writing time [[file:lab report format rockets.doc]] [[file:Rockets Data 2012 8th grade class.xls]]

Research papers work time Each group is constructing a research paper with individual students contributing 1.5 - 2 page sections of the overall paper. (These are due May 4- require formal citations- 1 graph - 1.5 to 2 pages in length - topics must be pre aproved by disaster group and the teacher) [|Citation Machine]


 * week 2** April 16 - Rockets launched (lab report due during week 3)

Watch Supervolcano
 * week 1** April 9 - sort out disaster day groups

Trimester 2 Astronomy For those with significant background in Astronomy or high interest should check out the course materials from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology listed below: [|MIT Astronomy enrichment opportunities]

Week 12 March 21 - 25

Week 11 March 14 - 18 Model rocket construction [|paper tiger directions for rocket]

Week 10 March 7 - 11

Week 9 February 28 - March 4


 * Week 8** February 21- 24

Compile NASA timeline using iPads...
 * Week 7** February 13 - 17

Project presentations ... Watch Video - The Day the Earth Nearly Died - take notes and pose five questions based on the video
 * Week 6** February 6 - 10

Find 15 accomplishments NASA has made during their work in the aerospace industry... **Due by Feb 13 or 14th** depending on the class... these will be combined to make a historical timeline of NASA events.

Finishing projects, presenting them to class, and starting model rockets [|Model rocket safety code] [|National Association of Rocketry] [|Model rocket instructions] The document below also has some great links - including a model rocket simulator.
 * Week 5** January 30 - Feb 3


 * Week 4** January 23 - 27 Work time on projects and Journey to the Edge of Space video

Universe DVD - Strange objects - notes taken for a grade
 * Week 3** January 17 - 20:

Create a product to relate learning - possibilities include A Wanted Poster, A poem, A song, A skit (if more than one student works together, more items must be covered in greater depth). Artifact due January 31 or February 1, depending on A or B day schedule.
 * Assignment:** Students are given a quest to explore one item from the Universe in depth... find a minimum of 25 facts about this item.

Finish discussion of dark matter. [|Dark matter link] Statistics scientists use to determine the number of each type of galaxy. [|Statistics activity for astronomy]
 * Week 2** January 9 - 13:

Introduction to the Electromagnetic Spectrum. Formally answer the questions from week 1 as a test (became webquest for those who did not pass)

Activities to understand the spectrum. [|Color spectrum song]

Generate a list of areas students have previously studied. Generate a list of areas students wish to study. Generate a list of questions students have regarding astronomy. Begin instruction based upon that list.
 * Week 1** January 3-6:

Watch PBS Documentary "400 Years of the Telescope" Read the introduction to Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything.

Astronomy questions answered week 1 [|NASA index]

How are stars formed? What causes meteor showers? [|Meteor shower schedule] [|Shooting star song] What is the Big Bang theory? How old is the universe estimated to be? What is a light year? (How far does light travel in a light second?) What is a supernova? What sorts of tools are used by scientists to study and observe the universe? What are the differences among reflecting telescopes, refracting telescopes, and radio telescopes? What is the advantage of the Hubble telescope? Why was it made? [|Hubble telescope site] What happens to light as it travels through the atmosphere? Why do astronomers tend to have better luck visually observing the night sky when the air is cold? Why do astronomers build telescopes in areas that are of higher altitude? Why is Pluto not considered a planet?

Also: How does the sun create energy? [|Why does the sun shine song?] Higher level thought song...[|plasma song]

Trimester 1 2011 Earth Resources

Substitute on Oct 13 -14 Watch video - Dynamite regarding the life of Alfred Nobel
 * Week of October 10 - 14**
 * Take notes - share 10 new things you learned from the video... after the video, write one paragraph explaining what the Nobel Prize is and why it was created.**

Genetically modified organisms discussion Information [|GMO information] (Speaker on Friday) Continue to learn about the periodic table

Day 9 video table resources [|U of Knottingham Link] Bohr model [|Bohr model] Draw Bohr models for elements 1 - 18 vocabulary atomic #, atomic mass #, protons, neutrons, electrons
 * Week of October 3 - 7**

helpful link regarding chemistry [|overview of chemistry link]

Day 8 Periodic Table Introduced - Mother nature's kitchen supply analogy List of element names and symbols (quizzes taken until 100% mastery) Color table in class [|printable table] information covered [|group names and descriptions] [|Meet the elements video]

Day 6 & 7

Work on portfolio

Day 4 & 5 Rock Lake Hike

Revett Mine in Troy [|Julie's photos of Revett Mine]

Rock Lake Hike Photos from Paul Gunter [|Paul's photos]

Day 3 How Silver Ore is processed: [|Link to silver ore processing]

Idaho Public Television Resource about the Rock Creek Mine [|PBS Link]

Day 2 How can you use your resources to allow you to be as successful as possible?

What other categories of resources exist?

Introduction to mining and the Rock Creek Mine Controversy.

[|Revett Minerals Information]

[|Rock Creek Alliance]

National Geographic mining article [|The Real Price of Gold] Day 1 What do numbers mean in science studies? In class survey 'On a scale from 1 to 10 where 1 is low and 10 is high, how do you feel about coming to the 8th grade today?' Small group task: calculate the class mean, median, and mode and create a 30 second commercial or newscast to share the data with the rest of the class.

Without talking, arrange your course in order from youngest to oldest. (What other resources do you have besides talking?) Resources brainstorming and discussion

Homework: Brainstorm a list of your personal resources.

Other topics: Invention Convention (Start thinking of ideas - December will be here before you know it.)... Yes, you are hiking 8 miles next week (4 up hill and 4 down hill) and you will be creating an electronic portfolio of that experience. Remember to take photos and to write notes to help you remember what you see and what your thoughts are.