Tornadoes

A bit about tornadoes.   Check out the following link.
Leave a post telling me ........
What is a tornado? How do tornadoes form?  How do tornadoes stop?  What is a supercell thunderstorm?  What is a mesocyclone?  What is a wall cloud?  What are the levels on the fujita tornado scale of intensity?  What happens at the different levels?


Tornado

Tornado Simulator

Click on the link below to watch how meteorologists recreate tornadoes to study them.  Why would the be a benefit?   Could this be helpful for building homes?  Tell me what you think and join the conversation.


tornado simulator video

Clouds

We learned about the various types of clouds and the weather associated with each.
Check out the following link and complete the activity matching the cloud types and their names.


cloud types

Create a Weather Map

Go to the following link.  Under the words weather activities, click in the green area where it says 'click here to start'.
Create a weather map based upon the forecast!


weather map

Supermoon

Did you see the moon Saturday evening?  It was quite the sight!  If you were able to see it, what did you notice?  What did you think?  Whether you saw the moon or not, read the following article about the supermoon and share what you learned.

supermoon

Cloud Formation and More

Do you know how clouds form?  Can you name different types of clouds?  Do you even know what clouds are?  Go to the link below and learn about clouds.  Make sure that you check out the link on how clouds form. There is even a cloud matching game.  Share with one another what you learned about clouds.


Clouds

Spinning Egg Sprinkler

Have you ever wanted to do science experiments at home?  Here is one that involves a hard boiled egg.  Watch the video on the egg sprinkler and explain why the milk rises up the egg and sprinkles out at the equator of the egg.  Tell me what kind of experiments you have done at home and discuss with one anther the cool science that you can do at home.


cracking the egg sprinkler

Scientist/Actress

Do you watch the Big Bang Theory?  Did you know that the actress that plays Amy Farrah Fowler, Mayim Biallik is really a neuroscientist.  She is also an accomplished author.  How much of her character is based in science?  How does she approach her character from the science side?  Is the show based in science?  If you watch the show what is your favorite part of the show?


scientist/actress/author

Thunderstorms

Click on the link below and then click on Thunderstorms and tornadoes. Once you are there click on how in the world do thunderstorms form. Then tell me what you have learned. Then click on Lightening and then learn how lightening forms. At this site there are games. After you learn about lightening and thunderstorms play some weather games

web weather

Mining in Space

A private company has unveiled plans to mine precious metals and water from nearby asteroids. Planetary Resources co-founder Eric Anderson discusses the various stages of the mining process and how the excavated minerals could impact future space exploration and innovation on Earth. Would you want to go into space to work? Do you think if would be worth it? Click on the link below and listen to the information about mining in space. Examine the poster and look at how it will be done. Let me know what you think and discuss this with your classmates on line.

Mining in Space

Twin Tornadoes

Storms are in the forecast for spring. Click on the link below and watch the video of the twin tornadoes. Tell me what you think.

Twin Tornadoes

30 years of space travel

It seems like forever ago that we covered our unit on space, however it wasn't that long ago!  Check out the following link and listen to the milestones which have occurred in space travel during the lat 30 years.  Also listen to what the future holds for space travel.  

Leave a comment with what you learned and what you think should happen in the future.

30 years of space

Would you want to go to space?

What if you were given the chance to board a shuttle and head into outer space?   Would this be something you would be interested in?  I find space to be such an amazing place of unanswered questions, however I don't know if I would be cut out for space travel. 
Watch the following video and leave your thoughts, could you travel in space??


what's it like in space?

Earth Day

Sunday was Earth Day!  We weren't here at school to talk about the many events that go on across the country to celebrate Earth Day, so I thought  I would post this site.  Check it out and read about just a few of the things that are done to celebrate our Earth.  Did you know April 22 was Earth Day?  Did you do anything for Earth Day? 
What is something you could do?  We need to remember that just because Earth day is recognized on one specific date, every day we need to take steps to care for our Earth!

Earth Day

Tornado Update

Go to Tornado Alley Live and watch the video from the tornados in last April.  After viewing the video then go to the link on Famed Tornado lesson learned.  What did we learn from this disaster.  What is our risk of a tornado today.  What should you do in the event of an impending tornado?  Where should you go in your home?   Have you talked about this with your parents?  Do you have a plan?  What do you think about the events of last April and the events in our own area in March?


