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Syllabus and Course Policies (Needs to be signed by parent and student)

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Flinn Safety Contract (Needs to be signed by parent and student)

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Space- What is Earth's Place in the Universe?

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Here is where we will begin our semester-long exploration of the planet Earth.  Each lesson has an associated PDF document, a bit of text here, and perhaps a video or simulator link.  Use these resources to explore the concepts of Earth Science.  By the end of this course of study, you should be able to explain in detail the processes at work on, above, and below Earth's surface.

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Star Cluster Observations (PDF) 

Let's begin by exploring our planet's place in the universe.  There is no better object to observe to characterize space than stars.  In the document above are several photographs of star clusters.  Look over them.  Create a list of at least five observations that you make while looking at these star clusters.  For each observation, what inference can you draw from it?  An inference is a bit like an assumption based on a combination of observation and logic.  (For instance, if you find a set of tire marks on the road, you can infer that a car hit the breaks and made the marks.)  What are observations and inferences you can draw from these photographs?

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What's Going on with these Stars? (PDF)

What can we learn about stars by creating a scatterplot of color and luminosity?  Look over the data table and graph the information.  What trends can we find when we plot color against luminosity?  Are there groups of stars that stand out?  Where do you think our sun is in the graph you created?  We will explore these questions to help us learn about stars.

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The Hertzsprung-Russel Diagram: What does it tell us about a star's life? (PDF)

Now that we have developed a good scatterplot of stars' color and luminosity, what does it tell us about the lives of stars?  Are stars fixed in place in the diagram, or can they move around?  How do high-mass and low-mass stars differ in their life cycles?  What determines the color of a star?  How is temperature related?  With this document and associated links, we will begin to tackle these questions about stellar evolution.

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Glowing Gasses: What did we observe with our spectroscopes?

In class we looked at a variety of electrified gasses and observed their spectral lines with simple spectroscopes.  Each element produced a unique set of spectral lines!  How can we use these observations to tell us what stars are made of?

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Emission Spectrum WebLab: What does Light Tell us About Stars? (PDF)

We began making some simple observations of the spectra of different glowing gasses.  This weblab helps to fill in some of the theoretical background to help you understand what atoms are doing when gasses glow.  Why do different elements produce different emission spectra?  How can we use this simulator to understand stars?

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  • Click the following link to see a screencast that shows you how to use a star's "color fingerprint" to identify the elements that the star is made of: https://youtu.be/PZZnBDqXCXw

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Elements and the Lives of Stars: Atom Factories (PDF)

By now we have a firm grasp on how to determine the elements that stars are made of.  Using a spectroscope, we can compare the emission lines of a star with the emission lines of known elements.  If all the emission lines from an element are in a star's spectrum, that element must be in the star!  But what can this tell us about how stars "live their lives?"  This document walks you through how we can make these sorts of conclusions.

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Why do Planets Move that Way? An Exploration of Orbits (PDF)

Finally, we can have a little break from stars!  In this weblab, you will explore the movements of objects in space.

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How Far Away are the Stars? An Exploration of "Parallax" (PDF)

Space is an enormous place.  By now you have learned that objects move in orbits, and you have seen that their behavior is predictable and regular.  However, we currently have no way to determine how far the stars really are from us.  Remember, even the largest stars are so far away that we see them only as points of light!  So how could we measure such an incomprehensible distance?  The answer lies in this weblab.  Learn how to measure the distance to the stars!

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How are the Stars Moving?  An Exploration of "Redshift" (PDF)

With the technique of parallax you learned how to measure the distance to the stars.  But what about the movement of the stars toward or away from us?  Parallax cannot measure that.  In this weblab you will explore an odd phenomenon called "redshift" and see how we can use this to determine whether stars are moving toward or away from us, and how fast they are moving.

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The Big Bang Theory: Not Just a Nerdy Sitcom (PDF)

By now you know a great deal about a variety of objects and phenomena in space.  But what about the beginning of it all?  We call this event the Big Bang, and it is what we refer to as a theory.  The document above serves as a guide for a discussion of theories and the implications of the Big Bang as a theory.

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Guiding Questions for the Space Unit (PDF)

Phew!  You have learned A LOT about the universe!  Before taking the summative assessment for this unit, take a moment to look over the Guiding Questions.  These are meant to give you a comprehensive idea of what kinds of questions you should be able to answer and discuss on the summative assessment.

 

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Rocks & Minerals- What is our Planet Made of?

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What is the Space Connection to Earth Science? (PDF)

We spent the first unit learning about space, stars in particular.  Where do we go from here?  First, let us establish the connection between "space science" and "Earth Science."  Did we learn about any cosmic events that have to do with the Earth?  What about Earth's creation or composition?  In the document above, you will find a short reading on a special type of space event.  Read it and answer the questions that follow.

