Everyday

1. Review your notes from class, highlight important information and re-write sections as needed.
   
   
2. Complete the left side of your Interactive Notebook. Identify interactions of Earth's spheres; make connections to prior science learning; write a 2-3 sentence reflection (your thoughts and opinions) concerning today's topic or activity; and plan for your chapter challenge. Make them colorful and creative using pictures, graphic organizers, prose, etc.
   
   
3. Check the Home Page, read recent posts and following any links.
   
   
4. Use the study resources listed on the side bar to delve further into today's topic.
   
   
5. Check the Science News Page to see what is going on in your world.

Keep Working On Your Assignments

I'm not updating this each day as your assignments are spelled out in the posts below.

Honors: Keep working on your Inquiry activity

Periods 1-5: You now should be working on article #2, due 5/5

Climate Change Chapter Challenge

The Chapter Challenge for Climate Change and Your Community is for students to write a series of newspaper articles that explore global climate change. As students move through the chapter, they gain the knowledge needed to write articles concerning how global climate has changed over time, what causes global climate change, and the meaning of “global warming” and how it might affect their community.

Each article must thoroughly and accurately explain each of the topic items listed in your textbook on pages E82-83, copied into your notes and listed below. They must be written in your own words (not copied from another source) and demonstrate your understanding of the topic. To do this each article should be approximately 500 words and include a relevant illustration, data table or graph. At the end of the article list all the sources you used.

Article 1 is due April 21
Many people are not aware that the Earth's climate has changed continually over geological time. This article should contain information about:

• the meaning of "climate, " both regional and global;
• examples of different global climates in the geological past;
• how geologists find out about past climates, and
• a description of your community's present climate and examples of past climates in your part of the country.

Article 2 is due May 5
Some people might not be aware that human production of greenhouse gases is not the only thing that can cause the Earth's climate to change. There are many different factors that may affect how and when the Earth's climate changes. This article should include information about:

• Milankovitch cycles;
• plate tectonics;
• ocean currents, and
• carbon dioxide levels.

Article 3 is due May 9
Although almost everyone has heard the terms "greenhouse gases" and "global warming," there is a lot of confusion about what these terms actually mean. This article should contain information about:

• greenhouse gasses;
• how humans have increased the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere;
• why scientists think increased carbon dioxide might lead to global warming;
• possible effects of global warming, focusing on those that would have the greatest impact on your community, and
• why it is difficult to predict climate change.

El Nino and Central Florida

Remember to work on your chapter challenge. I've added the PowerPoint presentations from class to this site. Look on the right side bar under "Review Presentations".

There are now 3 presentations on this site plus all the other links I have provided to help you with your Chapter Challenge. The latest presentation is "El Nino and Central Florida", which looks at weather and economic impacts specific to our community. Some of you saw part of this in class today, others will see it tomorrow.

Don't just cut and paste from the internet, instead put things in your own words.

Good luck, keep working!

El Nino

Click the image to the left to learn more about El Nino. A better understanding of El Nino will lead to a better grade on your Chapter Challenge.

By now you should have a good start on your project, an introduction on ocean circulation, an explanation of how the surface circulation changes during an El Nino event, and the relationship between ocean circulation patterns and the atomspheric conditions. Be sure you are including pictures, data tables or illustrations in your project.

Over the next few days we'll take a close look at how El Nino affects weather around the world. Then examine the impacts to the food chain. Don't leave your project to the last minute. You'll only have about 10-15 minutes per day to work on your project in class.

Chapter Challenge

Chapter Challenges are an important component of your studies in Earth Science. These long term projects establish your team as researchers or investigators and set you off on a mission to help solve a problem in your community.

Your first Chapter Challenge is this:

Leaders in your community want to know if an El Nino event could affect the climate (weather) and economy of your community. They have asked your help. The state will host a conference to discuss how to minimize the impact of El Nino, but only if your research reveals it can actually affect your community.

You are to prepare a report in which you will explain:

1. Ocean surface circulation and how it changes during El Nino
2. The relationship of ocean and atmospheric circulation patterns during an El Nino
3. Changes in weather or climate that might occur in our community (central Florida)
4. The relationship between ocean circulation patterns and the food chain and how El Nino affects these.
5. How El Nino related changes in the food chain might affect Florida.
   

One report will be produced per team (table). All teammates must contribute to the project. The project can take many forms (video, powerpoint, typed, poster, etc).

Little time will be devoted to producing your report in class, so consider this a home project. Each of the 6 activities we will be doing in class for this chapter is designed to provide the information you need to complete this project. However feel free to conduct additional study into this topic and include that information in your report.

Each day when you complete the left side of your notebook there is a section for "Planning for Chapter Challenge". In addition, during each of the 6 activities, there is a "Reflecting on the Activity and the Challenge" and "Preparing for the Chapter Challenge" section, both of which are designed to help you complete your project.

Because this project is due at the end of all 6 activities, it is difficult to establish a completely firm due date. However it looks like November 6th might be a good date. That gives you 4 more weeks (we started this September 26th).

The project will be evaluated on how thoroughly and accurately you address each of the items listed above. A one or two sentence answer for each would not be considered complete. Illustrations, charts, data tables and graphs should be included. These help to provide scientific data supporting your statements. The report will also be graded on how interesting and creative it is. Put your artistic and scientific sides to work.

Team members will rate the contributions made by each of their members to the project. I will take these evaluations into consideration when giving individual grades, but they will not affect the overall grade of the project. You still need to deliver a good quality project even if some team members do not contribute.