My Science Homework

As a way to confirm understanding of all of the relative aging concepts covered over the last several days of class, students today worked to complete a reverse cross section of rock layers.  Instead of using a diagram to determine the order of events that occurred through time, students were given a list of ordered events by which they were to construct a diagram showing the result of such events.  This reverse cross section is due next week.

Homework:  Complete the reverse cross section - due on Tuesday, 04/08/08

The reaction essay to the National Geographic Tsunami video was due at the start of today’s class. We briefly discussed their reaction to the video before moving on to today’s topic: relative aging puzzles.

We began by finishing up the guided notes on relative aging that we had started back on Thursday of last week. Today’s focus was on unconformities: ways in which rock layers can get partially or completely eliminated from the geologic column. These include the disconformity, erosional surface, and angular unconformity. After diagramming each of these, students were introduced to the relative aging puzzles: describing a series of events in chronological order based on a diagram of rock layers and their irregularities. Students worked to complete the practice problem set before tackling the Relative Aging Puzzles: The Big One. This puzzle is due tomorrow at the start of class.

Homework: Complete “The Big One” relative aging puzzle - due at the start of tomorrow’s class.

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Today was a break from the lecture and notes format that we’ve followed much of this week as students watched the National Geographic special presentation:  Tsunami:  Killer Wave.  This special covers all angles of the tsunami of 2004:  the causes, how the event played out, and how the event impacted the lives of millions of people around the world.

Students were assigned a two-paragraph reaction essay to the film.  The format of the essay is fairly loose:  A one-paragraph summary of the film, including the important details (who/what/when/where/why) of the tsunami event, followed by a one paragraph reaction to the film:  what did this film make the student think?  What questions remain following their viewing?  What could have or should have been explained differently or better?  This essay is due at the start of class on Monday.

Homework:  Complete the debate poster and tsunami essay, both due at the start of class on Monday (03/31).

After finishing section 3.1 on The Earth’s Story yesterday, students have until Monday to complete work on their Geology Debate Posters (see Tuesday’s post for more details).  Today, students recorded guided notes on the definitions and applications surrounding Relative Aging.  We will conclude the notes in class Monday and then begin solving some “relative aging puzzles” in class together later that day.  Tomorrow though, students will watch a National Geographic special on the Tsunami of 2004:  A poignant example of catastrophism at its worse.

Homework:  Complete the Debate Poster due on Monday.

Today’s class time was reserved solely for students to make progress on the debate poster project assigned to them yesterday.  See yesterday’s post for complete details on the assignment, including a copy of the scoring rubric.   Today is the final in-class work time that will be allotted for this project.  It is due on Monday at the start of class.  Tomorrow we’ll begin discussing relative aging.

Homework:  Complete the debate poster for Monday, 03/31.

After discussing the definitions of uniformitarianism and catastrophism in class yesterday, today we compared and contrasted these two mutually exclusive theories. Remember - we can’t put these in a venn diagram because these would signify two seperate circles that do not overlap.

Additionally, we discussed what the primary tenets of a debate are. These include evidence being presented from opposing viewpoints, equal time, and other controls being placed on the discussion. The project that will be constructed for this unit is to complete an 8.5″x11″ poster advertising a (fictitious) debate between a catastrophist and a uniformitarianist. Check out the Geology Debate Poster Rubric for full details. In a nutshell: the poster should be visually stimulating, eye-catching, and include all of the following components:

• Content - details on each theory
• Examples - multiple examples of the geologic change resulting from each theory
• Images - images of the examples or of the players

See the Earth’s Story Notes for the full info from today’s class. Also, for some inspiration on the format that can be employed in creating a debate poster, check out these images available online - all controversial, all eye-catching, and all well-produced:

• Is there a God?
• Gender and Science
• Socialism vs. Capitalism

Remember: The poster should only be on 8.5×11″ paper (no larger) and can be done by hand or on a computer. All images MUST be sourced! This project is due on Monday at the start of class.

On our first day back from Spring Break, we began by reviewing the scores on the geology test that was completed the day before break.  The average scores were higher than on the previous test (average among all freshman:  71%) but many students did poorly on the “phases of the moon” portion of the test.  All students are being given a chance to retake this portion of the test to make up lost points.  The make-up must be completed tomorrow either before school (7:55-8:10) or after school (3:10-3:25).

We then discussed the theories of uniformitarianism and catastrophism today in class. These differing theories on how the Earth’s landforms have been shaped over time were up for much debate in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Today, scientific evidence clearly indicates that uniformitarianism is the overriding theme of the geologic environment - that is, that most geologic change occurs very gradually over long periods of time. That does not exclude catastrophes from taking place, however. Earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis still cause rare, sudden, and dramatic changes in the landscape around the world.

Tomorrow we’ll continue this discussion by bringing another scientist into the mix: Charles Lyell. Following the conclusion of those notes, we’ll begin discussing the debate poster project that will continue through Wednesday (due on Monday).

Students took the test covering the Rocks and Minerals portion of the Geology unit as well as Phases of the Moon in class today. No homework was assigned.

After we return from Spring Break, we’ll begin discussing what we know about the history of the Earth - how it is shaped and changes over time.

Have a fantastic Spring Break!

Today’s primary objective was to get prepared for tomorrow’s geology test.  We started by taking an informal (ungraded) egg quiz over the rock types that we spent last week focusing on.  This included questions about the formation, composition, and texture of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.  Students then spent the second half of class working on the study guide for tomorrow’s test.

Homework:  STUDY for tomorrow’s geology test!

Today was the day to get all of the resources organized from the Rocks and Minerals unit.  We’ve covered a lot of material since late January and it is all fair game for the upcoming exam.  The test will be on Wednesday and will cover not only Rocks and Minerals, but also the tail end of the astronomy unit:  the phases of the moon.

Students worked today to gather papers, labs, worksheets, and notes that we completed during this unit in an attempt to organize a study packet.  All students were encouraged to keep this study packet with them throughout today and tomorrow so they can spend a few minutes reviewing the material whenever they have a few free minutes.

Homework:  Study for tomorrow’s prep quiz and the Geology Test on Wednesday.