Happy Winter Break!

No homework...get rest...go outside...play...have fun...eat yummy food...hang with good people...practice love...find peace.

Happy Winter!!

No assignment tonight...

...but, please bring your copy of the Getting the Dirt on Soil Notes to class tomorrow!

Assignment #6 (due 12.13)

Please complete the Soil Formation Handout from class today (reading and answering the questions provided) for 12.13.

Also, please be sure you have your Soil Composition Lab instructions for next class.

NOTE: Assignment #5 was the Soil Texture Analysis collected today in class.

No homework...

...but, please remember to bring your Soil Texture investigation instructions to class tomorrow.

Assignment #4 (due 12.7)

Please read Earthworms Reproduce in Simulated Mars Soil—a First from National Geographic. When you are finished, answer the Food for Thought questions on the second page in the spaces provided OR on a separate sheet of paper.

Assignment #3 (due 12.6)

Please complete the NOVA School Campus Mapping Project with your partner for 12.6.

No assignment, but...

...be sure to bring your copy of the NOVA School Campus Mapping Project instructions to class on Monday!

Assignment #2 (due 11.30)

Please complete the Home Soil Sample Assignment for 11.30. Be sure to fill the entire bag you received in class, ensuring that you can still seal the bag for safe return to school tomorrow.

Also, be sure to bring your copy of the NOVA School Campus Mapping Project instructions to class tomorrow!

Assignment #1 (Soil Types Assignment)

Please complete the Soil Types Assignment for 11.29. You can either access the video via the link provided on the assignment sheet OR click here for the direct link.

Happy New Trimester!!!

Assignment #19 (due 11.17)

Please complete Part 2 of the Independent Barnacle Investigation handout from today's lab. The instructions are also listed below. Bring your finished assignment (typed!) and copy of the handout back to class on 11.17.

PART 2: Please address the following prompts on a separate sheet of paper using complete sentences. Your responses should be typed. NOTE: While you worked with a group on this investigation, this is assignment should be completed independently.

1. List the materials your group used in the Independent Barnacle Investigation. This section of the assignment should be titled “Materials”.
2. List the steps your group used in the Independent Barnacle Investigation. Please be as thorough as possible, including as much detail as you can remember. Include quantities and units of measurement. Leave no stone un-turned!! Design your list of steps so that another 6th grade student who has never completed this activity would easily be able to follow your instructions. This section of the assignment should be titled “Procedure”.

Assignment #18 (due 11.16)

Please answer the questions below on a separate sheet of paper using complete sentences. This assignment should take between 10 and 15 minutes to complete. Good luck!

1. What are the manipulated and responding variables in your independent barnacle investigation?
2. What hypothesis will you be testing (“If…then” format!)? Be sure to give a shout out to your manipulated AND responding variables here!
3. How does your barnacle investigation relate to water quality in the Deschutes River watershed and Puget Sound?
4. Why do you think the barnacle research your group is conducting is important? How will this research benefit human and non-human communities in the Puget Sound estuary? Please be as specific as possible.

No assignment...

...but please come to class prepared to finish your independent barnacle design with your group on 11.15.

Mini-Assignment #17 (due 11.13)

Please brainstorm ideas for things in the Puget Sound region that could affect the feeding rate of barnacles. Think about our conversations surrounding water quality and environmental health in our watershed. The idea(s) you generate should be testable and appropriate. Your idea(s) should have the potential to be used in the design of your independent barnacle investigation next week. Record at least one idea and bring it to class on Monday (11.13).

Assignment #16 (due 11.9)

Please complete the Barnacle Feeding Rate Assignment you received in class today for 11.9. The assignment instructions includes the correct link, but you can also CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE VIDEO.

Assignment #15 (due 11.8)

Please complete the Qualitative vs. Quantitative Data Practice activity from class today for 11.8.

No assignment...

...have a wonderful and dry weekend!

No assignment...

...enjoy a moment of peace in the middle of a busy week! See you on Friday!

