1. Astronomy
My favorite topic in astronomy was learning about meteors. It was interesting to learn about how the name of the rock changes as it enters Earth's atmosphere. I didn't know before how many names there were for the same object in a different place, and what each of them meant. I found it interesting how many enter Earth's atmosphere everyday, but they are only the size of microscopic dust.
2. Weather and Climate
What I enjoyed the most about the weather and climate unit was learning about the different layers of Earth's atmosphere. It is surprising to learn how much you don't know about the place you live. It was fun to learn all about the four layers and how different they are.
3. Geology
Volcanoes! Big hollow mountains full of hot, bubbling lava! Volcanoes are very intriguing to learn about. There are so many different land forms made from lava, and there are also many different kinds of volcanoes. How is it that volcanoes are so complex, and no one seems to know anything about them?
4. Weathering and Erosion
My favorite part of weathering and erosion is erosion from wind. No one would ever guess that wind is such a powerful force of erosion. It is interesting because something you can't see can have enough force to reshape deserts and other large areas of land. It may take a long time, but nothing on Earth's surface changes quickly.
5. Earth's Waters
The most interesting part of Earth's waters for me was the supply and demand of water. It is amazing to realize how important water is to our everyday lives, and most people don't think twice about it. Even more surprising is that people in the U.S use so much more than people in other counties. So next time you turn on the faucet, remember how lucky you are to have fresh, clean drinking water!
Now it is time for my 8th Grade Earth Science blog to close down. Now that 8th Grade is over, I have no use for this blog any longer.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Water Cycle
What is the water cycle?
The water cycle is a cycle that moves water around the earth.
Does the water cycle have a beginning or end?
No.
Starting with a puddle on a sunny day, describe how water might move through the water cycle and eventually fall back as rain.
The sun causes the water in the puddle to eveporate. The water vapor condensates in the sky into clouds. When the clouds become too heavy, gravity pulls the water to the earth in the form of rain, snow, or hail.
The water cycle is a cycle that moves water around the earth.
Does the water cycle have a beginning or end?
No.
Starting with a puddle on a sunny day, describe how water might move through the water cycle and eventually fall back as rain.
The sun causes the water in the puddle to eveporate. The water vapor condensates in the sky into clouds. When the clouds become too heavy, gravity pulls the water to the earth in the form of rain, snow, or hail.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Annotated Bibliography
1. http://www.greeniacs.com/GreeniacsArticles/Great-Pacific-Garbage-Patch.html
This site tells about many different things on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It has the formation, effects on wildlife, and information on the possible end of the patch. I only used to site to learn about the area's effect on wildlife. It told me about the animals mistake the trash for food and the harmful, indigestible garbage enters the food chain. It also told me about how animals get tangled in the floating mess of trash.
2. http://discovermagazine.com/2008/jul/10-the-worlds-largest-dump
This site talks about the problems of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and also describes it. I leaned from this site how big the garbage patch is and that is it also called the Eastern Garbage Patch or the North Pacific Gyre. I also found that people sometimes refer to the trash in the water as "plastic soup."
3. http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.feature/id/1656/page/2
This site talks about how the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a problem and how it effects animals, as well as humans. This site is mostly about how the Great Pacific Garbage Patch effects humans, but there was still a bit on animals that I used. I learned that many animals died from eating the plastic and the toxics in the trash enters the food chain, and may reach humans and effect us too.
4. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch.htm
Like the other sites, this site tells about the problems of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and how it was created. It also talks a bit about animals and problems caused for them. I used the information about how the garbage patch takes away homes for marine life because the garbage makes it impossible for animals to live near it. There is more information that doesn't apply to my question.
This site tells about many different things on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It has the formation, effects on wildlife, and information on the possible end of the patch. I only used to site to learn about the area's effect on wildlife. It told me about the animals mistake the trash for food and the harmful, indigestible garbage enters the food chain. It also told me about how animals get tangled in the floating mess of trash.
2. http://discovermagazine.com/2008/jul/10-the-worlds-largest-dump
This site talks about the problems of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and also describes it. I leaned from this site how big the garbage patch is and that is it also called the Eastern Garbage Patch or the North Pacific Gyre. I also found that people sometimes refer to the trash in the water as "plastic soup."
3. http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.feature/id/1656/page/2
This site talks about how the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a problem and how it effects animals, as well as humans. This site is mostly about how the Great Pacific Garbage Patch effects humans, but there was still a bit on animals that I used. I learned that many animals died from eating the plastic and the toxics in the trash enters the food chain, and may reach humans and effect us too.
4. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch.htm
Like the other sites, this site tells about the problems of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and how it was created. It also talks a bit about animals and problems caused for them. I used the information about how the garbage patch takes away homes for marine life because the garbage makes it impossible for animals to live near it. There is more information that doesn't apply to my question.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Ocean Pollution- Essential Questions
1. What, specifically about your topic, are you going to research?
My topic is ocean pollution, and I am specifically researching the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and garbage dumping. My question is how does the Great Pacific Garbage Patch effect animals?
2. What conclusions did you come to? What do you recommend average citizens do to make a difference? Be specific. This is the main part of your assignment.
The floating trash, often mostly plastic, is viewed by jellyfish, sea turtles, Black-footed Albatross, and other marine birds and animals. The garbage is not only impossible to digest, but it adds toxic pollutants into the food chain as well. Many animals have been found dead with plastic or other wastes in their stomach. When the animals aren't eating the garbage, birds, fish, and other animals have been found entangled in the mess. Average people can help by, for starters, recycling more plastic so it doesn't end up in the ocean. Not littering on beaches, or even picking up litter, can help as well. To clean the patch, most of the work has to be organized. The condition of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch can't be changed overnight, it might not even be improvable, but something we can do it prevent it from getting worse.
3. What would happen if, worst-case scenario, nobody listened to your recommendations?
If people didn't listen to my recommendations, the problem of the garbage patch would continue to increase, causing more animals to die. The ocean would become more and more polluted until animals couldn't even live there anymore. The problem might even spead further out into the ocean, taking away more living space for aquatic animals.
4. What would happen if, best-case scenario, everybody listened to your recommendations?
If everyone listened to my recommendations, the problem would most likely improve. Only oragnized programs would help the current issue, but everyone can help to prevent it from increasing. The patch of ocean may even be free of trash one day, a perfect place for all kinds of animals to make their home.
My topic is ocean pollution, and I am specifically researching the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and garbage dumping. My question is how does the Great Pacific Garbage Patch effect animals?
2. What conclusions did you come to? What do you recommend average citizens do to make a difference? Be specific. This is the main part of your assignment.
The floating trash, often mostly plastic, is viewed by jellyfish, sea turtles, Black-footed Albatross, and other marine birds and animals. The garbage is not only impossible to digest, but it adds toxic pollutants into the food chain as well. Many animals have been found dead with plastic or other wastes in their stomach. When the animals aren't eating the garbage, birds, fish, and other animals have been found entangled in the mess. Average people can help by, for starters, recycling more plastic so it doesn't end up in the ocean. Not littering on beaches, or even picking up litter, can help as well. To clean the patch, most of the work has to be organized. The condition of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch can't be changed overnight, it might not even be improvable, but something we can do it prevent it from getting worse.
3. What would happen if, worst-case scenario, nobody listened to your recommendations?
If people didn't listen to my recommendations, the problem of the garbage patch would continue to increase, causing more animals to die. The ocean would become more and more polluted until animals couldn't even live there anymore. The problem might even spead further out into the ocean, taking away more living space for aquatic animals.
4. What would happen if, best-case scenario, everybody listened to your recommendations?
If everyone listened to my recommendations, the problem would most likely improve. Only oragnized programs would help the current issue, but everyone can help to prevent it from increasing. The patch of ocean may even be free of trash one day, a perfect place for all kinds of animals to make their home.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Penny Lab
Procedure:
Fill the water dropper with water and slowly drop water on the penny. Try to get as many drops as you can before it spills off.
Prediction:
15 drops.
Outcome:
Trial 1~ 17 drops
Trial 2~ 17 drops
Trial 3~ 18 drops
I wasn't completely surprised by the result. I knew it would be more than most people would think, but it was still more than I expected.
Explanation:
The cohesion of the water kept the drops together, so they didn't fall off the penny until it was just too much to hold together, or until someone got careless with their dropper and went too fast.
Fill the water dropper with water and slowly drop water on the penny. Try to get as many drops as you can before it spills off.
Prediction:
15 drops.
Outcome:
Trial 1~ 17 drops
Trial 2~ 17 drops
Trial 3~ 18 drops
I wasn't completely surprised by the result. I knew it would be more than most people would think, but it was still more than I expected.
Explanation:
The cohesion of the water kept the drops together, so they didn't fall off the penny until it was just too much to hold together, or until someone got careless with their dropper and went too fast.
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