Elementary Science Methods II - Kamryn Becker

Week 10: Layers of the Earth and Convection Cells 1. What did you do in lab today? In lab we did an investigation experiment with graham crackers, rice cakes, and whipped cream. We used these various different materials to represent the different plate boundaries that occur.  2. What was the big question? The two big questions in lab were: "How do the plates move?" and "What evidence do we have?". We explored these through using the materials to represent the three different types of plate boundaries. I included my notes below! Divergent Boundaries: - 2 Plates are pulled apart magma is coming up because of erupting volcanos - Snapped rice cake in half then whipped cream came through the middle showing the magma rising Transform Boundary:  - 2 plates slide past each other - Snapped rice cake in half then forcefully pushed against each other where pieces are breaking apart and magma (whipped cream) is coming up between Convergent Boundary: - Subduction: When 1 plate “...

 Week 9: Earthquakes and Volcanos  1. What did you do in lab today? In lab we made predictions on where earthquakes and volcanos happen on Earth. We then used a website to investigate where earthquakes and volcanos happen. I was able to notice some patterns where many earthquakes and volcanos happen they were on the edge of plate boundaries. A question I asked was why is there a volcano in Hawaii that erupts often in the middle of a plate boundary? 2. What was the big question? The big question for this weeks lab was what are the patterns where earthquakes and volcanos are. We used a website to explore this question within our groups.  3. What did you learn in Thursdays lecture? In lecture I learned that Hawaii is a hot spot. The hot spot releases lava and then the tectonic plates shift creating the different islands of Hawaii. This is unique to specifically the Hawaiian Islands. Textbook: 1. What did you learn? I learned that there are two different types of waves to det...

Week 8: Geodes, Weathering, and Erosion 1. What did you do in lab today? In lab this week we did an investigation on various different sands from beaches, rivers, and deserts. As table groups we were able to use a digital microscope and look closely at the colors and shapes of the small particles. Following this investigation we then did a quick trip to the measum in Macbride Hall.  2. What was the big question? The big question was where does sand come from. We explore the answer to this question through our investigation of the various sands we were given. There were guesses made that I included below! Looks like little rocks; Maybe from a river Dessert vibes; reddish coloring Black, shiny, green, grey; Volcanic sand Chrysally; White and shiny; White sand beach Cave or Cove; red, green, white Corn vibes; yellow; dessert or river sand Jungle or river; red, green, clear River; Orange, red, white Coal; White, black, green White, orange, yellow; river  Desert; White chocolate co...

 Week 7: Rock Cycle 1. What did we do in lab today? In lab today we how we currently assess students and what those grades mean. Grades today aren’t what they used to be, they’ve changed a lot over time. The issue is educators are continuing to follow the grade scale that just gives students what they want (the world we currently live in). The experiment we did in lab today modeled the three different types of rocks: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. We made two examples of each rock using various materials like fire, aluminum foil, and starbursts.  2. What was the big question? I felt like the big question of todays lab was what is the danger of comparing students using their test percentages. We have grown up knowing nothing, but getting perfect grades. Educators quite literally hand out A's to students that haven't grown or just jump through the hoops with zero effort given. Students need to gain knowledge and show improvement from what they had previously known to gai...

 Week 6: Geological Time 1. What did we do in lab today? In lab this week we reviewed shadows, moon phases, stars, galaxies, etc for the exam. Something that I needed to work on remembering was the three types of galaxies: spiral, elliptical, and regular. Following the mini review session we did an activity with a timeline and where we thoughts events like dinosaurs roaming the Earth, creation of the Moon, and humans appearing happened.  2. What was the big question? I felt like the question of the day was what are the significant events in the history of the Earth. There was a cool website that allowed us to identify important (and cool) events that happened in the range of a billion years.  3. What did you learn in Thursdays lecture? No Lecture, Just Exam. Textbook: 1. What did you learn? I learned what a geological time scale is and how scientist utilize it to describe the events that have happened on Earth. The time scale is almost like a clock and the various differe...