Assignment #14 (still due 11.1)

Please complete the Lost and (Puget) Sound Survey for tomorrow (11.1). You must interview a non-NOVA ADULT who is part of your family or community. Good luck!

Assignment #14 (due 11.1)

Please complete the Lost and (Puget) Sound Survey for 11.1. You must interview a non-NOVA ADULT who is part of your family or community. Good luck!

No weekend assignment...

...but, please remember to bring the map you made from NOVA to Moxlie Creek to class on Monday (10.30).

Assignment #13 (due 10.26)

Please finish reading the article we began together in class today (Stormwater pollution in Puget Sound streams killing coho before they can spawn--the last page!) for 10.26. On a separate sheet of paper, please write AT LEAST 3 questions which come to mind during your reading which relate to the article.

NOTE: Your questions should be in complete sentences!

Assignment #12 (due 10.25)

On a blank 8.5"x11" sheet of paper, draw a map which shows how to get from NOVA School to Moxlie Creek in Watershed Park. Be sure to include as much detail as you can remember from our walk to the park (e.g. names of streets, turns, green space, buildings...etc.).

NOTE: Your map should be drawn from memory and take no longer than approximately 20 minutes to create. 

No assignment...

...but, please remember to bring your copy of Introduction to Watersheds to class next week.

REMINDER: Please continue preparing for your Microscopes, Hypotheses, and Variables quiz next Friday, October 20th. Click here for the official review guide!

It's the weekend! Woohoo!!!

Assignment #11 (due 10.12)

Please complete the chart on the back page of the What is a Hypothesis? handout from today's class. You should complete the third question provided, as well as 3 of the barnacle questions you wrote from last class. When you are finished, the entire chart should be filled out.

Assignment #10 (due 10.11)

Think about the barnacles we have been observing in class. Think about where and how they live, their feeding habits, their role in the Puget Sound ecosystem…etc. What else would you like to know about barnacles? What are you still curious about?

On a separate sheet of paper, create a list of at least 5 questions you still have about barnacles. Your questions should be in complete sentences.

You can also click here for a hard copy of the instructions.

No assignment...

Looking forward to seeing all of your people at Back to School Night tonight!

Assignment #9 (due 10.5)

Please complete the Practicing Microscopes handout (Questions #2 through #8) for 10.5. You can use your Microscopy 101 notes for help if you'd like.

Assignment #8 (due 10.4)

Please complete Questions #1 and #9 (only) on the Practicing Microscopes handout you received today. Feel free to use the Microscopy 101 notes that we began in class today for help.

No assignment...

Assignment #7 (due 9.29)

Please complete the Observation or Inference? handout for 9.28 (both sides!).

No assignment tonight...

...but tomorrow (as discussed in class today!) is another story...

Assignment #6 (due 9.27)

Find a natural object in your yard (your choice!). Set a timer for 10 minutes. On a piece of paper, record as many observations as you can within the 10-minute timeframe. Challenge yourself to notice as many things as possible. A bulleted list is okay. Stop recording when time is up. Bring your list to class on 9.27. Click here for a hard copy of the assignment.

It's Fridaaaaaaaay!

Happy Weekend--go outside and play!

And...come check out T-Mac's talk on mammoths at 2pm tomorrow (Saturday, 9/23) at the WET Science Center. 

Assignment #5 (due 9.22)

Your final Ecological Identity Tree Project is due TOMORROW, 9.22. Click here to see the project requirements! Click here to check out several examples!

Good luck...and don't forget to e-mail T-Mac with any last-minute questions about your project (ltukarski@novaschool.org).

Assignment #4 (due 9.21)

Please complete the Acorn Barnacle Reading and Vocabulary Assignment (the instructions can be found at the bottom of the second page) for 9.21.

REMINDER: Your final Ecological Identity Tree Project is due this Friday, 9.22 (click here to see the project requirements!). Click here to check out several examples. Also, please note that you will have time to work on your project in class tomorrow (9.21).