Tornado Alley Live

Living it up in space

This link is a bit longer of a video, however, has some pretty interesting facts.  Check it out and leave your thoughts .... what did you learn and what would you think about living in space?  What would be your favorite thing, what would you miss the most?

living in space

Clouds

What are clouds and how do they form?  What are the names of clouds and what do they mean.  How does lightning form?  How many amperes are in a return stroke of lightning?  Read this short article and watch the video and answer the above questions.


how do clouds work?

Are you ready to be a storm chaser?

Read this article and see if you have what it takes to be a storm chaser.  What are some good reasons to be a storm chaser.  Read this article and go to the other links in the article such as Storm Chasers on the Hunt, The Basic Gear for a storm chaser, and Why Chase Storms.  Then play the video.  How long do chasers have to wait to get to see a storm?  Do they always get to see a storm?


how storm chasers work

Drilling to the Mantle

We discussed, in previous units, the Earth and it's various layers.  Listen to the following link and find out what we would see if we were to drill to the center of the Earth.  What are your thoughts?


drilling to the mantle

A little weather fun

Check out this link. Play the wild weather adventure.

Did you learn anything from this game?

 

wild weather adventure

How weather works

Check out the following link.
Go through step by step to see what it takes for different weather patterns to form.

how weather works

The Home Stretch

As we start the 4th quarter, think back over the year. We have studied space,the rotation and revolution of the Earth, the phases of the moon, the sun, stars, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, rocks and minerals. What has been your favorite topic this year? What was your favorite activity we did this year? Is there another activity you wish we would have done?
What are you looking forward to doing as we study weather? Any topic you hope that we cover? Any specific activity you hope we do?
Hard to believe we are down to about 9 weeks of school!

Facts about the water cycle

Read the following link:

water cycle

What did you learn about the water cycle?   What is it?  What is it also called?  What happens during this process?  Why is water important?  Tell me 5 important facts about water.

Water Cycle Video

Watch the following video ....
Did this help you to understand the water cycle a little bit better? Any questions you have?
water cycle video

The Water Cycle

The following link shows the water cycle. Play the game and tell me what you learned. Did anything surprise you?

Water Cycle Game

Water For Life

Today, we watched a number of videos describing Jay Z's work in his project Water for Life. What did you learn when watching those videos? How do you feel about this project? What did you think about the video?
The following link provides a small recap of what we watched.  Check it out, read through and catch anything you may have missed or misunderstood.

Water For Life

Leave your thoughts

LEGO Shuttle launched into space

How could a LEGO shuttle possibly make it into space?  Check out the following link.

LEGO shuttle

What did you learn?  How did this happen?  What did you find interesting?  Surprising?
Leave your thoughts.

This field rocks

Tucked in a shallow valley in northeastern Pennsylvania is a mysterious geologic feature: 16 acres of sandstone boulders. Science Friday took a trip to Hickory Run State Park's "boulder field" and spoke with Megan Taylor, environmental education specialist, about why the rocks collected there. Could you find any place close by that you could find this many rocks in one place?  What do you think about this area how did it form?

Field of Rocks

More Rock Cycle Work

What are the three rock types?  How do you we get from one rock type to the next? Play this rock cycle game to learn more about the rock cycle.


Rock Cycle

Rock Cycle

How does the rock cycle work?  What does it take for rocks to change form?  Connect to the following link and animate to find out.  Give me your thoughts.


Rock Cycle Animation

What do you think?

Did the rock labs we completed in class help you in understanding the different types of rocks, their characteristics and how to identify them?  What did you think of these different labs?  Did you like doing them or not?  How would you have preferred to learn about the different rock types (yes, you do have to learn about them!)

Rocks & Minerals Test

Let's see how much you know about rocks and minerals.  Go to the following link, complete the matching game and let me know how you did!


Rocks & Minerals

Rocks & Minerals Memory

Let's test your memory!

Check out the following link...


Memory

Metamorphic Rocks

Read the following link.
Tell me about Metamorphic rocks.  Where do they come from, what types are there, what are some examples and where do we find them?  Anything else you learned?

Report your findings!


Metamorphic Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Read the following link.
Tell me about Sedimentary rocks.  Where do they come from, what types are there, what are some examples and where do we find them?  Anything else you learned?

