Wednesday, 31 January and Thursday, 1 February, 2007

Using information from the novel A Journey to the Center of the Earth, classroom discussions, internet access, and laboratory experiments:
Students should be able to:
-read a work of fiction to determine the science facts it contains.
-identify rocks by their characteristics.
-present the team work on rocks and their characteristics.

After collecting and reviewing home learning 4, students answered a question for do now as a quick write. They were asked to describe how rocks differ.

Students then read from the novel, especially noting the types of rocks mentioned. Students who have not read or are missing passages due to absence can go to the drgcdms.podomatic.com site and listen to the book. Scroll down until you see the book A Journey to the Center of The Earth and the chapters you wish to hear. Also, you may download the podcast and listen to it on iTunes. All past notes from the book will be listed in a blog dated February 1. You should check that site periodically, as the list of notes will be updated with each reading.

Students used the remainder of the class block to complete their team presentations.

Home learning is as follows:
JCE3
What types of rocks have been mentioned so far in the story? How would they be classified? Why?

Monday, 29 January and Tuesday, 30 January, 2007

This sheet is FYI For Your Information. Read it, but don't answer anything.


Answer questions 1-4. Answers only. Be sure to write on loose leaf paper, and place the title, How are igneous rocks formed on the paper before you place the answers.


Another FYI. Read only.


Again, FYI only.


Answer check questions 1-3. Be sure to place the title, How are sedimentary rocks classified? on the paper before you write the answers. This should be on the same page as the prior questions.


Answer check questions 1-5, answers only, making sure to place the title, How are metamorphic rocks classified on the page prior to recording your answers.


FYI only


FYI only

Using information from classroom discussions, videos and internet access:
Students should be able to:
-watch a video on how rocks are changed by natural processes.
-view videos on mineral identification and the rock cycle.
-compare and contrast the different kinds of rocks.
-prepare a presentation on information on rocks and their characteristics.

Students began with a KWL char on rocks. We then passed out and explained HL 4, found at the top of this blog. Be sure to note which pages and questions are to be answered. All answers are to be on a single sheet of loose leaf paper.

Students then worked as teams to prepare a no more than 5 minute presentation, of their choosing (web page, photo book, iMovie, slide show, pamphlet, etc.) on their assigned category of rocks. The assignments are as follows:
FAMU/UF - Igneous rocks
Barry U/FMU - Sedimentary Rocks
FSU/UM- Metamorphic Rocks
FIU/UCF - The Rock Cycle

For each presentation, answer the following:
-how are they formed?
-how are they identified?
-examples (minimum of 3)
-uses
-2 teacher like questions on the topic, with answers (may not come from the home learning sheets!)

FIU/UCF should concentrate on the cycle itself and not individual categories.

For home learning, head your paper correctly: upper left corner to the right of the red line (loose leaf paper only).
Line 1: Last name, First name
Line 2: ID number
Line 3: Block ___
Line 4: Date (1/1-/2007)
Line 5: HL #4
Make sure to label each section by the topic for that page. Answers only! Incorrect papers will be graded accordingly.

Thursday, 25 January and Friday, 26 January, 2007

Using information from the classroom activities, the internet and classroom discussions:
Students should be able to:
-begin construction of the Zoom project "How Did I Get Here?"

After reviewing the novel for the home learning, students did a do now about the essential question. They brainstormed and came up with related topics, such as how are babies born, how old is the earth, how are humans made, and what is my genetic make-up.

Students then used the remainder of the class period to research their team's assigned era. Team assignments are as follows:
FAMU-Precambrian Era
Barry U-Paleozoic Era
UF-Mesozoic Era, Cretaceous Period
FMU-Mesozoic Era, Jurassic Period
FSU-Mesozoic Era, Triassic Period
FIU-Cenozoic Era-Tertiary Period
UM-Cenozoic Era-Quaternary Period
Those classes that have an FIU team and/or a UCF team should see me for assignments.

For the presentations, students need to research the following:
a) when did the era/period begin?
b) when did the era/period end?
c) how long was the era/period?
d) what plants and animals lived during the era/period? (a minimum of 5 plants and 5 animals, with pictures, drawings, etc.)
e) what was the earth like during the era/period? (temperature, atmospheric conditions, the earth's surface).
f) what proof is offered to support all of the data gathered on the era/period?

Students will be constructing web pages that will be linked to a project. This is a work in progress, and will not be completed during this class.

Tuesday, 23 January and Wednesday, 24 January, 2007

Using information from the novel A Journey to the Center of the Earth, laboratory activities and classroom discussions:
Students should be able to:
-read a work of fiction to determine the science facts it contains.
-hypothesize and test to determine which type of weathering most affects marble rocks.

Our do now was to make up a teacher like question for weathering and a teacher like question for erosion and answer.

Home learning tonight is to answer the following|:
What is the rationale in having the travelers begin their journey to the earth's center through a volcano?

We continued reading from the book A Journey to the Center of the Earth. Check the DrGCDMS podcast on iTunes or listen to the reading of the book directly from the drgcdms.podomatic.com site.

We completed the hands-on activity to determine if chemical or mechanical weathering most affects marble rocks. Students determined that a greater percentage of the rocks were weathered when placed in acid than when the rocks were mechanically weathered by shaking.

Friday, 19 January and Monday, 22 January, 2007

Using information from the novel A Journey to the Center of the Earth and classroom activities:
Students should be able to:
-read a work of fiction to determine the science facts it contains.
-hypothesize and test to determine which type of weathering most affects marble rocks.

Our do now was a quick write-Would you build your home on a beach of an area that historically has seen many hurricanes? Why or why not?

