Earth and Environmental Blog Week 15

Monday or January 25, 2016 C.E.:

Today we started our review for the quiz. We went on our Discovery Education Techbook to do some assignments. I am quite confident about the quiz. I got a 100% on the first assessment and 85% on the second. The reason I did not do as well on the second one was because I wasn't paying attention and didn't read carefully. I think I can do really well on this quiz and that it will not be too hard. After the assessments, we put flowers in our soil erosion experiment. I am not going to explain this lab yet because I have no idea what it is about.

Tuesday or January 26, 2016 C.E.:

Today we took the our Unit 6 quiz. I think I did well on it, but I might not get a 100 %. It was about the different types of erosion and weathering. It was also about the different things that can affect these processes. I also now know what the lab that I talked about yesterday is. We will be comparing the erosion that occurs in three different scenarios. We will be seeing how much better soil stays in place with plants in it as opposed to loose soil or soil with large particles on top. It is hard to explain this so I will show a picture.

The eroded soil should go into the bottle halves below

Wednesday or January 27,  2016 C.E.: 

Today we reviewed the quiz. I didn't do as well as I had hoped, but I still got an A. I missed two multiple choice questions and each could have been prevented. I read the problems too quickly and made mistakes. On one I thought it said erosion, but it really said weathering. I need to make sure to check my work and to work carefully and thoroughly. We also saw how much erosion was happening in the only soil bottle and how little was occurring in the plant bottles. I didn't think there would be such a large difference.
 

Thursday or January 28, 2016 C.E.:

Today was fun. We took part in a really cool and yummy soil layer experiment. We put delicious foods in layers in a cup to represent the layers of the soil. The foods included animal crackers, pudding, cake, and whipped cream. Soil has multiple layers. The top layer or O horizon contains humus, the most fertile soil. The next layer, the A horizon is the top soil which is also quite fertile. Next comes the E horizon which doesn't have many nutrients. All of its nutrients have made their way to the next layer or the B horizon. This is the sub soil. It is still a bit fertile. Next comes the C horizon it is not fertile and contains large chunks of bedrock. Lastly comes the R horizon, the bedrock. 

Yum!

Friday or January 29, 2016 C.E.:  

No Class!
Summary: This week was a good week as it reminded me to remember to check my work after taking a quiz. I had recently stopped doing that so now I know what happens. I need to work on this.

Earth and Environmental Blog Week 14

Monday or January 18, 2016 C.E.:

M.L.K. weekend... No School :)

Tuesday or January 19, 2016 C.E.:

Today we came back from a three-day weekend to start a new unit. It is Unit 6 which goes into detail about Weathering and Erosion which is something we covered in the past unit as well. We took notes about the first section. It talked about the two types of weathering. The first is mechanical and the second is chemical. Mechanical happens by scraping and other mechanical things. Chemical weathering changes the chemical composition of the material it is weathering. One example of Mechanical weathering is rock scraping on another rock. An example of chemical weathering is the rusting of iron in rock causing them to crumble.  We also did a cool skittles lab today. We each took a skittle and dropped water on them with a pipette.We saw how the water shaped the skittle and how the runoff was colored. It was quite a cool lab.


Wednesday or January 20, 2016 C.E.: 

Today we started a Weathering and Erosion lab. It has seven stations and each one represents a type of weathering. It was really cool. Today I did the first four stations. The stations included frost action which is the freezing and expanding of ice and carbonation, a chemical reaction. It was cool to see erosion hands on. Tomorrow I will do sections 5, 6, and 7. They are about water's erosion and abrasion (scraping) among other things. I can't wait to keep doing this lab.

Thursday or January 21, 2016 C.E.:

Today I did the last three sections of the lab. I had to make a description of a picture of natural eroded coastline. I also had to explain how it formed. On it were cliffs and caves, but my favorite phenomenon is the cliff blow hole. Water is pressed into the cliff over time. Eventually the water bores a hole through the cliff all the way to the top. It then spews out the top of the cliff in a "blowhole". It is really cool and I have always wanted to see one in real life. We finished our labs and turned them in today. 