Report your findings!


Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Read the following link.
Tell me about Igneous rocks.  Where do they come from, what does igneous mean, what types are there, what are some examples and where do we find them?

Report your findings!


Igneous Rocks

Devastating Disaster

The tornadoes that ripped through Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio on Friday hit very close to home.  What were you doing as these storms raged through?   What were your thoughts?

Check out the following 2 links and learn a bit more about what happened Friday afternoon as towns were torn apart.  List any facts that you have learned about the tornadoes as well after reading.

Henryville, Indiana

Tornado

Where else did we see tornadoes touch down?

local tornado damage

Sedimentary Rocks

How do sedimentary rocks form?  How much of the earth is made of sedimentary rock?  How do these rocks give us an insight into Earth's history?  List some names of some sedimentary rocks.


Sedimentary Rocks

What is rock?

How are rocks different from minerals?  Click on the link below and tell me what the three categories  of rocks are and how are they formed.  How long have rocks been around?  Are the rock on the moon like the rocks on the earth?


Rocks

What does each state have to offer?

Each state across the US has something different to offer.  Check out the following link.  Select 5 different states and tell me what they have to offer when it comes to mining.


US mining map

The Rock Cycle

What happens within the rock cycle.  Complete the following link to see if you know what goes on.


The Rock Cycle


How successful were you?  Give me a brief summary of what occurs within the rock cycle.

Rock Types, How are they formed?

We will be looking at the 3 different types of rocks and how they are formed.  Check out the following link and watch 3 short video clips on what must happen to create each different type of rock.  Report what you find out.


Rock Formation

Mineral List

Minerals

How do you use minerals?

What minerals do you use everyday?  What minerals are all around you that you didn't realize?  Go to the link below.  Chose one of the links: building a house, in the kitchen, around the home, etc.  List all of the materials which contain minerals.  What minerals are found in each of them.


Minerals around your house

Plate Tectonics and the Future

Click on the link below and look to the right to see pictures of the super continent Amasia.  This futuristic picture is what some Geologists believe that the Earth will look in the future.  The name Amasia is a combination of America and Asia.


Amasia

Now click on the next link to listen to what is believed will happen to the other continents and when will it happen.  Plate Tectonics is changing the Earth's surface.  What do you think will happen in the future? What do you think about the changes with India and Australia? Listen to the article.  Watch the video os the rise of and split of Pangea.  Join in the conversation.


New Supercontinent

Uses of Rocks and Minerals

Maybe you don't think about it but we use rocks and minerals everyday.  How do you use them.  Click on the link below to see just a few uses of rocks and mineral.


Uses of rocks and minerals

Now try to add at least three different ways that you use rocks and minerals in your daily life.  Lets see how long our list can get.

Moh's Scale

Hardness is one property used to identify minerals.  click on the link below to see the complete scale from 1 - 10. 


Hardness

How are minerals used?

Minerals are found in things you use everyday.  SOme things you may already know, but some of the mierals you use may suprise you.  Check out the following link:
Mineral Activity

Complete the following activities, Minerals are Everywhere and Mineral Mix-n-Match.
Make sure to select the 'play again with a new set of objects' choice at least 3 times for each activity.
Once you completed these activities post the names of some of the minerals you have learned as well as the uses for these minerals.

Identifying Minerals

Click on the link below and tell me what these words mean:  What are these terms use for?  What does a mineralogist do?
color
luster
streak
cleavage
specific gravity


How are minerals identified?

What Is An Element?

Click on the following link and use it to define the following terms:

element
dirt
crystals
crust


What is a Mineral?

Creating Earth Images

The first images of Earth from space came from Apollo 8 "Earth Rising"  If you have ever seen and iPhone then you have seen another famous image of Earth from space.  How do we get all the images of Earth?  What can they tell us?  How can they help us?  Do you think that we should continue our satellite study from space?  click on the link be low to watch the video and listen to what is said about collecting information from space.  Answer the questions and tell me what you think.


Creating Earth

Review for Test

Go to the link:

Test Review

Use this as review for your test on Thursday!

Ice Science

Discover the secret life of ice--what makes it cloudy or clear, why cracks form on ponds? Science Friday visited Queens ice sculptor Shintaro Okamoto in his studio and spoke with ice researcher Erland Schulson, of Dartmouth University, to find out why ice is an interesting subject for artists and scientists. 


