Ellie Behrens- Elementary Science Methods

        What did you do in lab? In lab we did a lab that shows the different types of tectonic plate movements. A convergent boundary is when one plate dives under another. A convergent boundary forms a mountain. A real-life example of this is the Himalaya Mountains in India. We watched a video about the theory of continental drift and plate tectonics. Plate tectonics is the cause. Continental drift is the effect of the movement. Scientists are starting to find new species in the trench in the ocean every day. We did an activity that showed the transform boundary, divergent boundary, and convergent boundary. We used graham crackers, rice cakes, and whipped cream to show the different types of boundaries. The whipped cream was the “magma” and it pushed up to fill the gaps. ·        What was the big question? The big question we discussed was: What are plate tectonics and how are they related to earthquakes and volcanoes? · ...

  1.       What did you do in lab today? In lab we explore volcanoes and earthquakes. We did lots of pair-and-share group work about these two topics. First, we brainstormed individually about what we know about them from our previous courses and knowledge. Next, we looked at a world map and predicted where volcanoes and earthquakes most commonly occur. When placing these locations, we were thinking of places that we’ve seen on the news and tropical places. We had to guess about many of these places because we did not know where they most commonly occur. Next, we looked at a website that shows that tracks all the volcanoes and earthquakes to see how accurate our predictions were. 2. What was the big question? The big question we discussed was: What are volcanoes and earthquakes? 2.       What did you do in Thursdays discussion? These are my notes from Thursdays discussion: Oldest to youngest: White sandstone, siltstone, ...

1.       What did you do in lab today? In lab we explored fossils that are found in Iowa. We sorted the fossils and looked at them under a microscope. We found lots of brachiopods and corals. Both were animals that would stick to the sea floor. Next, we looked at 11 different types of sand under a microscope. We wrote down observations and characteristics of each type. It was surprising to see how many differences there were because before looking at them under a microscope they all looked very similar. We finished lab by visiting the museum of Natural History in MacBride Hall and looking at the animals that were previously found in Iowa. Sand 1: not as much variety in the size, opaque colors, white, beige, brown Sand 2: orange color, some brown colored rocks some opaque rocks various sizes Sand 3: darker color, black, crystals, larger size   Sand 4: clear/white smaller size ricks, not as much variety in size Sand 5: multicolored rocks, red, ora...

  1.       What did you do in lab today? In lab we had a long discussion about grades and what the meaning behind them. This was thought provoking and impactful for me. I learned that grades have continued to be inflated since WW2. It made me think about the purpose of scores and how we assess students. We discussed the curve for our unit test and what letter grade corresponds with each score. We also did a lab where we explored sedimentary, metaphoric, and igneous rocks. We used starburst to demonstrate these. We applied pressure and heat to the starburst to create a demonstration of the different types of rocks. 2. What was the big question? The big question we discussed was: What are the different types of rocks and what are their characteristics? 2.       What did you do in Thursdays discussion? In Thursday’s discussion we were introduced to the rock cycle and the three types of rocks. Additionally, we observed if ca...

  1.       What did you do in lab today? In lab this week, we spent a majority of the time reviewing for our upcoming exam. We introduced our new unit and started exploring that. We explored a website that lists all events in the history of the earth. We then placed these on a timeline. It was very interesting and surprising to see where the events took place. I was surprised to learn most events have happened relatively recently.   - Your shadow can only point north, south, or no shadow.   - The only time there is no shadow is when I am standing on the direct sunlight line. - If I am on the equator and the sun is on the tropic of cancer, my shadow will point south - if you are in the south, it will point south - if you are in the north, it will point north -In our winter, the sun will be at Capricorn -Our summer is when the sun is on the tropic of cancer - If the sun is in the east, the moon will be in the west   - If the...