Week 9: Earthquakes & Volcanoes

 1. What did you do in lab today?

Was not in lab today due to sickness, but looked ICON presentation
  • Two types of waves associated with Earthquales: 
    • P-Waves: can travel through anything
    • S-Waves: Can only travel through liquids
  • S-Waves are Ocean-like
  • P-Waves are slinky-like
Types of Volcanoes
1. Composite: can often explode out of their sides
- Mount St. Helens Eruption
2. Cinder Cone: Often explode out of the top; the most thought-of example of a volcano
- Wizard Island in Oregon 
3. Shield: slow flow with huge, sloping sides
- Mauna Loa, Hawaii

2. What was the big question? How do Earth's internal and surface processes shape the planet over time?

3. What did you learn in Thursday's discussion? 
Notes:
  • Oldest to youngest layers of the ground, bottom = oldest --> top = youngest
    • White sandstone, siltstone, igneous batholith or limestone, shale, Igneous Dike A, Sandstone A, Conglomerate, Dolostone, Igneous Dike B, Sandstone B, Glacial Debris, surface
  • Earthquakes and Volcanoes happen near tectonic plates, fault lines, and coastal lines
    • Fault Line: location where tectonic plates are shifting (broken)
    • Not all volcanoes and earthquakes happen on fault lines 
Wegener Activity

  • Alfred Wegener: German climatologist and geologist 
  • Proposed a theory called Continental Drift (1912) 
    • Used fossil evidence and layers of rock to support his theory
    • Was laughed off after his proposed mechanism failed
    • Was eventually accepted and altered to the Theory of Plate Tectonics in 1967
Hawaii
  • Ocean waves "are eating" the other islands
  • Hawaii Hot Spot: attached at the mantel and doesn't move
    • Pokes through the plate and builds a island
      • plates move (paper pencil demonstration)

4. Read online textbook, chapter 9:
- What did you learn? 

  • Earth’s Layers: Earth has four layers: crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. The crust is thin and broken into tectonic plates. The mantle contains magma that drives plate movement. The outer core is liquid and generates Earth’s magnetic field, while the inner core is solid due to intense pressure.

  • Volcano Formation: Volcanoes form through three mechanisms, converging plates (subduction zones), diverging plates (mid-ocean ridges), and hot spots (ex., Hawaii, Yellowstone). Eruptions can be explosive or effusive, depending on magma temperature and viscosity.

  • Earthquakes: Caused by stress buildup along faults when tectonic plates grind past each other. Sudden release of energy produces seismic waves.

  • Geoscience Processes: Earth’s surface changes through slow and fast processes—plate tectonics, erosion, volcanic activity, and seismic events. These are mapped and modeled using NGSS standards.

- What was most helpful? 

  • Clear Explanations of Plate Interactions: The distinctions between convergent, divergent, and hot spot volcanism were well illustrated with examples like Hawaii and Yellowstone.

  • NGSS Integration: The alignment with NGSS standards (e.g., 5-ESS2-1, MS-ESS2-2) helps connect content to classroom practice and assessment boundaries.

  • Use of Visuals and Real-World Examples: References to NASA and Khan Academy videos, plus examples like Old Faithful and Loihi, made abstract concepts tangible.

- What do you need more information on?

  • Modeling Earth Systems Interactions: The NGSS mentions modeling interactions between geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. I’d love more classroom-ready examples or student-friendly modeling activities.

  • Teaching Strategies for Younger Grades: While standards for grades 2–5 are listed, I’d like more scaffolding ideas or lesson structures for introducing these concepts to younger learners.

  • Assessment Ideas: How can students demonstrate understanding of Earth’s layers, volcano formation, and geoscience processes beyond traditional quizzes?

5. What questions, concerns, and/or comments do you have? How can I use storytelling or drawing to help students connect with concepts like plate movement or volcanic formation?

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