ALABAMA COURSE OF STUDYSIXTH GRADE SCIENCE

Earth and Space ScienceAn Overview of Objectives

Ashley AllenOneonta High School

Students Will…Identify global patterns of atmospheric movement, including El Niño, the Gulf Stream, the jet stream, the Coriolis effect, and global winds that influence local weather.

Predicting local weather and weather patterns• Examples: cold and warm fronts, high and low pressure areas

Describing the function of instruments and technology used to investigate Earth’s weather, including barometers, thermometers, wind socks, weather vanes, satellites, radar, weather balloons, and rain gaugesUsing lines of latitude and longitude to locate areas of specific weather eventsInterpreting weather data through observations collected over time

• Example: calculating annual precipitation and average temperature

Global Patterns of Atmospheric Movement

El Nino is a warm ocean current that develops in the eastern Pacific and flows north along the western coast of South America.

El Nino can cause short-term weather changes that are noticed globallyEl Nino is part of the El Nino – Southern Oscillation (ENSO) patterns of wind and water currents and occurs every 3 to 10 years

El Nino

Global Patterns of Atmospheric Movement

Gulf stream is part of a world-wide conveyor of ocean current.

Warm water circulates through the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico and then Northeast along the coast of North America

This current slows down in the North Atlantic and becomes the North Atlantic current

These warm water currents have a moderating effect on the climate of Ireland where palm trees may be found growing in a surprisingly high latitude

Gulf Stream

Global Patterns of Atmospheric Movement

Jet streams are narrow bands of high speed winds that blow in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere.

Global Patterns of Atmospheric Movement

Trade winds are prevailing winds that blow from east to west from 30° latitude to the equator in both hemispheres.

Global Patterns of Atmospheric Movement

Coriolis effect is the curving of the path of oceans and winds due to the rotation of the Earth.

Investigating WeatherThermometer is an instrument used to measure temperature – the average kinetic energy of a substance.Barometer is an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure.Weather balloons can be released into the atmosphere that carry a variety of instruments that can take direct readings and transmit those to stations on the ground.A rain gauge is a simple device that measures the amount of rainfall.

Investigating WeatherWind socks are large, conical, open-ended tubes that indicate wind direction and relative speed.Weather vane (a.k.a. wind vane) is a device used to indicate wind direction. Satellites are now an integral part of monitoring and predicting weather patterns.Radar is a system that uses reflected radio waves to determine the location and velocity of objects – including large droplets of water in the atmosphere.

Latitude and LongitudeLines of latitude are parallel to one another and run east and west.

The equator is 0° latitude; N and S note northern or southern hemisphere

Lines of longitude run north and south and are not parallel – they are closer at the poles.

The prime meridian is considered 0° longitude and the international date line is 180° longitudeWhen traveling from the prime meridian, E and W note eastern hemisphere and western hemisphere

Each degree is broken down into 60 minutes and each minute is divided into 60 seconds.

Latitude and Longitude

Students Will…Describe factors that cause changes to Earth’s surface over time.

• Examples: earthquakes, volcanoes, weathering, erosion, glacial erosion or scouring, deposition, water flow, tornadoes, hurricanes, farming and conservation, mining and reclamation, deforestation and reforestation, waste disposal, global climate changes, greenhouse gases

Comparing constructive and destructive natural processes and their effects on land formations

• Examples: constructive—volcanic and mountain-building processes; destructive—erosion by wind, water, and ice

Distinguishing rock strata by geologic composition• Examples: predicting relative age of strata by fossil depth, predicting

occurrence of natural events by rock composition in a particular strata

Dynamic EarthThe Earth’s surface is constantly changing through time by the action of a number of agents.

Geological agents of change may be sudden such as an earthquake or volcanic eruption or gradual such as the erosion of mountain ranges and deposition of sediments in large basinsMeteorological agents of change can involve large areas of land affected by a changing climate or smaller regions scarred by hurricane or tornadoesAnthropogenic (man-made) agents of change such as deforestation, agriculture, and mining are an increasingly powerful force of change on Earth

Evidence of a Dynamic Earth in Alabama

The fossil record shows a variety of environments in Alabama such as coral reefs in Colbert County, barrier islands with channels in Montgomery County, and tropical forests of Walker County.Pollen samples taken from core samples in bogs show change over the past few thousand years even in the vegetation of Alabama.Drill cores taken show evidence of an arid, hot Alabama in which evaporites were forming.

Atmospheric studies show increases in CO2 and ozone depletion over time.

Constructive and Destructive Natural Processes

Constructive forces of nature are best illustrated in the convergent plate boundaries where orogenies (mountain building episodes) take place and in hot spots where volcanic activity produces new land mass.Examples.

