What are minerals? Where and how do they form? Ask questions to compare and contrast the Earth’s crust, mantle, inner and outer core, including temperature, density, thickness, and composition.
Plan and carry out an investigation of the characteristics of minerals and how minerals contribute to rock composition.
Essential Questions
Topics
Learning Activities
Prior Knowledge
How can we organize rocks?
How do you “construct” explanations?
How do rocks change?
What can we learn about processes and environments from rocks? Ask questions to identify types of weathering, agents of erosion, and transportation, and environments of deposition (deltas, barrier islands, beaches, marshes, and rivers). Construct an explanation of how to classify rocks by their formation and how rocks change through geologic processes in the rock cycle.
Essential Questions
Topics
Learning Activities
Prior Knowledge
The Earth is alive!?! F. Construct an explanation of how the movement of lithospheric plates, called plate tectonics, can cause major geologic events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions (convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries).
Essential Questions
Topics
Learning Activities
Prior Knowledge
The Earth is ripping apart!?!
. F. Construct an explanation of how the movement of lithospheric plates, called plate tectonics, can cause major geologic events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions (convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries).
Essential Questions
Topics
Learning Activities
Prior Knowledge
How can I use fossils to tell me about a changing Earth?
What is soil made from? Construct an argument using maps and data collected to support a claim of how fossils show evidence of changing surface and climate of Earth.
Plan and carry out an investigation to provide evidence that soil is composed of layers of weathered rocks and decomposed organic material.
Essential Questions
Topics
Learning Activities
Prior Knowledge
Where does energy come from? Why does it matter?Ask questions to determine the differences between renewable/sustainable energy sources (hydro, solar, wind, geothermal, tidal, biomass) and nonrenewable energy sources (nuclear/uranium, fossil fuels/oil, coal, and natural gas) and how they are used in our everyday lives.
Design and evaluate solutions for sustaining the quality and supply of natural resources such as water, soil, and air.
Essential Questions
Topics
Learning Activities
Prior Knowledge
Climate change Construct an argument evaluating contributions to the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
Tables, graphs, and maps of global and regional temperatures and atmospheric levels of greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide and methane, should be used as sources of evidence.
Essential Questions
Topics
Learning Activities
Prior Knowledge
Differentiation: They have components of different densities
They melt, and those components become mobile
Magnetic Fields
If there’s a magnetic field, then the inner part of the Earth is a current of ferromagnesian minerals. Everything else is solid.
Reasons:
- P-T relationships (very high pressures)
- Solid Iron has a greater density than liquid Iron
The Earth has layers.
Denser materials will sink.
If Earth has a magnetic field, then some large body of magnetic material (ferromagnesian) must be moving in a current.
Composition of Earth
Temperatures
4,300C- 6,100C inner core
3,700C-4,300C outer core
1,000C-3,700C mantle
0-1,000C crust
minerals in core, mantle, and crust
Crust: Plagioclase, Quartz, Alkali Feldspar, Pyroxene
Mantle: Olivine and Pyrozene
Core: Iron
Denser minerals near the core
Why does the earth have layers?
What are the earth's different layers and what's the difference between them?
What is a mineral?
Mineral: Naturally occurring, inorganic, crystalline solid with a fixed composition and crystal structure
Mineral Identification lab
Earth's layers paper plate activity and lecture
"box of mantle" demonstration with students acting as mantle or core
earth's layers mineral structure comparison (of density)
Density is how much mass there is in a given space.
The Earth contains many types of minerals, rocks, etc.
The Earth has a magnetic field.
What causes the earth's magnetic field?
Types of Rocks
Igneous Rock
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rock
A result of a transformation of a pre-existing rock. The original rock is subjected to very high heat and pressure, which cause obvious physical and/or chemical changes
Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava and are named based on their composition (color) and texture (crystal size).
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Rocks derived by the weathering and erosion of pre-existing rocks whereby sediments/fragments and dissolved products from a source region are transported to and accumulate in a depositional environment.