Assignment #3 (due 9.20)

Begin brainstorming the words and phrases which will represent each part of your Ecological Identity Tree: (1) origin of your environmental behavior (roots), (2) environmental core values (trunk), and (3) environmental actions (leaves/branches). Bring your brainstorm list to class on 9.20, noting that you will have time in class that day to work on your tree design.

Example:
One of the origins of your environmental behaviors (roots) might be time that you spent hiking with your family or friends as a younger person or the first beautiful sunrise you ever witnessed.

One of your environmental core values (trunk) might be the importance of being a good environmental steward or ensuring that all people have access to clean drinking water.

One of your environment actions (leaves/branches) might be the fact that you recycle at home or bring reusable lunch containers to school every day.

Assignment #2 (due 9.18)

Please read the instructions for the Ecological Identity Tree Assignment (click for the link). Write down the questions you have about how the assignment works on a separate sheet of paper and bring them to class on 9.18. We will discuss the assignment then and you will have time in class to begin working. NOTE: The final project is due on Friday, 9.22.

Assignment #1 (due 9.13)

Welcome to T-Mac's Super Rad Earth and Space Science blog...and your first homework assignment of the new year!! Check out the details here:

(PART A) Please answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper to the best of your ability. You should use complete sentences and provide explanations where asked.

1. Would you rather travel to Mars as an astronaut or to the bottom of the sea as an oceanographer? Why?
2. Would you rather have time travel be invented or not be invented? Why?
3. Would you rather discover dinosaur fossils or a meteorite in your back yard? Why?
4. Would you rather be caught in a lightning storm or a blizzard? Why?
5. Would you rather live under a sky with no stars at night or live under a sky with no clouds during the day? Why?

(PART B) Please read the questions and answers in the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) tab on T-Mac's blog.

Assignment #18 (due 6.2)

Please complete the Space Vacay project for TOMORROW (Friday, 6.2). CLICK HERE to view the examples of travel posters and sample trip itineraries shared last week in class. 

Keep working on your Space Vacay project.

Due this Friday, 6.2. CLICK HERE to view the examples of travel posters and sample trip itineraries shared last week in class. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TOPICS YOU SIGNED UP FOR.

REMINDER: All periods will be single periods until the end of the year!

No formal assignment...

...please continue working on your Space Vacay project (due next Friday, 6.2). CLICK HERE to view the examples of travel posters and sample trip itineraries shared this week in class. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TOPICS YOU SIGNED UP FOR.

REMINDER: All periods will be single periods until the end of the year!

Happy Friday!!

No new assignments...

...but, please remember that Section 3 students should have the Greetings, Earthlings! assignment completed for tomorrow (5.25).

Also, please continue working on your Space Vacay project (due next Friday, 6.2). CLICK HERE to view the examples of travel posters and sample trip itineraries shared today in class.

REMINDER: All periods will be single periods until the end of the year!

Assignment #17 (Section 3: due 5.25/Section 4:due 5.24)

Please complete the Greetings, Earthlings! solar system handout you began in class today.  You can use the link embedded in the document or CLICK HERE to visit the page you'll need directly.

REMINDER: Your final Space Vacay project topics are due by the end of your double period block this week (at the very, very latest!). PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE WHAT YOU HAVE SIGNED UP FOR...AND LET T-MAC KNOW IF YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR TOPIC!

Enjoy this beautiful, hot afternoon--this seal certainly has the right idea for cooling off on a day like today! :)

Assignment #16 (due 5.23)

Continue researching celestial destinations for your Space Vacay project.  You must bring all 3 final decisions (including Mars!) to class on 5.23.

REMINDER: The final project is due at the beginning of class on Friday, June 2nd.

Assignment #15 (for Section 3, due 5.19)

Please complete the Earth vs. Mars handout you received in class today.  The instructions and link are included, but you can also access the website needed using this link:

http://mars.nasa.gov/allaboutmars/facts/#?c=inspace&s=distance

.

Also, CLICK HERE to check out the launch of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket (carrying a communications satellite) from last Friday...SO COOL!!