Continent-continent collision – HimalayasContinent-ocean collision – AndesOcean-ocean collision – AleutiansHot spots – Hawaii and Surtsey

Constructive and Destructive Natural Processes

Destructive forces of nature can be illustrated best by the power of weathering and erosion.Both physical and chemical weathering of surface materials takes place at variable rates.

Rock StrataThe law of original horizontality states that sedimentary rock strata were initially formed in horizontal layers as sedimentation occurred.The law of superposition states that the deeper one goes in a sequence of sedimentary strata, the older the rocks.The law of faunal succession states that the younger the fossil assemblage, the more similar the forms will be to modern forms in a similar environment.

Students Will…

Describe water and carbon biogeochemical cycles and their effects on Earth.

The Carbon Cycle

Students Will…

Explain the plate tectonic theory.• Example: using terminology such as continental

drift, seafloor spreading, lava, magma, eruption, epicenter, focus, seismic wave, and subduction zone

Describing types of volcanoes and faults

Determining energy release through seismographic data

• Example: using data from the Mercalli scale and the Richter scale

Tectonic TheoryAlfred Wegener proposed continental drift, but could not explain how continents moved over time.Harry Hess used sonar and satellite data to investigate seafloor spreading and was then able to synthesize modern tectonic theory from Wegener’s continental drift and the new data for seafloor spreading.The Earth’s crust is made of many rigid plates resting somewhat buoyantly on the molten layers of magma within the Earth.

Tectonic Plates of the Earth

Types of Volcanoes and FaultsVolcanoes

Shield Volcanoes are large at the base with gently sloping sides and eruptions are generally smooth lava flowsCinder Cones much smaller with very steep sides and violent eruptionsComposite Volcanoes are made of alternating layers of hardened lava flows and pyroclastic material and can explode violently

FaultsNormal fault occurs when the hanging wall slips down relative to the foot wall due to tension

Reverse fault occurs when the hanging wall is forced up above the footwall due to compression

Strike-slip fault occurs when there is lateral movement

Alfred Wegener (above) and Harry Hess (below)

The Mercalli scale goes from I to XII and measures the destruction caused by the earthquake.

The Richter scale goes from 1 to 10 and measures the energy released at the focus. An earthquake of 6 releases 10 time the energy of an earthquake of 5; an earthquake of 7 would release 100 times the energy of the earthquake of 5.

Students Will…

Describe layers of the oceanic hydrosphere, including the pelagic zone, benthic zone, abyssal zone, and intertidal zone.

The HydrosphereThe distribution of marine life within the zones of the ocean is determined by amount of sunlight, water temperature, and pressure.

Benthic zone is the bottom region of a body of water.

Pelagic zone is the region of an ocean (or freshwater) that is above the benthic zone and may be divided into different categories according to depth.

Intertidal zone is the area between the highest high-tide and the lowest low-tide.

The HydrosphereThe sublitoral zone is the continuously submerged zone located on the continental shelves and is heavily populated with marine life.

The bathyal zone begins at the continental slope and extends to a depth of about 4,000 m.

Abyssal zone occurs at a depth of 4,000 to 6,000 meters and no sunlight penetrates.

Hadal zone is composed of areas deeper than 6,000 m in depth and usually confined to ocean trenches.

Students Will…

Describe regions of the oceanic lithosphere, including the continental shelf, continental slope, and abyssal plain.

Oceanic LithosphereOceanic lithosphere (mostly basalt) is denser and thinner than continental crust (mostly granite).The continental shelf is the part of the continent that is covered by ocean and usually slopes gently (about 0.12 m every 100 m).The continental slope is the steep slope on the seaward edge of a continental shelf.

The boundary between the continental crust and the oceanic crust is found at the base of the continental slope

The abyssal planes are large, flat areas (<3m change over 1300 km) where the ocean is more than 4 km deep.

Students Will…

Describe Earth’s biomes.• Examples: aquatic biomes, grasslands, deserts,

chaparrals, taigas, tundras

Identifying geographic factors that cause diversity in flora and fauna, including elevation, location, and climate

Students Will…

Describe how Earth’s rotation, Earth’s axial tilt, and distance from the equator cause variations in the heating and cooling of various locations on Earth.

Seasons

Students Will…

Identify the moon’s phases.Describing lunar and solar eclipses

Relating effects of the moon’s positions on oceanic tides

Students Will…Describe components of the universe and their relationships to each other, including stars, planets and their moons, solar systems, and galaxies.

Identifying the impact of space exploration on innovations in technology

• Examples: MRI, microwave, satellite imagery, GPS

Mapping seasonal changes in locations of constellations in the night skyDescribing the life cycle of a star

• Example: H-R diagram

Students Will…

Describe units used to measure distance in space, including astronomical units and light years.

