Earth Science

Rockin' The Rock Cycle      This is the story of Mr. Rock, who is in search of a very special rock to make his Mrs. Rock. Mr. Rock is a metamorphic rock, who is constantly under lots of heat and pressure.       For that reason, it is hard for him to find a significant other. He wants to become a rock that is in a cooler, less stressful environment. So, he erodes and becomes an igneous rock. He hopes because he now feels less pressure, it will be easier for him to find his Mrs. Rock. However, Mr. Rock's life as an igneous rock ends up being just as difficult because he is constantly being pushed around by other elements by way of erosion.     Mr. Rock was convinced that he had searched the land far and wide enough for his significant other. So, he wanted to move locations completely. He wanted to erode all the way into the ocean, break up into pieces of sediment, and become a sedimentary rock.      Mr. Rock was enjoying his time...

 Measuring the Diameter of the Sun     In this hands-on lab, we measured the diameter of the sun. Sounds a bit crazy, but it was certainly manageable, and the activity made me realize a lot. Even in the lab description, I discovered that there are many, many stars that are just as big as the sun, if not bigger! Regardless, we know that the sun is still extremely large in comparison to many other bodies in space. This is why the conversion steps in this lab are very important. These steps are clearly laid out in the directions which can be found below. Student Materials (Per pair):  Cardboard paper towel tube  Aluminum foil square (10 cm x 10 cm)  Graph paper square (10 cm x 10 cm)  2 rubber bands  Thumbtack or pin  Metric ruler  Sharp pencil  Meter stick  Masking tape  Optional: Calculator  Optional: Markers, stickers, other materials to decorate pinhole tube 1. Decorate your paper towel tube. 2. Place the aluminum foil square o...

Crystallization     I have emphasized this concept in many of my previous blogs, but the impact that visuals or models have on a student's learning is amazing. Especially in units that require looking at photos of certain things to understand... why not have the student create the visual themselves?       An area where this would apply would be our current unit about minerals and crystals. Whether in class or at home, a student would be able to complete this lab fairly easily. The easiest of all recipes would be that of a salt crystal. Here is an example of a salt crystal recipe: What You’ll Need To grow your own salt crystals you’ll need: Table salt – sodium chloride Distilled Water A clean, clear glass container – a jam jar is perfect String A spoon for stirring. What To Do Here’s what to do: Stir salt into boiling hot water until no more salt will dissolve (crystals start to appear at the bottom of the container). Be sure the water is as close ...

Life, the Universe, and Everything In this assignment, one is to discuss the various forms of creation stories and provide examples after doing research about different cultures. Here are my responses: Creation ex nihilo in which the creation is through the thought, word, dream, or bodily secretions of a divine being Example: Genesis 1 and 2 “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” → God spoke the universe into existence Earth diver creation in which a diver, usually a bird or amphibian sent by a creator, plunges to the seabed through a primordial ocean to bring up sand or mud which develops into a terrestrial world Example: Pacific Northwestern Indigenous Peoples Raven spirit, Kutkh chipped away at stones surrounding Earth to create the physical world. “... islands and continents are created by his defecation, rivers and lakes out of his waters. The difficult volcanic terrain and swift rivers of Kamchatka are thought to reflect Kutkh's capricious and willful n...