Weathering: breaking down source rock
Why learn the rock cycle? Rocks and minerals are important to society and to the environment, but they have also shaped our society and environment.
Instrusive: any igneous rock that crystallizes inside the earth's crust, larger crystals
Phaneritic: large crystals, mostly intrusive rocks
Extrusive: an igneous rock that crystallizes outisde or on top of earth's crust, mostly small
Aphanitic: small crystals
Porphyritic: small and large crystals
Ground Mass: smaller crystals filling the space between larger crystals, usually related to porphyritic
Felsic: a high silica rock, tan, white, pink, etc. light colors
Intermediate: some light, some dark minerals, grey, salt and pepper look
Mafic: black, dark grey, lot of Iron or Magnesium in it
Ultramafic: more Fe and Magnesium than Mafic, black and green
Granoblastic: oozed pancakes, large crystals w/no gaps
Protolith: the parent rock
Folliated: has layers caused by pressure
Nonfoliated: no layers, usually granoblastic
Foliate Varieties
Slatey Cleavage: first stage of foliation when clay minerals line up
Schitosity: a little more pressure, micah flakes
Banding: even more pressure, lines up micah and quartz
Porphyroblastic: containing crystals (porphyroblasts) that are larger than the enclosing matrix
Erosion: particles are worn down and moved away from source rock
Depositional. Environment: where sediments are deposited, continents, marine, or transitional
Mechanical Weathering: factors affecting the physical break-up of rocks
Frost Wedging: freeze/that cycle (ice expands)
Unloading (Exfoliation): remove overlying rock: less pressure
Thermal Expansion: holt/cold=expand/shrink
Organic activity: plants/animals/humans
Chemical Weathering
Hydrolysis: Feldspar and water break down to clay and ions in solution
Oxidation: Rusting (hematite)
Dissolution: Pitted susurfaces created by ions dissolving into solution
2 types of sedimentary rocks
Clastic: Mechanical/chemical breakup of rocks (weathering)
produces by-products (sediment grains and dissolved
salts) that are then moved (transported or eroded)
to new location (a site of deposition).
Chemical: Materials dissolved by chemical weathering,
eventually precipitate out by either organic or
inorganic processes, forming chemical sediments
i.e. sand, decrease in grain size with increasing transport
How are rocks classified?
How is rock formation different depending on the surrounding environment?
How are rocks formed?
What are some different ways rocks can be formed?
What can rocks tell us about the earth?
Why do rocks look so different?
There are different types of rocks on earth.
Water carries rocks and other sediment.
The earth's crust and mantle is largely composed of rocks.
Volcanoes can create new land.
gallery walk for igneous rock
gallery walk for metamorphic rock
frozen water bottle demonstration to show frost weathering
Lithosphere: It describes how our planet breaks apart, changes over time, and helps us predict earthquakes. We NEED a lithosphere to survive.
Layers of the Earth: Mechanical vs Compositional
Mechanical:Lithosphere is solid except for molten rock (lava and magma < 0.1% volume). Behaves brittlely at shallow depths.
Asthenosphere is solid but flows at geological rates (inches per year), and is the source for most magma we see in the crust. Behaves ductilely.
Stress = Force / Area
Uniform stress is pressure which is equal in all direction and approximates what rocks feel at depth.
When stress isn’t equal in all directions, three other types of “differential” stresses can occur.
Strain = a change in size, shape, or volume of a material
Lithosphere includes the Earth's crust and the uppermost part of the mantle. ... The Earth's lithosphere is broken into continental plates that move over time.
Evidence for Plate Tectonics Theory
Evidence 1: Mountain Building (C-C)
If TPT is true, then we should see mountain belts where two continents collide.
Evidence 2: Earthquake Depths (O-C)
How do we know that plate tectonics is true?
What is plate tectonics?
What causes plate tectonics?
Our earth is still "alive" with activity.
The earth has layers.
