TOPICS AND CLASSROOM RESOURCES EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
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EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CONTENT
Below is a list of all possible topics. It’s not realistic to cover it all in one school year as we will cover fewer in more depth. INTRODUCTION The Earth’s Four Spheres Earth Systems Time and rates of change in Earth Science Threshold and feedback effects THE EXOSPHERE (Astronomy) EARTH IN SPACE Navigating the sky – the ecliptic Seasons Phases of the Moon Milankovich cycles Sunspot activity, solar flares and CMEs Magnetosphere and the aurora EARLY EARTH Describe the conditions that led to our Solar System The story of the Earth from the early days to the present Differentiation: Layers of Earth Earth’s early atmosphere Life, iron and evolution of the modern atmosphere Evidence of what the early Earth was like; Yellowstone Cosmology and the Early Universe STARS AND STELLAR LIFE CYCLE Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) Diagram DEEP SKY OBJECTS Galaxies, Nebulas and Clusters FATE OF THE UNIVERSE Dark matter and dark energy SPACE EXPLORATION THE GEOPSHERE (OR LITHOSPHERE) THEORY OF PLATE TECTONICS Explain how the structure and energy from within the Earth create plate tectonics Sea Floor Spreading Hypothesis Anatomy of tectonic plates Plate Boundaries Hot spots Why plates move: Earth as a heat engine Supercontinents Isostasy: vertical movement of the lithosphere How plate movements affect Earth systems EARTHQUAKES Explain how volcanoes and earthquakes impact the lithosphere Explain how the locations of faults, earthquakes and volcanoes be predicted Earthquake waves Earthquakes and plate boundaries Earthquake prediction, damage and hazard mitigation Studying the Earth’s Interior The Earth’s magnetism VOLCANOES Explain how volcanoes and earthquakes impact the lithosphere Explain how the locations of faults, earthquakes and volcanoes be predicted Magma Basalt and Granite Partial melting and the Origin of Continents Silica and water’s effects on magma behavior Plutons Volcano types and mechanisms Risk assessment: predicting volcanic eruptions Historic volcanic eruptions MOUNTAIN BUILDING Folds and faults: geologic structures Mountain ranges Island arcs The Andes, the Cascades and the Himalayas Olympic Peninsula Geology of the Chapel Hill area ROCKS AND MINERALS Rocks and the rock cycle Igneous rocks: cooling, crystallization and Bowen’s reaction series metamorphic rocks sedimentary rocks and their environments What is a mineral? Chemical composition of minerals Crystalline nature of minerals Physical properties of minerals Mineral classes and rock-forming minerals Commercially important minerals Harmful and dangerous rocks and minerals MINING AND FOSSIL FUEL EXTRACTION Compare the various methods humans use to acquire traditional energy sources (such as peat, coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear fission and wood) Explain the consequences of human activities on the lithosphere such as mining Mineral deposits and extraction Petroleum Natural Gas and fracking Coal – deep and surface mining; mountaintop removal THE HYDROPSHERE Groundwater and aquifers Explain how ground water and surface water interact. The Water Cycle Permeability and porosity Limestone features; karst topography Hot springs and geysers Salt water intrusion Deep well injection The Everglades Rivers, streams and watersheds Evaluate human influences on water quality in North Carolina’s river basins, wetlands and tidal environments streams stream erosion: how landscapes evolve stream deposition floods lakes wetlands Weathering, soils and erosion, mass wasting Describe how weathering, erosion and deposition affect the Earth’s surface Explain the probability of and preparation for geohazards in a particular area based on available data Mechanical and chemical weathering soils agents of erosion (wind, water and ice) mass wasting Historic landslides Predicting and avoiding landslides Investigation of land surface features using topographic and relief maps Coastlines Tides Waves Storm surge Barrier islands: how they work and their features Development on barrier islands hard stabilization Beach nourishment Oceans Explain how water is an energy agent (currents and heat transfer) Origin of the oceans Features of the sea floor Continental margins Ocean currents and gyres THE ATMOSPHERE Atmosphere and energy balance (Heating the Earth): Air Masses Explain the formation of typical air masses and the weather systems that result from air mass interactions Differentiate between weather and climate. The layers of the atmosphere Atmospheric temperature and pressure The ozone layer Incoming solar radiation Energy storage and balance Temperature changes with latitude and season Temperature changes with geography Atmospheric moisture and clouds Atmospheric moisture: cooling and condensation Rising air and precipitation Types of clouds Air Pressure, weather fronts and winds High and low pressure systems Fronts: cold, warm, stationary and occluded Types of winds Severe Weather Explain how cyclonic storms form based on the interaction of air masses Thunderstorms Tornadoes Supercells Hurricanes Noreasters Winter storms