Mrs. DuBose’s Class: AdVeNtUrEs iN ScIeNcE

Last week we learned what a mineral is and the 8 ways they can be identified. This week were are learning how rocks and minerals are related. Minerals are the building rocks for rocks! There are 3 main types of rocks (sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic).

An igneous rocks forms when magma or lava hardens. There are 2 Types: extrusive (forms small crystals because lava cools quickly once it reaches earth’s surface) or intrusive (forms large crystals because magma cools slowly beneath earth’s surface)A sedimentary rock is made from pieces of sediments, rock fragments, animal or plant remains.There are 3 types of sedimentary rocks: clastic (rocks stick together), chemical (formed from solutions), and organic (remains of plants and animals/living things. The last type of rock is a metamorphic rock (morph means to change..think if the POWER Rangers) are rock made from rock that has been put under heat and pressure deep within Earth. There are 2 type foliated (minerals grains have been flattened and aligned) and non-foliated

We will use crayon shaving to take a ride on the rock cycle (thank to scienceclass.net) as we explore how rocks are formed. We will be acting out the Rock Cycle and students will have the opportunity to be creative by  song, rap, poem, or story that goes with the Rock Cycle ! If you are great with video and love music, you may create a music video that incorporates the Rock Cycle. This project would be due by May 29th! Make sure you complete your vocabulary foldables on Rocks and Minerals. These are great review before your Minerals and Rock test this Friday.  If time permits, we may be playing a review game on Thursday

IGNEOUS ——————- SEDIMENTARY————— METAMORPHIC
Check out the Rock Cycle Animation below and Da Rock Cycle to the tune of Webbie’s Independent

• What are the 3 Types of Rocks
• Interactive Rock Cycle
• Rock Cycle Interactive
• Interactive Rock Cycle Animation
• Rocky’s Journey on the Rock Cycle
• Fun Rock Cycle Activities for Home

This week we have wrapped up our the Journey to the Center of the Earth.  We thoroughly enjoyed our Journey to the Center of Earth Jeopardy review game for our upcoming test.  We wrapped up the week by going on a webquest that showed us how Earth’s Plate are A Movin’ and Groovin’.  This unit got students really engaged for how plate movement effects, named EARTHQUAKES and VOLCANOES.

This week’s Adventures

Wow, its already February (Feb 2-6). Last week we learned that convection currents happen in the mantle due to the molten material. Convection currents are the primary reason that the Earth’s crust moves. This week we continue with journey to the center to the Earth by talking about sea-floor spreading which was discovered by Harry Hess. He came to Wegener’s rescue since no one believe his theory of continental drift. Hess discovered something amazing at the bottom of the ocean…THE SEA FLOOR WAS ACTUALLY SPREADING at mid-ocean ridge. (The sea floor spreading is the process where magma is ejected out of the ocean floor (basically a a crack ) called a mid-ocean ridge. This magma turns into to new ocean crust As more magma comes out of the ridge, it pushes the older crust further out.. The question students then asked is if the sea floor is spreading then “why isn’t Earth growing bigger”. Many students realized that old crust is heavier and sinks back into the earth at trenches where plates collide. This process is called subduction.

Students were thoroughly amazed that the magnetic poles actually reverse position. We looked at the animation below to help understand this complete concept.  Students were quite intrigued that iron can turn and point to the strongest magnet (our North Pole).

To help students understand this concept we created a sea floor spreading model that helped students visualize the mid ocean ridge, subduction trenches, and magnetic reversals. To understand the process of subduction, students observed Diet Coke and Reg. Coke and had to explain how one was like continental crust and the other is oceanic crust

To review Sea Floor Spreading , click here

This week we have wrapped up our sun, stars, and galaxies unit. Students have been learning about our closest star, the sun. We have created a model of the sun and now we are learning how stars go through a life cycle like humans. We will wrap up our star unit by making a classroom into a planeterium as we get the chance to observe constellations in the classroom. Our next journey will take us back to Earth as we Journey to the Center of the Earth

SPIRAL                                    ELLIPTICAL                       IRREGULAR

Welcome Back!! This week we have learned about the characteristics and life cycle of stars.  This week we learned the the 4 characteristics of stars 1) temperature and color are related-hotter stars are BLUE and coolers stars are RED.  We also learned that the closer a star is then the brighter it is.  The last cool characteristic we learned is that the bigger a star is then the faster it is going to die.  We ended out the week learning about a pretty hard concept-a Hertzsprung Russell plot- and using it to compare the brightness and temperature of stars.  The students really did an awesome job.  STAY TUNED for pictures student created LIFE CYCLE OF STARS!  Next week we wrapping up stars by learning about how the universe created (the BIG BANG) and the 3 types of stars

• Galaxies Galore, Games, and More

Sun, Stars, and Galaxies Fun Websites

• Sun Layers Interactive Animation
• Life Cycle of a Star Animation
• Star Cosmic Wonders Website
• Kids Astronomy: Stars

This week we wrapped up the Earth-Moon-Sun system by having a Jeopardy style review game for our TEST on THURSDAY. Students had a great time being contestants. The winning groups earned 5 PBS tickets, 5 OREO cookies, and 5 points on their quiz.