The earth experiences earthquakes and has many geological features such as mountains and ocean ridges.
model continental plate convergence, subduction, etc using paper
show video clips explaining subduction zones, etc
lecture on lithospheric plates
quick math demonstration clearing misconceptions of one Pangea
paper/tape boundary activity demonstrating earthquakes
If plate tectonics is true, then some plates are colliding and others are tearing apart.
Earthquakes occur along divergent boundary lines and along transform boundaries between divergent boundaries.
Chains of islands form as plates move over volcanoes.
Magnetic Field Proof
Basalt aligns itself into the direction of the poles. Subduction and the movement of rocks outside the core would cause flow asymmetry in the core and affect pole reversal.
docu clip of discovery of pangea
mini-lessons on hot spot volcanism, earthquakes, etc.
How are earthquakes related to plate tectonics?
How are volcanoes related to plate tectonics?
What is a transform, convergent, and divergent boundary?
Earthquakes are a natural phenomena on earth.
Volcanoes expel lava from beneath the earth's crust
Tectonic plates have boundary lines that interact
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Color: red/brown = land
Gray = water (Fe doesn’t oxidize)
*works for clastic rocks
Size and sorting: more energy = larger sizes
Large sizes/angular = closer to source
Structures: recognizable patterns/textures
Mudcracks: tidal flats, shallow lakes, desert basins
Ripplemarks: record of waves
Crossbeds: Cross section of ripple marks
Graded bedding: settling out
Fossils: Where does it make sense for animals and plants to live?
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Hypothesis, Theory, Law
Geologic Laws
Law or Superposition: Because sediment is deposited in layers, the oldest payers are older than the ones above them.
Law of Original Horizontality: As sediment particles settle out of water under the influence of gravity, sediments usually form horizontal continuous beds.
Law of Lateral Continuity: Sediment extends outward until it thins or by reaching the edge of a depositional basin. As deposition continues, a stratigraphic sequence is produced.
Cross Cutting Relationships: An igneous intrusion or a fault must be younger than the rocks they cut.
Unconformities: Surfaces of Erosion
constructing a cross section
Fossils are preserved organisms.
Some patterns in rocks give you information.
Angular Unconformity: uplift and tilt followed by erosion, structurally detectable
Disconformity: Subsidence and deposition followed by uplift and erosion, followed by deposition, not structurally detectable
Nonconformity: Igneous or metamorphic rock eroded and sedimentary rock deposited on top, structurally detectable
Fossil Succession: Fossils found in sedimentary layers at the bottom of a sequence are older than those at the top. Index fossils indicate the age of a rock because they are short lived.
A paleosol is the link between fossils and soil. It is literally, fossilized soil.
Fossils and soils are important because they tell us about climate, and how climate has changed.
Weathering: physical breakdown and chemical decomposition
Mass Wasting: transfer of rock and soil downslope due to gravity
Erosion: physical removal of material by water, wind, ice, or gravity
Fungus “roots” called hyphae breaking down grains of rock …..
Weathering: Weathering causes the decomposition of unstable minerals, formation/retention of stable minerals, and physical changes like rounding edges. Chemical weathering is easiest when a system has heat (for energy) and water.
Bowen's Reaction Series: The more different the “HOME” environment is from the surface of Earth, the less well the rock is going to “SURVIVE” on the surface of Earth.
Best case for weathering: Best case for weathering (most weathering):
Lots of heat
Lots of water
More elevation
Rock with olivines and pyroxenes (like basalt)
Least weathering: Cold climate
Little of water
Low elevation
Rock with quartz or mica
Soil formation factors: Parent material
Time (which also depends on geologic and climate conditions)
Plants, animals, topography, heat, cold, water….
guided salmon activity
mini-lesson on fossils, erosion, etc
fossil dating activity
soil through a miscroscope
Where does soil come from?
What is soil made of?
What information do fossils give us?
How is soil related to fossils?
Fossils are preserved dead organisms.
Soil settles in layers.
