December Science News

The sixth graders have completed their unit on plate tectonics.  They will use some of the things they learned in that unit in our next unit, which is oceans. 

We have started the oceans unit and have discussed the five oceans of the world, their history, and their differences.  Next, the students will learn a bit about the ocean floor (which ties into plate tectonics).  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a website dedicated to the exploration of the oceans.  The link is:

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/

On this site you will find information about oceanic exploration, videos and photographs, as well as Google maps of the ocean floor.  It is a great site for students to explore.  The students are doing some work in class with information from a specific ocean exploration sponsored by the NOAA.  They will learn more about scientists and teachers who study the ocean and how they do it over the next few days. 

Mid Quarter grade reports are coming home with students who have a "C" or below in science as of the current time.  Most of these lower grades are due to missing assignments.  They are not a lot of homework assignments in science, so it is quite important each student completes and turns in EVERY assignment to the best of his or her ability.  One missing assignment can significantly lower a student's grade.  

Kindly,

Mrs. Baier

Volcanoes

The 6^th grade students have been studying volcanoes.  They have learned about the different types of eruptions and the different types of volcanoes.  They have also seen some videos of different volcanoes actually erupting.

National Geographic has a nice site with videos the students can watch at home.  They really enjoyed seeing the actual eruptions and could even see some of the terms (ex:volcanic bombs) come to life when watching them.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/environment-natural-disasters/volcanoes/volcano-eruptions.html

The U.S. Geological Survey also operates a great website and has some live webcams to watch volcanoes day to day.  They also have a list of all of the volcanoes in the United States.

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/about/webcams.php

On Monday of this week the students did an activity on pliable rock.  They had learned that the rock of the mantle is pliable.  In order to understand this concept, they created a cup of “pliable rock” by using water and cornstarch.  When the students put pressure on their “rock” with a spoon, it acted like a solid.  When they released the pressure, it flowed like a liquid.

On Thursday, the students will be bringing home a volcanoes review assignment to begin to prepare them for a quiz next week.  The review will be due on Monday.  I will be sending home a study guide for the quiz on Monday.  I will post the study guide on this blog, as well.  We will plan for the actual quiz to be on Wednesday.

Mrs. Baier

Earthquake Quiz Study Guide

Here is a copy of the study guide sent home with students last Monday for the earthquake quiz on Wednesday, October 26th.
Mrs. Baier

6^th Grade Earthquakes Quiz Study Guide

Key Terms to Know

Collisional Boundary, Convergent Boundary, Divergent Boundary, Transform Boundary, Seismograph, Richter Scale, Mercalli Scale, Focus, Epicenter, Seismology, Deformation, Fault

Key Concepts:

Where do earthquakes mainly take place?

Where is the largest and most active earthquake zone?

What are the two types of deformation and what is the difference between the two?

How are earthquakes measured?

What are the differences between the Richter and the Mercalli Scales of earthquake measurement?

What is the difference between a focus and an epicenter?

What areas of the United States are more prone to earthquakes?

What are some things engineers and architects do to make earth quake resistant buildings? 

What should you do to protect yourself if you are in an earthquake?

Be able to give details about one of the famous earthquakes we discuss in class.

 

Earthquakes

This past week the 6th grade students learned a lot about earthquakes.  They learned where earthquakes mainly take place, the difference between plastic and elastic deformation, two scales of earthquake measurement (Richter and Mercalli), and many other things.  On Monday, October 17th, the students will build a structure to try to withstand a "Mrs. Baier Earthquake" in class.

The U.S. Geological Survey has a great website for students about earthquakes.  They can even see where earthquakes have occurred in the world most recently.  The website address is: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/

National Geographic has a short video about earthquakes that shows images from the Great San Francisco earthquake in 1906.
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/environment-natural-disasters/earthquakes/earthquake-101.html

On Wednesday, October 26th, the students will have a quiz over earthquakes.  I will send home a study guide on Monday prior to MEA break.  After their quiz on earthquakes, the 6th grade class will move on to studying volcanoes.

Mrs. Baier

Welcome to 6th Grade Science!

Welcome to 6^th Grade science.  So far, students have learned a bit about the composition of the Earth.  They know about the 3 main layers of the Earth, plate tectonics, and the theory of continental drift.  They have also learned a bit about the scientist Alfred Wegener, who developed the theory of continental drift.   

During the month of October the students will continue to study the composition of the Earth. 

They will learn about earthquakes (how and why they happen in relation to the Earth’s tectonic plates, and the measurement of them) and volcanoes (how and why they form in relation to the Earth’s tectonic plates).  After studying plate tectonics, the class will move to a study of the Earth’s oceans.  

PBS has a good website on plate tectonics.  You and/or your student may visit it here:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/tectonics/

This is a short video talking about continental drift:

http://www.5min.com/Video/Learn-about-The-Continental-Drift---Plate-Tectonics-117505893

Enjoy!

Mrs. Baier