Mystery of the Megavolcano

While your team is solving the mystery of the megavolcano, fill out the questions attached.  Be sure to share your document with me as this is a graded group project.

Mystery of the Megavolcano Questions

Holiday Sing and ACDS Store

Holiday Sing at Harris Hall Friday, December 20th

9:30 arrival students

10:00 Sing starts @Harris Hall

ACDS Store Hours

Friday, December 13

2:30pm -3:30pm

Monday, December 16

8am-9am 

2:30pm -3:30pm

Thursday, December 19

8am-9am

2:30pm -3:30pm

Mid-term Exam Review

As we wrap up our final presentation in the first semester of Sixth Grade Earth Science, it becomes time to start preparing for the mid-term exam.  To the right, you will see a complete exam schedule for Middle School.  Click on the link below to access a study guide for your Earth Science exam.  We will be spending all of next week reviewing and preparing for this assessment.


Sixth Grade Earth Science Midterm Review

Mountain Building Presentation

Volcano Project Description

Your next project is to research a Volcano of your choice.  Use this project description to guide your research.  Within this description are your guiding questions, rubric, and a helpful outline to structure your presentation.

Volcano Project

Project Timeline:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
			11/21 Project Description	11/22 In class research
Thanksgiving	Break
12/2 In class research	12/3 Due Date: Research completed by start of class tomorrow	12/4 Complete presentation and  digital component	12/5 Presentations	12/6 Presentations

Volcano Presentation

Learn about the types of Volcanic Landforms and connection to plate boundaries.  Click this link for the class presentation.

Volcano Presentation

Parts of a volcano

For class Thursday:
Create a volcano cross section including a drawing of each part with a label and definition.  Your design, labels, and definitions must include the following parts:

- Magma Chamber
- Pipe
- Vent
- Crater
- Side Vent
- Lava Flow
- Ash Cloud

You may choose to use google draw, paper, or a simple 3D model to demonstrate your understanding.  You will need to use another source (in addition to your textbook) to find all of the parts.  You may choose to include more than the 7 parts listed above.

Earthquake Simulation

Click the link below, make a copy titled with YourName.AssignmentName. Follow the directions on the document, including visiting the Make-A-Quake simulator.  Once you have completed this activity, share your edited document with me.  Hopefully you will also get some ideas for your building plan for the in-class activity on Thursday.

Make A Quake

Earthquake Model

For homework tonight, find a shoebox to use during our earthquake simulation.   We will be using these on Thursday to model an earthquake and test your building design.

Earthquake Destruction

View this blendspace on Earthquake Destruction to learn about various effects of earthquakes such as tsunami, liquefaction, landslide, building shake, and fire.

In class we will be working on our Adopt-an-Earthquake project.  For homework, you can view this blendspace over the next 2 days.  Viewing should be done by Wednesday.

Earthquake: Destruction

Adopt an Earthquake

Greetings seismic historians!  Use this project description, along with what you have been learning about earthquakes to prepare for a presentation on a significant earthquake somewhere around the world.

Adopt an Earthquake

Earthquakes: Relationship to Faults

Visit this blendspace to watch 6 videos on Earthquakes.  This collection of videos highlight the connection of earthquakes to plate tectonics and fault lines.  You will be prompted on each slide to comment on something you learned while watching the video.

Earthquakes: Relationship to Faults

Plate Boundary Drawing: Due Monday

Use your class notes on plate boundaries to complete a poster of all plate boundaries including landforms and processes.

Please define the following terms on your poster:

Convergent boundary/ uplift
Convergent boundary/ subduction zone
Divergent boundary
Transform boundary
Ridge push
Slab pull
Convection currents
Sea-floor spreading
Deep ocean trench
Mid-ocean ridge
Mountains

** Due Monday

Plate Boundary Presentations

Click on the link below that corresponds to your plate group.  This document is your visual for the presentation you will give to the class regarding plate boundaries.  If you want to change the presentation at all, have 1 person in your group make a copy to edit.

Australian Plate
African Plate
North American Plate
Pacific Plate

Here are the requirements for the group presentation.  Your group must:

1. Provide a key for classmates to complete a world map highlighting convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries.    (use: red for divergent, blue for convergent, and green for transform)
2. Provide evidence from the maps to support your boundary choice.  What observations from each map (seismology, volcanology, geography, geochronology)  shows why the boundary you chose is correct.
3. Describe the motion at that boundary and connect what the data is showing with the type you chose. Why does your data support your choice of boundary type?

Plate Motion Diagram

Click on the link below, make a copy in your name, and complete the task described on the document.

Plate Motion Diagram

Plate Boundary Activity

Now that you are in your Plate groups, identify all the boundaries surrounding your plate.  In other words, how is your plate interacting with all the plates surrounding it?  Keep your notes organized with this table linked below.