Assignment #15 (for Section 4, due 5.19)

Please complete the Earth vs. Mars handout you received in class today.  The instructions and link are included, but you can also access the website needed using this link:

http://mars.nasa.gov/allaboutmars/facts/#?c=inspace&s=distance

.

Also, CLICK HERE to check out the launch of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket (carrying a communications satellite) from last Friday...SO COOL!!

Assignment #14 (Section 3: due 5.18/Section 4: due 5.17)

Set a timer for 15 minutes.  On a sheet of blank paper, make a list of the things that might be needed to place a self-sustaining human colony on Mars.  Be as thorough as you can. Consider what might be needed to sustain life on a different planet. Stop working on your list after 15 minutes--please bring your list to our next class.

No homework!

Be sure to bring the 5 index cards you began working on today back to class next Tuesday.  NOTE: You do not need to work on them over the weekend!

Also, check out this cool video of NASA's 200th spacewalk by U.S. astronauts Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer this morning!

Assignment #13 (due 5.12)

Please read Part A of the Mars Exploration: Highlights From Past Missions handout from class today.  On a separate sheet of paper and in your own words, please summarize each of the four stages of our (human) efforts to learn about Mars. Your summaries should be brief for each stage--small paragraphs are okay!

For each stage, provide information about the following:
     1. When did the stage occur?
     2. What kind of technology was used to study Mars in this stage?
     3. What did we learn during this stage of exploration?

Assignment #13 (due 5.12)

Please read Part A of the Mars Exploration: Highlights From Past Missions handout from class today.  On a separate sheet of paper and in your own words, please summarize each of the four stages of our (human) efforts to learn about Mars. Your summaries should be brief for each stage--small paragraphs are okay!

For each stage, provide information about the following:
     1. When did the stage occur?
     2. What kind of technology was used to study Mars in this stage?
     3. What did we learn during this stage of exploration?

No formal assignment, but...

...please bring your completed Layers of the Atmosphere Reading Assignment to our next class.  

Also, check out this example of why I no longer lend writing utensils to students. This fine specimen was collected today (May 9th) in the sector of Room 5 known as Lab Table 1. Time of death: sometime between 11:28 AM and 12:20 PM.

Assignment #12 (due 5.9)

Please complete the Layers of the Atmosphere Reading Assignment for 5.9.

Also, check out these latest images taken by the Cassini Spacecraft in the final part of its mission.

No assignment tonight...

...but, please remember that we will have regular, single 3rd and 4th periods tomorrow in order to accommodate our Finance Park trip on Thursday.

No formal assignment...

...except to have a wonderful weekend! Enjoy the Spring Arts Walk and Procession of the Species!!

NOTE: Groups will have time to continue working on the Earth's Atmosphere Poster in class on 5.2.

No assignment, but...

...please remember to bring your copy of Weather: What's the Good Word? to class on Friday.  REMINDER: We will not have science class tomorrow (Thursday), due to the Spanish class swap.

Also, check out these cool vids from class of the Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft which carried NASA astronaut Jack Fischer and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin to the International Space Station last Thursday (4.20).

VIDEO: Soyuz Launch (April 20th)
VIDEO: Soyuz Docking to the ISS (April 20th)
VIDEO: ISS Welcomes 2 New Crew Members from the Soyuz (April 20th)

Assignment #10 (due 4.26)

Please finish the Return to the Moon Mission: Astronaut Crew Evaluation if you were not able to during class today. Please use complete sentences and be as through as possible with your responses.

Assignment #9 (due 4.25)

Please complete the last page of Weather: What's the Good Word? for next Tuesday.

Also, please remember that I will not be on campus tomorrow (Friday, 4.21). REMINDER: The work you complete in class with Lauren (Museum of Flight WebQuest) will be due by the end of the period. This will count as Assignment #11.

See you for our trip to the Moon on Monday!! 

Assignment #8 (due 4.20)

Please be sure the first 2 pages of Weather: What's the Good Word? are complete for tomorrow. We will spend time in class finishing the last page (if you haven't already done so!).