Friday or January 22, 2016 C.E.:

Today we worked a little more on another lab. It is the Seeds to Shoreline project in which we cultivate marsh grass in class and replant it in wetlands. Since the 15th we have been waiting for our seeds to germinate. Today we counted and we had 2 germinated seeds. We also made a cover page for our lab. It has a drawing of Spartina Alterniflora, the name of the grass and a wetland on it. We wanted to make the cover page nice looking. In the coming weeks we will see how the seeds germinate and grow. It will be a cool multi-month lab.
Summary: This week was good. We came back from our 3-day weekend refreshed and ready to learn. We learned more about weathering and erosion from our new unit and we took part in interesting labs. I need to work on finishing my blog swifter, like always and I need to work faster in general.

Earth and Environmental Blog Week 13

Monday or December 7, 2015 C.E.: 

Today we reviewed for the quiz both as a group and independently. We discussed all the topics of the first, second, and third sections as a class. Then we studied independently or in small groups. I studied independently first, but then I joined a small group using Kahoot. We did several of its quizzes talking about Rock Identification and the characteristics of the three types of rocks. Kahoot ranks you against you friends, and I did quite well so I think I will do well on the quiz tomorrow. I cannot wait to see how it affects my overall grade. 

Tuesday or December 8, 2015 C.E.: 

Today we took the quiz on the first three sections of Unit 5. It contained a variety of information like what Felsic and Mafic rocks are, what they look like, and their density. It also had questions about Igneous intrusions such as dikes, sills, lacoliths, and stocks. There were also questions about the texture of different types of rocks based on their origins and questions about Metamorphism and the construction of the types of Sedimentary rock. I think I knew all the topics and I will get a good grade. It will definitely help my overall grade. 

Wednesday or December 9, 2015 C.E.: 

Today we reviewed the quiz and I got a 99%. This sure is good news for my grade! After reviewing it, we took notes to start the rest of the Unit. We learned about Section 4, the rock cycle. We learned how each rock becomes the other and why. We also talked about how Plate Tectonics helps drive the rock cycle though two processes, Subduction and Uplift. Subduction helps rock melt and Uplift exposes them to Weathering and erosion. We also drew a diagram of the rock cycle similar to the one below.

The Rock Cycle

Thursday or December 10, 2015 C.E.:

Today I started the Sedimentary Rock Lab. I had to identify seven rocks, Rock Gypsum, Limestone, Tufa, Conglomerate, Dolostone, Shale, and Sandstone. Dolostone was the hardest to classify. Rock Gypsum and Limestone were Chemical Sedimentary rocks. Limestone was also an Organic Sedimentary rock. The other rocks were all Clastic Sedimentary rocks. I also did reflection questions concerning Evaporites which are Chemical and Sedimentary "Veneers" which are coverings of Sedimentary rocks. I completed the lab in one day and I hope I will get a good grade. 

Friday or December 11, 2015 C.E.: 

Today we did our Rock Identification Practical. We spent the beginning of class studying for it, so not everyone was in the testing area at once. We had to identify 15 rocks. There were 13 mandatory rocks and 2 bonus rocks. The 13 mandatory rocks were quite easy. The 2 bonus rocks were not so easily recognized. They were Rhyolite and Tufa. I got Rhyolite, but got Tufa mixed up with an Igneous rock called Tuff. This is ok though because my final score with the bonus was 102% which is awesome.    
Summary: This week was great. I did very well on two major assessments and was very efficient. However, I can still do my blog faster and more efficiently and I will do so in the next blog post. 

Earth and Environmental Blog Week 12

Monday or November 30, 2015 C.E.:

Today we finished notes for the Igneous section of this rock unit. We talked about rock's texture and what forms it. We talked about intrusive rocks and plutons. We also talked about the differences between felsic, intermediate, mafic, and ultramafic rocks. We also talked about extrusive structures like lava plateaus. After this we started a lab where we classify igneous rocks. Today we only classified two rocks, obsidian and pumice. We also filled out the definitions of rock characteristics. Tomorrow we will continue to classify them.

Tuesday or December 1, 2015 C.E.:

Today we finished classifying our rocks. We classified Granite, Vesicular Basalt, Scoria, Rhyolite, and Andesite. Rhyolite and Andesite were hard to classify because their color and texture was very similar to a wide variety of rocks. We learned about the minerals present in each type of rock and the silica found in them. After that we did some reflection questions. I wrote about the grain size and chemical compostions of extrusive and intrusive igneous rocks.

