Tuesday – Welcome back from Winter Break Activity!

Wednesday – We will begin discussing our new unit, Organization of the Solar System, starting with the theories on the formation of the solar system.

Thursday & Friday – We will take an in-depth look at the 4 inner planets of our solar system that are closest to the sun; Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. These planets are also known as the “terrestrial” planets because they are made mostly of liquid and solid rock.  We will also discuss some similar characteristics they share, as well as the many distinct differences.

Monday – Begin assembling Earth’s Layers Model.

Tuesday – Last day for working on Earth’s Layers Model in class.

Wednesday – Present project models for class.

Thursday & Friday – We will begin discussing Unit 4 Earth’s Energy Resources.  We will look at fossil fuels, how they came to be, and the different types and uses.

Monday – Unit 3 Test Review.

• This will cover identifying rocks and minerals, classifying rocks as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic, labeling parts of the rock cycle diagram, labeling Earth layers and Earth features at tectonic plate boundaries, and describing the three types of tectonic plate boundaries.

Tuesday – Grade a go over test review.  Gimkit game with test questions.

Wednesday – Unit 3 Test

Thursday & Friday – Begin Earth Layers Project.

• In this project students will work together to create their own Earth Layers Model.  Groups will decide the materials they need to bring in order to construct a model representing the compositional and physical layers of Earth.

Monday –  Students work on a Vocabulary Crossword & Word search covering:

dissolve, superposition, igneous rock, bedrock, tectonic plate, geology, deposition (sedimentary), crystal, sediment, Earth, radioactivity, rock layer, chemical reaction, mantle, granite, boulder, crust, pressure, gravity, canyon, melt, cycle, earth materials, geosphere, erosion, lithosphere, mineral, limestone, lava, rock cycle, chemical weathering, carbon cycle, weathering (physical), volcanic dome, ancient, sedimentary rock, magma, compression, weathering, dissolve, river, exfoliation

Tuesday – We will take a deeper look at Plate Tectonics and how these immense slabs are always in motion. Students will learn how these very slow movements build and rebuild the face of the Earth.

Wednesday – Early release. We will have a quick review of all that we have covered so far in this unit, and follow it up with a Gimkit review game.

Thursday – We will work on a Lab Exploration: Dance of the Plates on Discovery.

Friday – Will begin looking at why, where, and how Earthquakes occur.

Tuesday -We will explores the various types of landforms found on the earth’s surface, including plains, plateaus, mountains, hills, canyons, valleys, and coastal landforms.

Wednesday – Introduce to Earth’s layers. We will be learning about the Earth’s structure based off of its chemical composition and physical properties. We will also be learning about plate tectonics, earthquakes, and volcanoes.

Thursday – Begin learning about the Earth’s layers based on chemical composition, characteristics, and how they change over time. Students will draw their own model to illustrate the different layers.  We will also look at some practice questions to go along with this concept.

Friday – We will look at how the Earth has different parts with different physical properties. Scientists divide these into 5 main layers: the lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere, outer core, and inner core.  Again, students will draw a model to illustrate  the different layers, and we will go over some practice questions dealing with this concept.