Current Unit
We are currently learning about the Moon. Click here to see a study guide that helps explain the phases of the moon, the cause of eclipses, and how tides work.
Most igneous Rocks are created when molten rock is either cooled quickly or slowly. Others are created when debris like ash becomes cemented together. Either way, volcanism is the cuase. Our last unit on Plate Tectonics gave us an idea of where volcanoes exist. Remember the Ring of Fire? We will consider how volcanoes form and why some of them can be relatively safe and quiet while others are dangerous and explosive.
Click here for the Understanding volcano sheet.
Metamorphic rocks are created by heat and pressure. Where did the heat and pressure come from to make the rocks in the Berkshires metamorphic? The answer has to do with Plate Tectonics. We have learned about Al Wegener's theory of Continental Drift, made a model of Sea Floor Spreading, and have conducted an experiment that shows how convection currents drive Plate Tectonics. It is Plate Tectonics that has moved the continents from giant landmasses like Pangaea to thier current positions. When plates collide, mountains form. As time goes by, weathering and erosion cut them down. Mountains like the Himalayas are still rising, while the Appalachians are much smaller versions of when they were first created..
Click here for the Scavenger Hunt requierments.
Click on the image to see the Geologic time webquest requirements.
Rocks are made of minerals. We have already learned about Sedimentary Rocks. The Berkshires are made up of metamorphic rocks. We will learn more about them later. Click here for notes on Minerals.
Click the minerals to see the websites for the mineral mystery project
Last Unit
We had learned that weathering was the break down of rock on the Earth's surface. We have since discussed that weathering is the first step in the creation of rock known as sedimentary rock. In class we looked at some common types of sedimentary rock including Conglomerate, Sandstone, Shale, and Limestone. We obseved the texture of each rock and was were able to figure out the environment that existed when the original sediment was deposited.
We also looked at fossils. We learned that index fossils are useful for finding the relative age of rocks. Two rocks in different locations are the same age if they have the same index fossils in them. To find the absolute, or true age, we learned that radioactive decay was the key. We saw how knowing the half life of certain radioactive isotopes can help determine a rock, fossil or bone's true age.
There will be a quiz on the half day on monday. Click here for some useful notes.
We finished unit on Soil. The class went into the woods outside the building and took soil samples from different locations. We made posters so that we can determine if the soil types are different in different locations. We did percolation test by finding the porosity and permeability of different types of soil particles. We learned that soil is made of many things, most of which is created through a process known as weathering. We performed some tests on Tums to determine some factors that affect the rate of weathering.
Click here for a study guide.
Climate and its effects was the last topic. We learned about seasons and factors that affect climate. Click Climate Scavenger Hunt to see the homework due on Oct. 30.
Click here to see why the tilt of the earth affects the climate.
Click here to see vocabulary terms for the climate unit.
Click here to learn about the rain shadow effect.
Click here to learn about seasons.
On October 31 to Nov 2, I will be out of class at Nature's Classroom. The class will be working on an in class powerpoint
NOTES FROM LAST UNIT
We have just completed our unit on Ecosystems and Food Chains and have learned that the living things and nonliving things in our ecosystem are all interconnected in some way. Organisms as small as bacteria or algae are vital to sustaining the health of different ecosystems. The prosperity of one organism can sometimes come at the expense of another organism. For example, the growth of the human population and some of our actions have had a direct effect on the organims that share space with us. Some of the organisms could not cope with our actions and have become extinct. Others are heading toward the path of extinction. Such organisms are known as Endangered Species. Our class has decided to look at some of the worlds species whose numbers have dramatically decreased. The research poster and presentation on the organism will be due on Monday, 22nd. Click on Endangered Species to see the requirements.Finally, we saw a video that highlighted some of the adaptations that organisms have which enables them to survive. Click here to see some examples of adaptations.
Be sure to look at the vocabulary to see some of the terms we have been discussing.
Click here to see the classification worksheet.
We have also been learning about the flow of energy through an ecosystem. We have discussed food chains and food webs. You can go to the cool links button on the top of the page and look for sites about food chains. These links take you to interactive sites so that you can practice making food chains. They also describe the role of Producers, Consumers and Decomposers.
Click here to go to the Scavenger Hunt due on Wed. Oct 10th.
Click here to see a study guide summary for this unit.
Student Questions
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Hill
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Woods
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Pond
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Why do trees grow so tall? Why is grass green? How do knots in trees form? How do weeds grow? How do hills form? Why were there a few large rocks in the field and no small ones? Why isn't moss considered fungus? How many ants does it take to make an anthill? How do mushrooms grow? I saw a bees nest that looked like it was made out of paper mache. What kind of bee made it and what is it actually made of? Why do butterflies appear to prefer to be in a field rather than in the woods? Is a pinecone a nut? Why are different berries different colors? Why do leaves die, but not the tree? |
We saw a fern that had green leaves, but one of the leaves was completely yellow. Why was only this leaf yellow? Why was the stream running through the woods dry, even though it rained the night before. There were lots of ferns in the woods, but none at the pond or the field. Why do ferns thrive in the woods? Where is the source of the river running through the woods? How does a fern start growing if they don't have seeds? Does moss have seeds? Do all birds live in nests? Are mosquitoes out more often when it is damp? Why is soil dark after it rains? How does lichen stick to trees? Why do water droplets stick to leaves and branches of trees?
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What makes fungus grow? Why isn't pond water blue like the ocean? We saw giant grass by the pond. Why does it grow so much taller than regular grass? Why are cattails hard on the outside and soft on the inside? Is the pond outside our building manmade or natural? How would we find out? What is the worlds biggest bug? Why doesn't water in a pond sink into the ground? Why does it get cold in fall and winter? Why are flowers different colors from other flowers? What is a spider web made out of? How do leaves, sticks and plants rot? |