Astronomical MeasurementsAn astronomical unit (AU) is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun.An astronomical unit is 149,597,870.66 km or about 1.5 x 108 km.The speed of light is also used to express distance in astronomy.A light-year is the distance traveled by light (in a vacuum) during one year, which is about 300,000,000 m/s or 9.4607 x 1012 km in a year.The closest star (other than the Sun) to the Earth is 4.2 light years away.

ReferencesEl Nino - http://www.meteo.physik.uni-muenchen.de/~crewell/vorles/FE_vorles/fe_ozean_Dateien?D=A El Nino Ocean Thermograph - http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/digest/issue20 Gulf Stream - http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/03titanic/rusticles/rusticles.htmlhttp://oceanex/explorations/03bump/background/geology/media/charlestongyre_600.jpgOcean Conveyor - http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/Magazine/mj04/alacarte.asp?from=maps

References

Jet Stream Cross Section - http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/global/jet.htm

Jet Stream Global View - http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect14/Sect14_1c.html

Trade Winds - http://www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/forum/showthread.php?t=43519

Coriolis Effect - http://uregina.ca/~sauchyn/geog221/atmos.html

ReferencesMobile Bay - http://www.worldhistory.com/wiki/M/Mobile-Bay.htm Latitude and Longitude - http://www.lakelandsd.com/tutorial/instructions.htmlIsland Arc Illustration - http://www.geol.ucsb.edu/faculty/hacker/geo102C/lectures/part13.htmlSurtsey - http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16551

ReferencesMt. Everest - http://www.kirdkao.org/education/resource?C=M&O=D

Soil Erosion - http://coweeta.ecology.uga.edu/coweeta_photographs/erosion.htm

Law of Superposition - http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/acolvil/geo_time.html

Law of Faunal Succession - http://imnh.isu.edu/geo_time/geo_principles.htm

ReferencesHydrologic Cycle - http://www.ncar.ucar.edu/eo/basics/wx_1_c.htmlCarbon Cycle - http://prome.snu.ac.kr/~ohrora/gis/rs/Sect16/nicktutor_16-4.htmlPelagic Zones - http://web2k.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/jeffms/schnably/3/2/ocean_habitat.htmOcean Zonation - http://www.aquatic.uoguelph.ca/oceans/introduction/zonation/zonation.htm

ReferencesMantle Convection - http://www.gly.fsu.edu/~salters/GLY1000/Chapter3/Chapter3_index.htmlTectonic Plates – http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/pltec/pltec2.htmlConvergent Boundaries - http://earth.geol.ksu.edu/sgao/g100/plotsDivergent Boundaries - http://teachers.sduhsd.k12.ca.us/hherms/herms/GEOLOGY/boundaries/divergent_boundary.htm

ReferencesContinental Slope - http://www.harcourtschool.com/scienceglossary/define/gr6/cont_slope6c.htmlTransform Boundary - http://www.gly.fsu.edu/~salters/GLY1000/Chapter5/5Plate_Tectonics_index.htmlTypes of Volcanoes - http://www.geo.umn.edu/courses/3003/syllabus.htmTypes of Faults - http://3dparks.wr.usgs.gov/nyc/highlands/highlands.html

ReferencesAlfred Wegener - http://www.stchas.edu/faculty/ewilson/Photos/Plates

Harry Hess - http://www.websamba.com/biogeo1/tecto2.html

Mercalli and Richter Scale Comparison - http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/teach/chart.htm

Seismic Waves - http://www.vims.edu/physical/ms330/class330.htm

ReferencesOcean Floor - http://140.112.68.243/chap2/chap2.htm

Earth’s Biomes - http://www.biologycorner.com/bio4/notes/biomes.php

Earth’s Seasons - http://oz.plymouth.edu/~sci_ed/Turski/Courses/Astronomy/Notes/Chap.1.NightSky.html

Moon Phases - http://oz.plymouth.edu/~sci_ed/Turski/Courses/Astronomy/Notes/Chap.1.NightSky.html

ReferencesMoon and Tides - http://www.thehopewellrocks.ca/english/fundytides2.hLunar Eclipse - http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/time?C=M%3BO=ASolar Eclipse - http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/time?C=M%3BO=AHertzsprung-Russell Diagram - http://www.astro.virginia.edu/~mnc3z/astro124.html

References

Galaxies - http://www.naasbeginners.freeuk.com/AbsoluteBeginners/Clusters_and_Galaxies.htm

Moon Phases - http://oz.plymouth.edu/~sci_ed/Turski/Courses/Astronomy/Notes/Chap.1.NightSky.html