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Exploration Lab- Mineral Traits and Composition (PDF)

Now that you have seen which elements are created by supernovae and which ones are not, let's look at some minerals that appear on Earth.  A mineral is a naturally-occurring solid with a crystal lattice.  Minerals come in a wide variety of colors, hardness, odors, chemical formulas, crystal shapes, and even magnetic properties.  In this exploration lab, you will investigate the characteristics of minerals and learn how to distinguish different minerals based on their properties.

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Crystal Growth- What Influences the Growth of Crystals? (PDF)

By now you have learned how to tell different minerals apart.  Now we should be thinking about how minerals form on Earth and what we can infer based on their crystal structure.  In this lab, you will grow crystals in a saturated solution of an assigned mineral.  You will choose a manipulated variable (MV) and a responding variable (RV) and identify how your MV affects the RV of the crystal.  Your instructor will provide materials and assist you in your lab.

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What Story does this Rock Tell?  Using Rock Properties to Identify What Happened (PDF)

You should now know some basics about crystal formation.  You might have observed that solutions which cool off slower produce larger crystals.​  This is a very important observation, because it lets us infer how a rock formed.  But what if we cannot observe crystals in a rock?  There are other features of rocks that we can use to infer how they were made.  In this lab you will carefully observe a variety of rocks, while using a dichotomous key to tell them apart.

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  • Click this link to download the dichotomous key that we used in class to tell rocks apart.

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How Are Rocks Made?  An In-Depth Look at Rock Formation (PDF)

By now you are getting more familiar with ​the features and distinguishing characteristics of rocks.  Can we use these features to identify the area, environment, or process that created the rock?  In this weblab, you will explore a rock as it travels through the rock cycle.  You will learn how different processes- such as cooling lava, rivers, and tectonic movement- influence the types of rocks that are made there.

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  • Click the following link to see an informative screencast on how to use rock traits to infer how the rock was made: https://youtu.be/ieTBdMeN6xE

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Guiding Questions for Rocks & Minerals Unit (PDF)

You learned a lot about rocks and minerals in this unit!  Before taking the summative assessment, take a moment to look over the Guiding Questions.  These are meant to give you a comprehensive idea of what kinds of questions you should be able to answer and discuss on the summative assessment.

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Michigan Geology- What forces have shaped our state?

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Michigan Mapping Investigation- Where Are All the Resources? (PDF)

To begin the Michigan Geology Unit, let's take a very superficial look at what we have lying around the state.  Let's start by examining our resources.  Michigan is rich in many natural resources, and you may be surprised to find out what some of them are.  Click the links below to get started and try to identify some trends or interesting features of Michigan's natural resources.

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  • Click here to download a copy of the resources map.

  • Click the following link to see a helpful screencast on how to do this investigation:  https://youtu.be/dbKj7FaquOM

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Mapping Michigan's Geology- Identifying Patterns, Structures, and Layers (PDF)

You have begun to examine Michigan's natural resources as a superficial look at our geology.  Now, let's get a bit more technical and use some online technology to find out what lies below the surface.  This weblab will have you exploring the different layers of Michigan's geology and making a few inferences about what is going on here.  Have fun and see what kinds of patterns, structures, and layers you can identify in Michigan's geology.

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  • Click the following link to see a helpful screencast on how to use the mapping tool and be successful in this investigation: https://youtu.be/sv2Hi6T9Mf0

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Glacier Flubber- Using Flowing Materials to Characterize Glacier Behavior (PDF)

At this point, you should have uncovered a vast wealth of information on Michigan's geology.  This includes the deep bedrock geology, the superficial sediment geology on the surface, and even the features carved into these sediments.  If you observed carefully, you would have noticed that glacier and lake activity played an outsized role in shaping the state of Michigan.  How could we study glaciers?  Let's creating miniature "glaciers" in the lab with flubber.  This material flows in a manner similar to glaciers, allowing us to model glacier behavior in the lab.

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Glacier Simulation WebLab- How Does a Real Glacier Move? (PDF)

You saw in the glacier flubber lab that glaciers have peculiar ways of moving.  Various conditions affect their movement, and different parts of the glacier move at different speeds.  But flubber is not exactly glacier material!  In this online simulator weblab, you will explore a more realistic depiction of a glacier, and you will identify how changes to the environment affect the behavior of the glacier, such as its maximum thickness and total length.  You will also see how the glacier affects it surroundings and sediments.