Wednesday or December 2, 2015 C.E.:

Today we took notes about Metamorphic rocks. We learned about the forces that cause metamorphic rocks. They are heat, pressure, and the addition and removal of fluids. They are caused by two different forces, contact metamorphism and regional metamorphism. Contact metamorphism is caused by magma nearby and regional is caused by heat and pressure from a tectonic plate boundary. We also talked about the classification of metamorphic rocks and the types of metamorphic rocks. After this I finished the Igneous Rock Classification lab and started the Metamorphic one.

Thursday or December 3, 2015 C.E.:

Today we took notes on Sedimentary rocks. Sediments are created though the weathering of rocks. These sediments are then fused together by minerals in a process called cementation. They are then compressed by sediments above them to form sedimentary rock in a process called compaction. The sedimentary rock types include sandstone, conglomerate, shale, coal, gypsum, and halite. They are classified by their origin. Clastic is a rock formed from pre-existing pieces of rocks, the most obvious being conglomerate. Organic is a rock composed of organic materials like coal. A Chemical Sedimentary rock is a rock formed from water as a precipitate. After this I continued to work on my Metamorphic Rock lab.

Conglomerate

Friday or December 4, 2015 C.E.:  

Today I spent the pretty much the entire time finishing up the Metamorphic Rock Classification Lab. I classified a variety of rocks and answered many questions for this lab. The rocks I classified were Marble, Antracite Coal, Schist, Slate, Gneiss, and Quarzite. Now that I have finished this lab, I will do the last lab of the series. It is the Sedimentary Rock Lab. I am sure it will be as fun as the labs we have done already.
Summary: This week was great, I finished many things and was very productive. I also did not procrastinate! I can still improve on the quality of my lab work and I will continue to do so.  

Earth and Environmental Blog Week 11

Monday or November 9, 2015 C.E.:

Today we took notes on Unit 4 Section 5. We learned about Earthquakes. We discussed the Richter Scale, and how it is a measure of an Earthquake's magnitude. We also talked about P-waves, S-waves, and surface waves. After this we started a new lab for Earthquakes. In it we have to design a building out of thirty toothpicks and thirty marshmallows. It was really cool. Our structure was a heptagon with a central core. It had double toothpick going from the core and all the marshmallows were interconnected. The only problem is the tension on the marshmallows that keeps the structure together. The marshmallows cannot fail!

Tuesday or November 10, 2015 C.E.:

Today our teacher had two trays of jello ready at the beginning of class. Each group laid their building in the jello tray for a couple seconds. The buildings were then tested. Two of my classmates then violently shook the tray to recreate an humongous earthquake. It was quite amusing to see peoples' hard work thoroughly rattled. Our design did not win, but it did well. After we created a new design to improve. It resembled a turtle, so we called it the turtle. The only problem with it is that it kept tipping over because its head made it too unstable, but that made it all the funnier.

Our design being shaken.

Wednesday or November 11, 2015 C.E.:

Today we had no school. Veterans Day!

Thursday or November 12, 2015 C.E.:

Today we reviewed for our upcoming test. We played my favorite review game. In this review game there are 20 questions of 5 points each. Mrs. Giacomelli shows us a slide of the question and we wrote the answer down on our paper. We work in small groups of three or four. We got 17 out of 20 of these correct. One of the answers we got wrong were because I didn't listen to one of my team mates, so I need to work on that. Then, there are 5 bonus questions of 1 point each. We got every one right. At the end there was a final question where we wagered 5 points. We got it correct. In the end we won the competition with 96 points! Not only was it fun, but it really helped me review for the test tomorrow.

Friday or November 13, 2015 C.E.:

 I took the Unit 4 Test today. It is about all the types of tectonic plate boundaries including the kinds of convergent boundaries, divergent boundaries, and transform boundaries. It also covers seismic waves, scales, and seismic activity in general. We also need to know a lot about mid-ocean ridges, how they drive Plate Tectonics and how they form new oceanic Lithosphere. We are even assessed on the last section concerning Volcanoes. I think the review from yesterday and the notes really helped me and I will do great on it.
Summary: This week was a good week. I finished my blog quite quickly and very early. I aced my test (yay!) and performed well in the review game. I need to improve my overall grade though. I plan to do this by making sure all labs are done well, and continuing to excel.