Weather Maps and Predictions Predict the weather using available weather maps and data (including surface, upper atmospheric winds, and satellite imagery) Climate Change and Earth’s History: Paleoclimatology Explain how human activity affects air quality Explain changes in global climate due to natural processes. Analyze the impacts that human activities have on global climate change (such as burning hydrocarbons, greenhouse effect and deforestation). Attribute changes in Earth systems to global climate change (temperature change, changes in pH of ocean, sea level changes, etc.) Measuring climate change Astronomical causes of climate change Water and climate The natural carbon cycle and climate Tectonics and climate change Volcanic eruptions and global climate Greenhouse Effect: carbon cycle and global warming Feedback and threshold mechanisms of climate change The Kyoto Treaty on greenhouse warming THE BIOSPHERE – HUMAN INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER SPHERES Human Activities and the Earth: Water Issues Evaluate human influences on freshwater availability Evaluate human influences on water quality in North Carolina’s river basins, wetlands and tidal environments Dams and their effects on Rivers Irrigation Salt water intrusion Fracking and groundwater Desalination Desertification Human Activities and the Earth: Agriculture Explain the consequences of human activities on the lithosphere such as deforestation, agriculture, overgrazing, and land use past and present Human Activities and the Earth: Development and Urbanization Explain the consequences of human activities on the lithosphere such as urbanization and land use past and present Mismanagement of floodplains; flooding Impervious surfaces Creating unstable slopes Urban heat island effect Ozone and smog Management of trash Pollution of waterways Human Activities and the Earth: Mining and Fossil Fuel extraction Compare the various methods humans use to acquire traditional energy sources (such as peat, coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear fission and wood) Explain the consequences of human activities on the lithosphere such as mining Mineral deposits and extraction Petroleum Natural Gas and fracking Coal – deep and surface mining; mountaintop removal Renewable Energy Evaluate alternative energy technologies for use in North Carolina Wind Passive solar design Active solar energy Biofuels Sustainability: Sustainable development and design LEED (leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Cradle to Cradle Environmental Issues: local, state and regional |
EARTH HISTORY UNIT
WEATHER AND CLIMATE UNIT
the_earths_first_atmosphere.pdf |
early_earth_first_atmosphere_teacher_notes.doc |
earth_atmosphere_ppt.pdf |
earth’s_atmosphere_notes.docx |
atmospheric_moisture_ppt.pdf |
atmospheric_moisture_powerpoint_notes.docx |
Ozzy Ozone video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKrPd-8CJBM
What causes the Northern Lights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wZSt_LNq3U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKrPd-8CJBM
What causes the Northern Lights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wZSt_LNq3U
Water Cycle in many world languages
https://water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html
https://water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html
WW2010 University of Illinois Weather site - clouds and precipitation
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/dvlp/cnvct.rxml
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/dvlp/cnvct.rxml
Winds: Small Scale and Local
http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/notes/chapter9/index.html
http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/notes/chapter9/index.html
Wind: Global Systems
http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/notes/chapter10/index.html
http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/notes/chapter10/index.html
Air Masses and Fronts
http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/notes/chapter11/index.html
http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/notes/chapter11/index.html
Mid Latitude Cyclones
http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/notes/chapter12/index.html
http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/notes/chapter12/index.html
cloud_formation_notes.docx |
stabiity_in_atmosphere.pdf |
weather_cycler.docx |
air_masses_fronts_and_midlatitude_cyclones__1_.pdf |
weather_images_slides.pdf |
HYDROLOGY UNIT
properties_of_water_ppt.pdf |
watersheds_and_rivers_ppt.pdf |
exploring_geology_rivers_powerpoint_part_1__1__2.pdf |
Oxbow Lake formation from river meander
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HyHXepETX8
Headwater erosion
http://bcs.whfreeman.com/WebPub/Geography/gervais1e/QR_codes/animation_headward_erosion.html
Entrenched meander formation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STgbHFvUMlE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HyHXepETX8
Headwater erosion
http://bcs.whfreeman.com/WebPub/Geography/gervais1e/QR_codes/animation_headward_erosion.html
Entrenched meander formation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STgbHFvUMlE
FOUNDATIONS OF SCIENCE UNIT
scientific_method_honors_ppt.pdf |