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Inferring Michigan's Glacial Past (PDF)

By now you are an expert on how glaciers behave!  Next, we need to be able to infer what an ancient glacier was doing, by analyzing the sediments and structures left behind.  Michigan no longer has glaciers, so how can we find out what they were doing in prehistoric times?  By reading the document above, interacting with the maps, and answering the questions, you can evaluate the effect of glaciers on Michigan's surface sediments, land forms, and lakes. 

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  • Click the following link to see a screencast that helps identify and describe different glacial landforms: https://youtu.be/tn_Nty9e3wI

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Interpreting Michigan's Deep Past: What was Here Before the Glaciers? (PDF)

Up to this point you have learned a great deal about the processes that have shaped Michigan's surface, such as sediments and glacial landforms.  But what can we learn by looking below those sediments?  The document above includes a reading and some analysis questions meant to stimulate your thinking on the subject of Michigan's bedrocks.  What patterns do we notice?  What trends can we see?  What can we infer about Michigan's very ancient past by observing the bedrocks we find here?

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Modeling Michigan's Mysterious Ring Structures with Clay (PDF)

When you read the document in the previous lesson, you learned that the bedrocks of Michigan's Lower Peninsula are shaped in rings.  The center-most rings of bedrock are younger in age, while the rocks get older as you move out from the center.  Why might this be?  What processes could result in these distinct ring patterns?  In this lesson, you will use some modeling clay to create two structures and see which one explains Michigan's rings.  Read and following the document to do this.  A recipe for safe home-made modeling clay is found in one of the links below.

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Michigan's Western Upper Peninsula: What Happened to Create these Rocks? (PDF)

At this point you should have been able to identify the special structure that results in Michigan's unique bedrock ring pattern found in the Lower Peninsula.  But what about the geology of the Upper Peninsula?  You may recall that the rocks of teh UP are much older, and they also include metamorphic and igneous rocks.  This hints at a very different environment in Michigan's deep past.  In this lesson we learn when and how these rocks appeared, and we also learn why iron and copper resources are found here.

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Modeling Practice: Michigan's Surface, Bedrocks, and Resources (PDF)

By now you know an enormous amount about Michigan's geology.  You have learned how past environments have shaped Michigan's current surface and bedrocks, and you have connected Michigan's resources to its geological history.  This is a lot to keep straight!  In this small project you will be modeling Michigan's geology.  This is good practice for an assessment, because it helps you to organize and illustrate your thoughts in a visual and literary manner.  It is also possible that a similar modeling portion will be on the summative assessment

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  • Click here to download a copy of blank Michigan maps you can use for this modeling.

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Guiding Questions for Michigan Geology Unit (PDF)

You learned a lot about Michigan's geology in this unit!  Before taking the summative assessment, take a moment to look over the Guiding Questions.  These are meant to give you a comprehensive idea of what kinds of questions you should be able to answer and discuss on the summative assessment.

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Michigan Through Time- What can we conclude about Earth's history by studying Michigan's past?

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What can We Discover about Michigan Using Fossils? (PDF)

In the previous unit you learned a lot about the rocks and sediments that define Michigan's geology.  What we have not explored is the ancient life that used to thrive in Michigan, and what fossils can tell us about ancient ecosystems and environments.  â€‹Use the document above to guide you through a simple mapping exercise to will help you start to draw conclusions about Michigan's ancient flora and fauna.

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Using Traits to Identify Michigan Fossils (PDF)

In this lab you will learn how to develop a simple field guide to identify fossils.  A field guide is a resource that you can use to tell a specimen apart from others.  Use the fossil set (or the picture file) to sketch the fossils of each age, and use the data tables to include the genus, common name, and habitat of each fossil organism.  When you are done, you will have a useful guide to tell Michigan fossils apart.

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  • Click here to see a scanned copy of the fossils, including their genus, common name, and pictures.

  • Click the following link to see a screencast that goes into a bit more detail about how fossils are made, and what they can tell us about the organisms that made them: https://youtu.be/a-CqYYwWAQY

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What Does Michigan's Geological Timeline Look Like? (PDF)

Now you will get a bird's eye view of Michigan's past in the form of a timeline.  To create this timeline, you'll need a 7-meter sheet of paper, and you will need to calculate the year for each corresponding distance on the paper.  Follow the directions in the document above to create the timeline of Earth's past, with Michigan in a starring role.

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WebLab- Exploring Earth's Past (PDF)

Finally, let's explore the different eras of Earth's past with an interactive online simulator.  Use the document above to document 6 different periods in Earth's past, focusing on the location of Michigan as you go.  See what kinds of environments and climates Michigan had by watching the motion of the Earth's continents, oceans, mountains, and ice sheets.

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