No formal assignment, but...

...please bring your copy of Weather: What's the Good Word? to tomorrow's class.  Since we will not be traveling to the moon this week, we will spend the extra time wrapping up our weather unit in preparation for next week's space exploration.

No formal assignment, but...

...please complete and bring the NASA Astronaut quiz from today back to class on 4.18 for continued dialogue.

Have a great weekend!!

Assignment #7 (for Section 3; due 4.14)

Please answer the questions from the 3D Moon Surface Modeling activity from today.  CLICK HERE if you need to remember any details from the images your group used as part of today's work.

*****REMINDER*****
Please complete the Return to the Moon Mission Job Application for 4.14. Be sure you have answered the following questions on the back of your page. NOTE: Please see Ms. Golliet if you have misplaced your original.

1. What qualities in a partner help me be a better group member? (Please list at least 5.)
2. What kinds of things distract me from doing my work in a group? (Please list at least 2.)

Assignment #7 (for Section 4; due 4.14)

Please answer the questions from the 3D Moon Surface Modeling activity from today.  CLICK HERE if you need to remember any details from the images your group used as part of today's work.

*****REMINDER*****
Please complete the Return to the Moon Mission Job Application for 4.14. Be sure you have answered the following questions on the back of your page. NOTE: Please see Ms. Golliet if you have misplaced your original.

1. What qualities in a partner help me be a better group member? (Please list at least 5.)
2. What kinds of things distract me from doing my work in a group? (Please list at least 2.)

Assignment #6 (Section 3: due 4.13/Section 4: due 4.12)

(1) Please complete the Return to the Moon Mission Job Application for 4.14.  Be sure you have answered the following questions on the back of your page.  NOTE: Please see Ms. Golliet if you have misplaced your original.

1. What qualities in a partner help me be a better group member? (Please list at least 5.)
2. What kinds of things distract me from doing my work in a group? (Please list at least 2.)

(2) Please read the Surface of the Moon article--due next class.  Take notes...be prepared to discuss!!

Assignment #5 (due 4.11)

If you were not able to complete/submit the "Ponder This!" questions from this week's Comparing Weather and Climate lab, please do so when you return from Spring Break on 4.11. Your graph and questions should be submitted together.

Happy Spring Break!!!

Assignment #4 (for Section 3; due 3.31)

Please complete the graph of your data from today's Comparing Weather and Climate lab.  Your graph should have a title, appropriate scaling, correctly labeled axes, 5 lines (each in a different color), and a key which explains what each color represents.

Also, please be sure you have your copy of Weather: What's the Good Word? for class on 3.31.  We will use the last part of class to complete it.

Assignment #4 (for Section 4; due 3.31)

Please complete the graph of your data from today's Comparing Weather and Climate lab.  Your graph should have a title, appropriate scaling, correctly labeled axes, 5 lines (each in a different color), and a key which explains what each color represents.

Also, please be sure you have your copy of Weather: What's the Good Word? for class on 3.31.  We will use the last part of class to complete it.

Assignment #3 (Section 3: due 3.30/Section 4: due 3.29)

Please complete the Forecasting the Weather: Olympia, WA data table using the instructions below. Our Olympia weather forecast "observation period" runs from March 22nd through March 28th.

Column 1 (Date): Dates of our 7-day forecast period from last week's assignment, beginning on Wednesday (3.22).

Column 2 (Predicted Weather): Should include as much of the data from the 7-day Olympia forecast you recorded last week.  IT IS OKAY IF YOU ARE MISSING DATA--WE WILL SPEND TIME DURING OUR DOUBLE PERIOD FILLING IN THE GAPS. NOTE: Wunderground.com is a great place to find detailed forecast info.

Column 3 (Actual Weather): Should include the real-time weather data collected for our 7-day observation period.  NOTE: CLICK HERE to visit the Wunderground Weather History page for data regarding previous/actual Olympia weather.