Ode to Ice

Solar Flares

How cool is this?  A strong solar flare was erupted from the sun on Friday, January 27.  This was the strongest of week long eruptions.  What are solar flares?  Where on the sun do they originate?  What kind of things do solar flares effect on Earth?  Do these things occur in a cycle?  How long is the cycle?  What do you think about all of this? 
click on the link below, read the article and watch the short video.


Sun Unleashes Solar Flares

What did you learn?

Check out the following link full of information on earthquakes.  Read all of the material and click on the available links.  You may also play the games available on this site.

learn about quakes and get prepared

Earthquake highlights

What is an earthquake?  What causes earthquakes and where do they happen? Why does the earth shake when there is an earthquake?  How do scientists measure earthquakes?  Can they predict earthquakes?  How can scientists tell where an earthquake happened?  Is there earthquake weather and can animals or people tell when an earthquake is about to hit?

Check out the following link and find all these answers and more!

Earthquakes

Earthquakes

Check out the following link:

Earthquake info

Click on recent quakes.  Chose a recent quake off of the list M3+ in the US.  What was it's magnitude, where was it located?  What else did you learn about it?
Now chose an earthquake from the M5+ worldwide list.  What was it's magnitude. where was it located?  What else can you tell me about it?

Ohio Earthquakes

Check out the following link.  Tell me about the Earthquake that occured on June 18, 1875.  Where did it occur?  What damage occured?  How about the earthquake on September 19, 1884?  Looking at the seismicity map, where do you see the most Earthquake activity in Ohio?  When was the largest earthquake in Ohio.  Tell me some facts about it.  Look through the rest of the site.  What other facts can you give me about earthquakes in Ohio?


Ohio Earthquakes

Shallow Magma Under Hawaii

Ohio State University researchers have made some new findings about the Hawaiian Islands?  What are they?  Read the article to find out.


Hawaiian Islands

Yellowstone

We have been studying plate movements and how it relates to volcanoes.  How do scientist know that the plates are moving?  What tools do they use to measure the changes at Yellowstone National Park?  What has recently been happening at Yellowstone?  Is this something new or has it been happening before?  How is this linked to the hot springs and geysers?  Read the article and watch the video to find out.  Give us your thoughts based upon the evidence.




Yellowstone Uplift

Mt. St. Helens

Research Mt St Helens.  Tell me what you discover.  (you will need to google it)  
When did it erupt, where is it located, what devastation occured, etc.  Report any information you can find on it.

Moon Quakes: What does this tell us about the moon?

Apollo-era astronauts left a seismic experiment on the moon. New analysis of that 30-year-old data may give new insights into the lunar core.  What can this seismic data tell us about the moon today and in the past?  What else you like to learn about the moon if you were sent on a mission to the moon?


New (old) views of the lunar core

USGS Earthquakes, How often do they occur?

Check out the following link.  Did you realize this many earthquakes occured around the world on a daily basis?  We often don't hear about these, but there are earthquakes daily.  What are your thoughts?


Earthquakes in the last days

Super Volcano

What is under Yellow Stone?  Is Yellow Stone the only super volcano.  What is a 
VIE 8?  What does all of this have to do with Plate Tectonics?  How do you think that the US would be effected if there were a super erruption?
What did you think of the video?


Super Volcano

USGS Shield Volcanoes

Read the following information on shield volcanoes.  What do shield volcanoes look like?  What are shield volcanoes made of?  Where are shield volcanoes located?

Summarize the reading section on plate tectonics and shield volcanoes.


Summarize the section on Hawaiian shield volcanoes.


Shield Volcanoes

Japan Earthquake 2012

Japan had a large earthquake in 2011 and now one to start out 2012.  Why does Japan have so many earthquakes?  What was the magnitude of the one in 2012.  How much damage was there.  Would you want to visit Japan?  What do you think about this earthquake?  Click on the link and read about this earthquake.


Japan Earthquake

Plate Boundaries

Earthquakes tend to happen along plate boundaries.  What are plate boundaries?  What are the different types of boundaries?  Click on the link below read the information and look at the pictures.  Scroll down and try the activity.  Then tell me about what you learned about plate boundaries.    Tell me what the jumbled words were and report your score from the quiz/challenge.


Slip, Slide, and Collide