Week 6: Geological Time

 Week 6: Geological Time 

1. What did you do in the lab today? 

In the lab, we did a short review at the beginning of class. We then moved on to discussing the timeline of the Earth, addressing our preconceptions. We debated when major events throughout Earth's history actually occurred and used the Earth viewer to discover interesting facts about the Earth over the last 4.65 billion years. We discussed many of the various events that occurred before humans. For example, dinosaurs lived for millions of years before being wiped out by an asteroid, whereas humans have only been living for approximately 300,000 years. One thing that I learned was that we are currently in a mass extinction since the Revolutionary War because humans are killing off more than 90% of the plants and animals. 

2. What was the big question? 

What is the Earth's history, and the significant events that occurred before humans? 

3. What did you learn in Thursday's discussion? 

N/A - Quiz 

4. Read the online textbook chapter 2: 

  • What did you learn?
    • At least three times in Earth's history, the planet has been almost entirely covered in ice. 
      • These events happened between 580 and 750 million years ago. 
      • Called snowball Earth
      • It was caused by a chain of events 
      • Since ice is very insulating, it does not heat up efficiently by sunlight.
    • Why isn't Earth covered in ice now?
      • Volcanoes continued to erupt, releasing high levels of carbon dioxide that then accumulated and trapped beneath the ice, causing it to melt. 
        • Since there were no plants to absorb the CO2, there was a significant amount of it. 
      • The ice turned into water, which has a lower albedo, and absorbed more of the Sun's energy. 
        • Albedo - The amount of energy reflected by a surface. Dark surfaces tend to have low albedo because they absorb more energy. 
  • What was most helpful? 
    • The image of the clock is beneficial, as it puts into perspective how many events occurred on Earth before humans were created. By saying that the first humans would be at 11:59 p.m., it helps me understand that there were many things before human life. 
  • What do you need more information on?
    • I am interested in knowing how long it took the Earth to thaw out and how much time elapsed between each of the snowball Earths. 
 5. What questions, concerns, and/or comments do you have? 

It is terrifying and sad that we are currently living in a mass extinction of plants and animals. 



          Comments

          Post a Comment

          Popular posts from this blog

          Week 8: Geology that Kids See

          Image
           Week 8: Geology that Kids See  1. What did you do in the lab today?  Today in lab, we started by discussing the Sweater Weather article with the class. Then we moved on to examine different types of sand under a microscope, trying to determine where each type came from. As a group, we decided on some sand samples, primarily those most likely from water. After this, we moved on to examining fossils under the microscope, identifying their types, and comparing them to rocks. Finally, we took a field trip to McBride Hall and looked through the museum. The point of this field trip was to show us how we can teach our students about these topics through going somewhere to learn, enhancing learning, and engagement. For example, they have a giant sloth at this museum, and Ted mentioned that it is important for students to see it in person to support their learning.  2. What was the big question?  How can rocks and fossils help us understand Earth’s history? How do weath...
          Read more

          Week 11 Blog Post

          Image
                    This week, we went to six stations in the lab, each with a different scientific phenomenon:  Coke Float : We put four cans into a bucket of water: a mini can of Coke and a mini can of diet Coke, which both floated in the water. We also put a regular can of Coke and a regular can of diet Coke into the water. The diet Coke floated, and the Coke sunk. Our group concluded that the sugar in regular Coke is denser, which causes it to sink, and since diet Coke doesn't contain sugar, it floated. We are still unsure why the Coke mini can didn't sink when the regular size did.  Baking Soda and Vinegar : When the baking soda was mixed into the bag with vinegar, a chemical reaction caused it to become bubbly and carbonated. We also noticed that gas was created as the bag filled. We do not know why this happened.  Cold Soda : When taking the soda can out of the cooler, water begins forming outside the can and causes the can to get warm. This is ...
          Read more

          Week 12 Blog Post

          Image
               Today in the lab, we learned more about the different properties of matter and discovered how these properties can vary depending on the type of matter. We tested many different objects, such as clay, wax, crayons, erasers, chalk, pennies, tin foil, and wood, to determine whether they float or sink, their mass and volume, whether they are attracted to a magnet, and whether they will conduct electricity.       I was able to relate the lab to what I already knew about matter having different properties because I already understood that some materials can float or sink and that certain metals are magnetic, but testing these properties firsthand helped reinforce that knowledge and showed me how these properties can be measured and observed in different ways.       The part about testing for magnetism and floating/sinking was clear and easy to observe, as well as measuring mass and volume. One part that was a little confusing was un...
          Read more