Friday February 11. 2011

B - Earth & Space Science 11 - Yesterday we started our first lab for the course (identifying minerals). Most of you finished the analysis of the minerals on the identification sheet so on Monday, we'll finish the identification section and then work on the questions for the lab. The lab is due next Tuesday (February 15) and it is IMPERATIVE that you get your work handed in. If you are having difficulty please see me soon. You'll also need to hand in your review questions from page 43 in the text that I assigned earlier on this week (For Review q's 6-7-8-10-11-12). Today we are in the library to begin work on our major semester long project. Remember it is your responsibility to create a review of the Earth & Space Science curriculum for a student in grade 7 (12 to 13 years old). Your review can be made in many different formats. You may:

1. Create an Earth & Space Science book in a Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness format
2. Create a series of Earth & Space Science flash cards in the style of Professor Noggins or Brain Quest
3. Create a series of Earth & Space Science Minute videos or podcasts
4. Create an Earth & Space Science webpage
5. Create 11x17 Earth & Space Science placemats (for learning while at the dining room table)
6. Create an Earth & Space Science game (complete with rules, board pieces, and box)
7. Create an Earth & Space Science Quick Study Guide

The curriculum you need to cover is:

EARTH HISTORY
1. Geologic Time - relative, absolute time and associated principles and techniques, the Geologic Time Scale, fossil formation
2. Earth's History - Pre-Cambrian time, major features and events
GEOLOGY
1. Earth Materials – atoms, elements, minerals, rocks and the rock cycle, cooling rates and crystal size in igneous rocks
2. Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics - plate tectonic theory, volcanism and associated features, earthquakes and seismology, mountains and the forces that shape them
3. Natural Resources - ore minerals and fossil fuels, renewable and nonrenewable resources, sustainable development
4. Weathering and Erosion - weathering and soil formation, agents of erosion, erosional and depositional features
OCEANOGRAPHY
1. The Ocean Floor - features, oceanic and continental crusts
2. Ocean Currents - surface and deep ocean currents, association with world climates
METEOROLOGY (ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES)
1. The Atmosphere - structure and contents, changes in the atmosphere and effects from the Sun, air pressure, winds and temperature, wind circulation patterns
2. Evaporation and Precipitation - the hydrologic cycle, *cloud types
3. Weather and Climate - air masses and fronts, forecasts and maps, factors controlling climate
ASTRONOMY
1. Stars and Galaxies - telescopes, spectroscopes and analysis of stars and starlight, constellations and galaxies, space distances, the Big Bang theory
2. The Sun and the Solar System - features of the Sun, Kepler's Laws, the origin and position of the planets, other components
3. The Earth and the Moon - determining the Earth's size and density, solar and lunar eclipses, tides and moon motion, day length and Earth rotation

You have all semester to work on the project and a more in depth description can be found in the shared directory on the school computers. Mrs. Richards is eager to help as am I. Today you should think about what format you want to make this assignment in and then focus on the Earth Materials section.

A & D - Criminology 12 - This weekend you need I'd like you to watch the first ten minutes of two news broadcasts: one Canadian and one American. I'd like you to look at the top stories and see if they were crime related or not. Ask yourself whether the news influences fear about crime or not. Today, we'll continue to look at the three methods for collecting crime data (UCR, PRVS, Self-Reports) and after we'll watch a Criminal Minds episode.

C - Geography 12 - Today we will begin our look at topographic maps and remote sensing. Today's class will be very important as we will explain how to read and interpret a topographic map. Next we'll work on the Prince Rupert topographic map from the Canadian Landscape (pages 20 - 23 & click on the map above). I'll need you to work on questions 1, 2, 3, 4 a & b, 5, 7 a,b,d & e, and 9 a & b. Use Google Earth or Google Maps to help you with this assignment and if you have a problem or question you should post a comment on this blog entry or e-mail me at my school address.
Spend some time on the following websites for help on Topographic maps:

http://maps.nrcan.gc.ca/topo101/index_e.php
http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/topo/index.html
http://topomaps.usgs.gov/
http://raider.muc.edu/~mcnaugma/Topographic%20Maps/topomapindexpage.htm
http://www.nwcg.gov/pms/pubs/475/PMS475_chap2a.pdf