Plate Boundary Observations

Plate Boundary Specialist Observations

Greetings Volcanologists, Seismologists, Geochronographers, and Geographers.

Look at your map and make observations about the trends you see.  For example, are all volcanoes spread evenly across the world?  What types of patterns do they form?

Come up with 3 types of plate boundaries (unnamed) and record the patterns your data suggests in the outline below.  You will need to make a copy and save this document to your drive.

Plate Type Outline

Connect Plate boundaries to landforms

Add to your google drawing of the three types of plate boundaries.

1) Include a definition of how the plates interact at each boundary including:
     * Divergent
     * Transform
     * Convergent subduction
      * Convergent uplift

2) Connect landforms (with a definition) to each boundary including:  
     * Mid-Ocean Ridge
     * Deep Ocean Trench
     * Mountains

3) Connect causes of plate motion (with an explanation) to each boundary such as:
     * Ridge Push
     * Slab pull
     * Mantle convection

Types of Plate boundaries

For tonight's homework, use google draw to create images of the three main types of plate boundaries: Convergent, Divergent, and Transform.

When finished, be sure to share with me by clicking the blue share button and inviting me at the following email address:   megantalarico@aspencountryday.net

Plate Tectonics

Tonight for homework, please participate in my blendspace.  The link below will take you there, remember to comment on each slide.  (if you have not signed in to blendspace you can do so with your school email)

Enjoy!
Introduction to Plate Tectonics

Homework 9.18.2013

Read up to the section "What causes tectonic plates to move."  Complete all the active reading questions throughout and keep an ongoing vocabulary list with definitions as you read.

Earth Layers Blendspace Hmwk

Greetings 6th Grade scientists.  Your homework tonight is to click on the link below.  Each slide will ask you a question.  Please post a comment on each slide by clicking on the blue thought bubble at the right.

*in order to comment you will need to sign in with your school google account

Earth Layers Blendspace

Earth Layers

Welcome to the world of CHROMEBOOKS!!  I hope you enjoy this activity below.  Remember, it is not for credit, just a fun use of your new computers.

Earth Layers Questionnaire


After completing the questionnaire, visit the blendspace below and explore earth science related videos.

Introduction to Blendspace

Welcome Parents!

Greetings Parents,
Thank you for taking the time to visit our class blog.  Below is a link to the 6th Grade Science Year at a Glance.  You may want to bookmark this blog to check in on homework assignments provided digitally or links to online resources.  It is a real pleasure to have your students in my class!

Earth Science Overview

Earth Layers assignment

Create a poster modeling the layers of Earth. Be sure to include:
- a diagram
- at least 4 layers
- at least 3 characteristics for each layer

Layers of the Earth

Greetings 6th Grade Scientists!  Please watch the following video and take notes.  Your notes should include 2 characteristics for each Earth layer.

Earth Layers Rap

Proxy Data for Geologic Climate Change

Below is a link to the video we watched in class to introduce the ways scientists have learned about changes in climate over geologic time.
* this is a large file so please be patient as it loads

Climate Proxy Data


This is the link to the geologic time interactive.  Use this link to fill out your "Geologic Timeline Exploration Sheet."

Geologic Time Interactive

Weather and Climate

Greetings!!  Welcome back from Lake Powell.

Part of tonight's homework is to view the following videos to develop your understanding of weather and climate.  Watch the two videos and write a summary to answer the question:

 How are weather and climate both similar and different?

National Geographic Weather and Climate
NASA Weather and Climate

Moon Journal Entry: Phases of My Life, Phases of the Moon
* Connect the phases of the moon discussed in class today with phases you have been through in your life.

In class today we discussed the importance of the local issue regarding hydrofracking on Thompson Divide near Carbondale.  Students were very interested in taking action.  Here is a link to the Save Thompson Divide website where you can submit a letter to the BLM encouraging them to deny lengthening the drilling lease that expires this spring.  In addition, you can submit a letter to Senator Bennet requesting formal legislation to protect this area.

Go to the following link to read about the issue.  Click on "take action" to submit your letter.

Save Thompson Divide

America's 10 Most Endangered Rivers

Rivers in America are threatened by many different causes.  Each year, American Rivers produces a list of the 10 most endangered rivers.  This organization then works with river groups and concerned citizens to help protect the rivers from human threats.  For this project you will each be choosing an American river to research and report on.  You will be writing another five paragraph essay (like the one you just completed for the Columbia River).  Please address the prompt:

What threatens your river, and what can be done to protect this resource?

For your research, go to the following website to begin:

  

America's 10 Most Endangered Rivers

Endangered Rivers Questions