Elementary Science 2

 1. What is the rock cycle? In lab, we investigated the rock cycle using starbursts. We melted them, cooled them, and pressed them together to represent igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. 2. During lecture, we talked more in depth about plate tectonics and hot spots. Hot spots were really interesting to me because they affect how active volcanoes change over time. It also shows how we can differentiate older and younger volcanoes. 3. After reading the textbook, I learned about how the outer core of the Earth creates a magnetic field which is why compasses always point north. The magnetic field also protects Earth from extreme weather and radiation in space. 4. The most helpful part of the chapter were the pictures and diagrams. Khan academy is always a great resource as well. 5. I need more information on the magnetic field of Earth. 6. How does the magnetic field protect us from extreme weather and radiation? What is that process like?

 1. What are the significant events in the history of Earth? In lab, we learned about the geological time scale of Earth. We had to list 5 events on a timeline. These events were humans appearing, dinosaurs ruling the Earth, first land plants, first land animals, moon being created. We explored how the moon went through many phases. It was really hot at one point and then it was all ice and snow. The ice and snow melted from the formation of plate tectonics that created volcanos I think. 2. No lecture. 3. Weekly textbook reading I learned that Earth was in Snowball Earth at least three times in its history. The diagrams showing the albedo effect was helpful. I need more information on Earth's initial formation and why it was so hot. Why was Earth so hot in its formation? Like the initial formation?

 1. What are the origins of the universe? Life cycles of stars? Galaxies? Origin of the Earth? Black holes? Exploration of space: past, present, and future. In lab we learned about how the universe was created through the big bang. We got information on the life cycles of stars and how our sun is an average sized star that will turn into a red giant and engulf the four inner planets.  2. In lecture, we learned about how the big bang was when a subatomic particle inflated to a huge size in a fraction of a second. It slowly expanded to create the universe. Earth was created from dust and debris most likely from a star that exploded. I found it interesting how there are over 2 trillion galaxies, so the odds of us being the only life in the universe is low.

Big question : How big is the universe? What we did in lab : During lab, we explored how big our universe is. We specifically looked at the 4 inner planets in our orbit. We used a website to look at the distance between the planets and view their mass. We had to create our own model of the distance between the planets by converting to meters. We knew these planets are thousands of miles away from each other, so we had to scale it down. These planets are also massive, so we had to scale them down as well. 3. What did I learn in lecture? : In lecture, we learned about direct sunlight during seasons. During the summer solstice, the direct rays of the sun hit the tropic of cancer. During the winter solstice, the direct rays of the sun hit the the tropic of capricorn. We also looked at theories of the moon's origin. The widely accepted theory is that a collision happened between the earth and a small planet, and the debris from the impact created the moon that orbits earth. The side we ...