Assignment #3 (Section 3: due 3.30/Section 4: due 3.29)

Please complete the Forecasting the Weather: Olympia, WA data table using the instructions below. Our Olympia weather forecast "observation period" runs from March 22nd through March 28th.

Column 1 (Date) should include the dates of our 7-day forecast period from Tuesday's assignment, beginning on Wednesday, March 22nd.

Column 2 (Predicted Weather) should include as much of the data from the 7-day Olympia forecast you recorded earlier this week.  IT IS OKAY IF YOU ARE MISSING DATA (WHICH MOST OF YOU PROBABLY ARE)--WE WILL SPEND TIME IN CLASS ON TUESDAY FILLING IN THE GAPS.  NOTE: www.wunderground.com is a great place to find detailed forecast info.

Column 3 (Actual Weather) should include the real-time weather data collected for our 7-day observation period.  NOTE: You can use www.wunderground.com for info about the remaining forecast.  You can also CLICK HERE to visit the Wunderground Weather History page for data regarding previous weather in Olympia.

Assignment #2 (for Section 3; due on 3.24)

Please complete the Weather vs. Climate? activity for 3.24.  Your finished assignment should include all data collected in tables, your completed bar graph from today's class, and answers to the Thought Questions in complete sentences (on a separate sheet of paper).

NOTE: Your bar graph should:

1. Have a correctly labeled x- and y-axis. 
2. Include a good title. 
3. Be neat and color-coded. 
4. Include a key which shows how the colors relate to the weather for each group. 
5. Demonstrate appropriate scaling.

Assignment #2 (for Section 4; due on 3.24)

Please complete the Weather vs. Climate? activity for 3.24.  Your finished assignment should include all data collected in tables, your completed bar graph from today's class, and answers to the Thought Questions in complete sentences (on a separate sheet of paper).

NOTE: Your bar graph should:

1. Have a correctly labeled x- and y-axis.
2. Include a good title.
3. Be neat and color-coded.
4. Include a key which shows how the colors relate to the weather for each group.
5. Demonstrate appropriate scaling.

Assignment #1 (Section 3: due 3.23/Section 4: due 3.22)

Please read the Overview and Instructions for the Weather vs. Climate? activity we will complete at the beginning of next class.  

Also, please find AND record the 7-day weather forecast for Olympia starting on Wednesday, 3.22.  Be sure to record your source!

Assignment #21 (due 3.3)

Please put the finishing touches on your Dynamic Earth Project-o-Rama project--your final due-date is tomorrow (March 3rd).

Please remember that you will need to submit your written description of how your 3 Essential Questions are reflected in your final project as part the finished product--you can check out the instructions here.

Assignment #20 (due 3.2)

Find an article about a WEIRD weather event which occurred some time during the last 100 years on Earth.  Read and print the article; please bring it with you to class tomorrow (3.2). Please be prepared to give a brief summary of your article.

***"Weird", according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is defined as something which is "very strange or bizarre".***

REMINDER: Keep working on your Dynamic Earth Project-o-Rama project, noting that the final due-date is set for next Friday (March 3rd).  Please remember that you will need to submit your written description of how your 3 Essential Questions are reflected in your final project as part the finished product--you can check out the instructions here.

Assignment #20 (due 3.2)

Find an article about a WEIRD weather event which occurred some time during the last 100 years on Earth.  Read and print the article; please bring it with you to class on Thursday (3.2). Please be prepared to give a brief summary of your article.

***"Weird", according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is defined as something which is "very strange or bizarre".***

REMINDER: Keep working on your Dynamic Earth Project-o-Rama project, noting that the final due-date is set for next Friday (March 3rd).  Please remember that you will need to submit your written description of how your 3 Essential Questions are reflected in your final project as part the finished product--you can check out the instructions here. Tomorrow (Wednesday) will be the last in-class open work session.

No official assignment, but...

...keep working on your Dynamic Earth Project-o-Rama project, noting that the final due-date is set for next Friday (March 3rd).  Also, please remember that you will need to submit your written description of how your 3 Essential Questions are reflected in your final project as part the finished product--you can check out the instructions here.