After reviewing the article and the online activity, students read from the novel. The book is read, by chapter on the podcast. Simply go to drgcdms.podomatic.com and find the name of the book and chapters. You may also listen to the book on iTunes by subscribing to the DrGCDMS podcast.

Home learning comes from the book and is listed below.

JCE1 Copy and turn in the answer only on loose leaf paper.

Axel and his uncle are on the start of a historical journey. What problems do you predict they will encounter? Describe a minimum of 3, based on your knowledge of Earth Science.

Wednesday, 17 January and Thursday, 18 January, 2007

Using information from classroom activities and the internet:
Students should be able to:
-hypothesize and observe how agents cause the weathering of materials on the earth's surface.

Our do-now was a Venn diagram comparing weathering and erosion.
Under weathering, students suggested:
-weathering is the breaking down of rocks
-chemical weathering occurs when rocks change their chemical make up, size, and shape.
-types include: carbonation, hydrolysis, and oxidation
-mechanical weathering occurs when rocks do not change their chemical make up, but only change in size and/or shape.
-types include: ice wedging, root action, and temperature changes
Under erosion, students suggested:
-erosion is the moving or rocks and earth materials from one place to another
-there are 5 agents of erosion which include: wind, running water, waves, gravity and glaciers
Under shared characteristics (the overlapping circle), students suggested:
-both process change the earth's surface.
-both processes deal with rocks and earth surface materials.
-both processes use water
-both processes use air (oxygen in carbonation and wind in erosion)

After the do now, students went to Brainpop and watched the movies for erosion, soil and weathering.

Students then went to the drgcdms.podomatic.com site and followed the links to complete the online laboratory on weathering of materials on the earth's surface.

Homelearing is to complete the article found at the top of this blog.

Friday, 12 January and Tuesday, 16 January, 2007

Do all home learning on one sheet of loose leaf paper, headed correctly. Be sure to put the title of each sheet prior to listing the answers only.


Do this sheet first. Answers only. Place increases or decreases by the number.


Do this sheet second. Answers only.


Do this sheet third. Answers only.




These are the sheets for the lab. Use pen for the problem, hypothesis, conclusions and analysis. Use pencil for the data and observations. Use colored pencil for your drawings.


Using information from the the novel A Journey to the Center of the Earth and laboratory experiments:
Students should be able to:
-read a work of science fiction to find the science facts it contains.
-hypothesize and test a model to determine which best represents the earth's interior.

The do now was a quick write:Think of several liquids, such as milk, water, apple juice, grape juice, orange juice, koolaide, Gatoraide, lemonade, bleach, Pepto Bismal, soda, etc. and to decide if they are acidic, basic, or neutral and give your reasoning.

After reviewing the home learning and passing out tonight's home learning, which is found at the top of this blog, students read from the novel, A Journey to the Center of the Earth. They were prompted to write down any science fiction or facts they encountered as they read.

We then did lab 13 on the interior of the earth. This lab can be found at the top of the blog. Since it can be done at home, it should be printed and completed prior to next class for absent students.

Wednesday, 10 January and Thursday, 11 January, 2007

Here's the acid-base sheet you need to read to learn about pH.


Do this side first.


Do this side second, but on the same loose leaf sheet of paper, properly headed.

Using information from the classroom activities and laboratory experiments:
Students should be able to:
-differentiate between acids and bases.
-use technology to measure pH.
-determine the acidity and basicity of several soil samples.

Our do now was a quick write: Do you think someone could really dig a hole from the U.S. to China? Why or why not?

After reviewing home learning and the do now, students took the first quiz of the grading period on the inside of the earth. After the quiz, students read a passage about acids and bases and did a hands-on activity to learn about pH. Students used the computer and a pH meter to find the pH of several solutions, such as water, sodium bicarbonate, sodium hydroxide, calcium chloride, ammonia, hydrochloric acid, lime water, and vinegar. They then ranked the solutions from most acidic to least acidic.

Students were then given four soil samples and asked to determine if the samples were acidic, neutral or basic. Students were able to learn how to use technology to find answers and also how to measure pH. You can get an idea of what we did by visiting the following site: http://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspView&ResourceID=432

The handout to accompany the lab is found at the top of this blog.

Home learning 2 is also found at the top of this blog. Be sure to use loose leaf paper, properly labeled, and write the headings for the paper, since you are doing both sides.

Monday, 8 January and Tuesday, 9 January, 2007

This page is FYI-For Your Information. Read and take notes, but don't bother answering the questions.


This page is HL #1. Read and take notes, especially the vocabulary. Then, copy the questions for check (1-5). When you answer for home learning, just put the answers that go in the blanks. Do not copy the questions. Make sure your work is done on loose leaf paper.

Using information from the classroom activities and the internet:
Students should be able to:
-identify the spheres of the earth.
-compare and contrast the layers of the earth.

Students completed a KWL chart for the parts of the earth as a do now.

Students had to copy the home learning assignment, as no handouts were available. This is found at the top of this blog. Be sure to write answers only on the loose leaf copy you turn in. It would be a good idea to copy the definitions into your notes.

Students then went to Brainpop to watch movies on the earth's atmosphere and the earth's structure. The website is:
www.brainpop.com or es.brainpop.com in spanish. The username is: campbelldrivemiddle The password is: wildcats. Find and listen to the presentations.

Upon completion, students visited the drgcdms.podomatic.com site to learn about the earth's structure. The second link contains a picture and a table that should be copied into your notes. Use all the other links to find the information needed to complete the diagram and table. Be sure you can correctly answer all the questions from the Geo-Layers website! Once you click on the first link, go to Geo-Globe and scroll down until you see Geo-Layers. Click the link the link and then click play. You can close the Think-quest windows by clicking the little x in each window. Try to answer each question correctly before moving onto a new question or site.
Don't forget home learning 1 found at the top of this blog!