Weather and other things can cause changes to the environment, soil, rocks, etc.
Energy: Energy is measured in Joules (J)
Energy is Power x Time
Power is measured in Watts.
Primary Uses for Energy: heating, transportation, electricity
“Clean Coal”
This is a marketing term and not a real thing.
It means burning coal without producing air pollution and by capturing all carbon through sequestration.
This technology has not been developed.
Fossil fuels are running out.
Biomass: When crops and plants are the only things that get burned, there’s no net CO2.
Wind Energy: It’s not SUPER expensive
It’s working in Europe
Best conditions: steady, strong winds, hilltops, offshore, low populations, shallow water, not a bird migration route
What are the problems with our energy source?
What other energy sources are there?
How much energy are we using and wasting?
How efficient are we?
How is energy generated?
What are alternatives to coal and other resources that are running out?
People consume energy through electronics, transportation, etc in order to lead a convenient lifestyle.
There are multiple sources o harness energy from.
mini-lesson on nonrenewables and renewable
research project on sources for energy
comparison of our energy use to other country's
Greenhouse gases: Greenhouse Gases (GHG) like Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), and Nitrous Oxide (N2O) are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.
Trace gases that absorb infrared radiation from the surface of the planet.
Measured by...Wavelengths of light molecules absorb are in the infrared
Strength of absorption
Atmospheric lifetime (how long can the molecule absorb heat?)
CO2: It is the primary GHG emitted by human activity (82%)
Human activity ads CO2 to the atmosphere in 2 ways:
1) INCREASING the sources for CO2
2) DECREASING the sinks for CO2
Electricity: Combustion of fossil fuels to generate electricity is largest source of CO2 emissions in US. Burning coal produces the most CO2 of any fossil fuel.
Transportation: Gasoline and diesel for transportation is #2
Industry: Production is #3
Carbon Levels
Delta 13 C: Carbon 13 is one of three carbon isotopes (12, 13, and 14). Plants preferentially uptake Carbon 12 because it’s lighter.
The 13C/12C should decrease in the atmosphere as plant derived fossil fuels are burned. This pattern is tracked over time.
Coral: Corals grow by forming skeletons of calcium carbonate from the ocean water. Growth conditions produce seasonal rings called growth bands.
Core samples from reefs can be taken without injuring the reef, are x rayed to locate the bands, and bands are chemically analyzed.
Just like a rock core, ice cores record the paleo-environment.
The snow from each layer turns to ice and traps bubbles and bits of atmosphere.
Fossil Pollen: Pollen is sperm-carrying reproductive bodies with unique shapes depending on the plants they come from.
They are trapped in ponds, lakes, and oceans, which get turned into rock and samples.
They let scientists determine the past environment through “counts”.
Effects of climate change: Extreme weather events will increase and grow in strength (heat = energy).
The heating will get worse if emissions aren’t reduced dramatically.
Extreme weather, wildfires, decreased air quality, and diseases transmitted by insects and water will become more commonplace as the planet warms.
Climate will disrupt the growth of food and agriculture.
Animals and plants cannot adapt fast enough to keep up with the change.
The natural systems of the Earth won’t buffer us forever.
Ways to offset climate change: Increase Energy Efficiency: Buy energy star appliances, improve insulation of buildings and refrigerations, travel in more fuel efficient ways
Energy Conservation: Turn off the lights and electronics, choose green products and vehicles
Fuel Switching: Use wind, solar, geothermal, and hydropower to produce energy
Carbon Capture and Sequestration: Stop CO2 from being released into the atmosphere after burning fossil fuels at power plants and industrial plants
What is climate change?
What causes climate change?
How do we know it's real?
What can we do to prevent its effects?
What is the evidence for it?
Certain human activities have a negative impact on our environment.
Pollution is a big issue in our modern day.
Greenhouse gases can negatively impact our earth.
climate change psa projects
mini-lessons on co2, climate change, etc
researching ways people are trying to offset climate change today