Have a great weekend!!

No assignment again, but...

...but, please remember that tomorrow's class will be the last open work session for your Dynamic Earth Project-o-Rama.  Please bring any supplies you may need to work on your project during class...as well as any questions that you need to have answered regarding the project.

NOTE: I will have copies of the assessment guidelines for the project available for you tomorrow.

No Assignment...

...but, please remember that tomorrow's class will be an open work session for your Dynamic Earth Project-o-Rama.  Please bring any supplies you may need to work on your project during class...as well as any questions that you need to have answered regarding the project.

No Assignment Today OR Tomorrow (Friday), but...

...just be sure to bring your Epicenter Mapping Activity from Wednesday to tomorrow's class.  We will continue our work on the assignment in class tomorrow.

Also, please bring your Dynamic Earth Project-o-Rama instruction sheet to class tomorrow.  You will have a chance to continue brainstorming; your project ideas will be due by the end of class tomorrow.  Please see T-Mac beforehand if you are interested in working with a partner.

Quiz tomorrow--details below!

Please prepare for tomorrow's Earth's Composition and Tectonic Plates Quiz.  Check out the review guide here!  NOTE: We will spend the first half of class reviewing; you will have the second half of class to complete the quiz. 

Assignment #19 (due 2.15)

Please complete the charts for Earthquakes 1, 2, and 3 (ONLY!) on the Finding the Epicenter activity we began today in class.  DO NOT worry about the maps...we will have time in class to work on them tomorrow.

REMINDER: Earth's Composition and Tectonic Plates Quiz coming your way this Thursday, 2.16. Check out the review guide here!

Assignment #18 (due 2.14)

Please be sure you turned in your Earthquake Recording Stations Handout in class today and have completed the Practice Questions for class on Tuesday, 2.14.  (In addition, please begin thinking about your ideas for the Dynamic Earth Project-o-Rama...your ideas will be due next Friday, 2.17.)

Also, check out tonight's Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. The eclipse kicks off at 2:30 p.m. PST. Then, at 7:30 p.m. PST, Comet 45P will come closer to Earth than any other comet in the last 34 years.

You can learn how the eclipse works by clicking here. 

You can watch the live broadcast of the eclipse and comet from the Slooh Community Observatory here.

REMINDER: Earth's Composition and Tectonic Plates Quiz coming your way next Thursday, 2.16. Check out the review guide here!

No Assignment!

Take a load off tonight. Use the time to get caught up in your classes. Get some rest. Play outside. Hang with your peeps.

Assignment #17 (due 2.9)

Read this New York Times article: Quake Moves Japan Closer to U.S. and Alters Earth's Spin.  Read thoroughly, paying close attention to details surrounding changes in the Earth due to the earthquake.

Be prepared to answer 2 surprise questions about the article at the beginning of class tomorrow (2.9). Each question will be worth 1.5 points for a total of 3 points; your score on the questions will count as your grade for Assignment #17.

Assignment #15 (due 2.7)

Please complete the student login for the ExploreLearning.com site we will be using in class on Tuesday.  Instructions can be found here!  Bring your new username and password to class on Tuesday (2.7).

NOTE: Assignment #16 is the list of questions you generated during today's film.

Have a great weekend!!!

Assignment #14 (due 2.3)

Please complete the Exploring Earthquakes questions for tomorrow.  While complete sentences are not necessary, complete thoughts are!! You can access the videos using the links provided on the assignment sheet, or by clicking below:

PART 1: How Does the Richter Scale Work?

PART 2: Types of Seismic Waves

If you want to spend more time watching the Ring of Fire Documentary from class today, CLICK HERE!

No Assignment!

Please bring your Earthquake Research Questions from today to class tomorrow...we will continue to use your wonderful data as part of our ongoing class discussion!

Assignment #13 (due 2.1)

Please research and answer the following questions.  You can use any reference necessary--your research should not take more than 15-20 minutes.