• Block 1: Rusty, Michaela, Cole, and Sarah
• Block 2: Stephen, Gabriel, and Doquan
• Block 3: Aaliyah, Caylee, Luke, and Jeremy
• Block 4: Nathaniel, Emma, Mark, and Coatie

To check out the Earth-Moon-Sun Jeopardy review game, click here! Our next mini-unit before we get out for Christmas, is learning about our closest star-the Sun!. In this unit we will be building a model sun, learning that stars go through life cycles like humans, and learn the characteristics of stars. This mini unit promises to be amazing as we see the SUN come alive. Enjoy!

Students have been learning about the moon, the Earth’s natural satellite. Before Thanksgiving, we learned about it’s formation:fission, coaccretion, capture, and impact and its surface features: marias, highlands, and crater. This week we started learning about the phases of the moon. Students started their moon phase project (print if needed) this Wednesday. Their job is to be ASTRONOMERS FOR A MONTH and observe the different shapes of the moon. If you forget a day, check out the FARMER’s ALMANAC.  On Friday, the students learned another part of the Earth-Moon-Sun interaction-tides and eclipses.  The students used hand motions-straight and right angle- to help remember SPRING AND NEAP TIDES. Students also enjoyed seeing on video a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse.  Many kids never realized they were actually seeing a lunar eclipse when the moon was “RED”.  Many students were asking when would the next eclipse be..well here’s the answer for you.. 2009… As always scientist, TEACH YOUR PARENT!

On Monday, we are wrapping up moon phases with our Oreo cookie activity where students will use OREO cookies to create the phases of the moon. On Thursday, students will be wrapping up Earth Moon Sun system with a test. We will then wrap up the solar system by wrapping up with the Sun. In this mini unit, students will learn the layers of the sun, have fun watching the constellations on our class ceiling and finally learn that stars go through a life cycle just like humans do.

• To watch the last total solar eclipse, Aug 1, 2008, click here or Google Video
• The next solar eclipse will not be until next year.  To see the dates check click 2009 ECLIPSE

Animations on Phases, Tides, and Eclipse:

• Take the Moon Challenge!
• Moon Shadow – Solar Eclipse
• Moon Dance-LUNAR ECLIPSE
  
• Moonlight Madness
• Tides: Sun, Earth, Moon Interaction
• Moon Phase Movie
• Phases of the Moon Cartoon
• Moon Phases: Sun, Earth Moon Interaction
• Harcourt: Phases of the Moon Interactive
• Exploratorium: Solar Eclipses

These past few weeks we have been working on the Planet Travel Project. Students were assigned a planet based on their interest and had to complete a powerpoint that enticed aliens to come to their planet. The students were given this mission…” The year is 3000. There have been many amazing and interesting discoveries this past century. Earthlings have the ability to travel faster than the speed of sound in vehicles that are resistant to temperature and pressure. Nuclear fuel propels these vehicles. Earthlings now want to attract organisms from other planets to travel to our solar system. Using your planet research, your and your partner are to produce a Planet PowerPoint that attracts extra terrestrials to our solar system.  Stay tuned because the best powerpoint from each block will be posted by Friday

DON’T FORGET TO check out for the week of 10/27

DON’T FORGET TO check out for the week of 11/3

This week we have been learning about our solar system. We started off the week by creating an ABC poem about the solar system.  This led to a lively discussion about the solar system.  We then wrapped up by watching Brainpop as Tim and Moby took us on a “Tour of the Solar System.  Students had fun learning what MVEMJSUNP means and had fun creating their own mneumonic device to help them remember their order.  Some students liked the standard My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas.  The students main worry was why Pluto wasn’t a planet anymore? The article below was a great current event article that the students enjoy reading and discussing.

On Tuesday, we enjoyed our internet scavenger hunt as we explored our Solar System.  The students really enjoyed getting the smiley faces and then being able to have fun exploring the planet games at NASA and National Geographic.  On Wednesday we played Are You Smarter Than A Table.  Students were challenged to use the planet table to answer questions about the planets.  Since reading a table is a skill that students struggle with this was a great success and students really enjoyed it.  On Thursday, we had fun figuring out our age and weight on the planets.   Students really enjoyed seeing that they would be OLD on Mercury and YOUNG on Pluto.  The connection that our age is based on a planet’s revolution around the Sun really was EYEOPENING for many students. To find out your age on other planets, click here.

Student lastly enjoyed figuring out why the astronauts looked like they were floating on the Moon. The students correctly predicted that our weight is directly tied into GRAVITY and that the higher the gravity the more we would weigh.  To find out your weight on other planets, click here. Next week, students will become aliens.  Their job is to create a planet powerpoint that tries to convince humans to come to their planet.  In their Powerpoint students will include various information about the planet.  I can’t wait to see the possibilities.

To read a cool article on Pluto check out..“So What’s the Deal..Why Isn’t Pluto A Planet Anymore?”

DON’T FORGET TO check out this week’s