Earth and Environmental Blog Week 10

Monday or November 2, 2015 C.E.:

This week started out with a really fun game. We divided into two teams. We then drew targets of all sizes on the White Board. The bigger targets had smaller numbers than the small ones. Our teacher Mrs. Giacomelli then asked us multiple questions each and if we got them right, we would use her Nerf Gun to shoot at the targets. The number on the target determined the score won by your team. Although we lost, it was still quite fun. We kept missing problems related with sea-floor spreading, so I will have to study that for tomorrow's quiz.

Tuesday or November 3, 2015 C.E.:

Today we took our Unit 4 quiz. It covered divergent and convergent plate boundaries, and what they do. It also covered plate tectonics, and their driving forces. These driving forces include slab pull and ridge push. We were also quizzed about mid-ocean ridges and subduction zones. I think I will do excellent on this quiz both because I studied and multiple questions were on previous tests. I have also already mastered the vocabulary which will be a huge help for the outcome of this quiz.

Wednesday or November 4, 2015 C.E.:

I am really excited! We got back our quizzes and reviewed them today, and I got a 100%! This is really good for my currently horrendous Science Grade. After reviewing our quiz we did some post-quiz vocabulary. I did six vocabulary cards of eight. We will be learning a bit about Earthquakes in the next couple sections. I also learned more about transform boundaries (tectonic boundaries where tectonic plates move along eachother) and measurements for Earthquakes.

Thursday or November 5, 2015 C.E.:

Today we had a really fun lab. It was a tectonic plate boundaries lab. We created the asthenosphere with frosting which we put on a piece of wax paper. The oceanic crust was made up of fruit rollup pieces. The continental crust is made up of graham crackers. We then simulated them crashing into each other and documented what happened. We drew cross-section diagrams of the plates crashing into eachother. It was cool how it all fit in with what we have learned.  At the end, some of us ate the results. It was really fun.

Friday or November 6, 2015 C.E.:

Today we did our reflection questions for the tectonic plate boundaries lab.We wrote about the geologic features associated with each type of boundary. We then did a little bit of notes on rift valleys and ocean trenches. We discussed volcanic archs. After this we talked about how plate tectonics have influenced the world. They have influenced the climate, weather, and biodiversity. It was really interesting.
Summary: This week was a fun week. The lab was really funny, yet really interesting. We had a good time. I need to remember to do my blog the day of every time to make sure it is of better quality.
 

Earth and Environmental Blog Week 9

Monday or October 26, 2015 C.E.:

 Today we finished our Plate Tectonics. We did three stations. One was about the origin of the theory of plate tectonics. A German scientist by the name of Alfred Wegener developed it through out early 20th century. He observed the similarities in the mountain ranges the Scotland Highlands and the Appalachian. He also noticed similar composition of rocks on both sides of the Atlantic as well as the fossils inside them. I really liked these stations and I learned a lot. I liked learning a bit about the origin of the theory instead of just hearing about what it means all the time.

Tuesday or October 27, 2015 C.E.:

Today we took notes on Unit 4 Section 3. It talks about the reasons Tectonic Plates move. We learned how Sea-floor spreading happens in oceans when magma rushes out a mid-ocean ridges. This forms new oceanic lithosphere. It also causes two processes that make continents move. They are ridge-push and slab pull. Ridge-push happens when magma slides down from a mid-ocean ridge. Slab-pull happens when oceanic lithosphere sinks in subduction zones. We also started a new activity about the proof behind Pangaea. We cut out the different continents and looked at the similar land forms they share to assemble the supercontinent.

Wednesday or October 28, 2015 C.E.:

Today we finished assembling Pangaea. It was cool how everything fit perfectly. We created it based on Glacial scratches, rock types, mountain ranges, and fossils. Our teacher also created a fun Tectonic Plates demonstration. She put a big bowl of milk on a hot plate and sprinkled Hot Chocolate powder on the milk. As the milk heated, cracks formed. We then watched the tectonic plates. We also finished assembling our paper Pangaea. It was cool how they all fit together.

Thursday or October 29, 2015 C.E.: 

Today we finished the Pangaea reflection questions. We talked about all the different evidence that supports the existence of Pangaea. We also talked about the evidence behind Continental Drift.We talked about how we use GPS to track the movement of the continents. It was very interesting.
Summary: This week was very interesting. We learned about tectonic plates and other fun stuff. I still need to remember to do my blog right after class.
talked about evidence and cause behind continental drift