1. When were the three most recent earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest?
2. Where did each earthquake occur (provide a location name and GPS coordinates)?
3. What was the magnitude of each earthquake on the Richter Scale?

NOTE: Please record the resources you used to find your answers.

No Assignment (Today or Tomorrow!)

Please remember to bring your Plate Tectonics Student Packet to class tomorrow.

Assignment #12 (due 1.26)

Please complete the blank Tectonic Plate Identification Map from today's class using the following instructions:

1. Add the name of each plate to the designated (numbered) space at the bottom of the page. You may find this Tectonic Plate Name Map to be helpful.
   
2. Color each plate a different color.
   
3. Use arrows to show the type of boundaries (divergent, convergent, and transform) that exist where the plates come together.  You may find the Tectonic Plate Name Map to be helpful here again, as well as the Types of Plate Boundaries image we viewed in class today.

Do your best...we'll discuss in class tomorrow!

Assignment #11 (due 1.25)

Please read The Tectonic Plate Story you received in class today.  Using the info provided in the reading AND details from today's Pangea video, please answer the 6 thought questions at the end of the packet.  Complete sentences are required...as are complete thoughts!

Assignment #10 (due 1.24)

Please complete the Tectonic Plates: How Puzzling?! activity that we started in class today.  Your finished product should be labeled, color-coded, and adhered to a surface (of your choice).

Be sure to play the Layers of Earth Rap for all of your peeps this weekend.

Also, here's a super rad geology joke to get your weekend started...it's so bad, it's good!

No Assignment (big interwebs issues today!), but...

...please remember to bring your copy of the Tectonic Plates: How Puzzling?! activity that you received today to tomorrow's class.

Assignment #9 (due 1.19)

Please complete the Layers of Earth Review Questions you received in class today--due tomorrow (1.19).

No Assignment...

...which means the chance of you having one tomorrow increases exponentially!  Enjoy your night off! :)

No Assignment!

Celebrate a job well done on today's quiz and enjoy your long weekend!

Quiz tomorrow!

Prepare for the Rock Quiz tomorrow (Friday, January 13th).  Check out the review guide here!.

Quiz moved to Friday, 1.13

You do not have an assignment tonight so that you can continue preparing for the Rock Quiz. Please note that the quiz has been moved to Friday, January 13th.  Check out the review guide here!.

We will review for the quiz again during the second half of class on tomorrow (1.12).

Assignment #8 (due 1.11)

Please answer the following question.  Your response should be in complete sentences and approximately 1-2 paragraphs in length.

Consider the movie Journey to the Center of the Earth (the link to the movie trailer is here).  Does the movie accurately represent Earth's interior (layers/core)?  Review the discussion we began about Earth's composition in science today.  What scientific evidence presented in class can be used to support your argument?

REMINDER: Continue reviewing for the Rock Quiz--coming your way this Thursday, January 12th.  Check out the review guide here!.  We will review for the quiz during the second half of class on tomorrow (1.11).

Quiz next week--see below for details!

Begin reviewing for the Rock Quiz--coming your way next Thursday, January 12th.  Check out the review guide here!

NOTE: We will review for the quiz during the second half of class on Wednesday (January 11th).

Assignment #7 (due 1.6)

Please complete the Stomata Lab Extension Questions we started in class today.

Also: If you are interested in watching the rest of the stomata video we viewed with Mr. Campbell's class this morning, you can access it HERE.  It is a little long and gets a bit technical towards the end, but still offers a nice summary of the relationship between stomata and the earth's climate--you may find this info helpful as part of your work on tonight's homework questions!

Good luck!

No Assignment...

...but, please bring your Analysis Questions from the Examining the Fossil Record Lab that we completed yesterday.

Assignment #6 (due 1.4)

Please complete the 5 Analysis Questions at the end of the Examining the Fossil Record Lab from class today (written or typed is okay).  You can use THIS COMPLETED TIMELINE IMAGE for help in answering your questions (you may need to zoom in for the best resolution!).  Due 1.4.