Marcia's Science Teaching Blog

Earthquake in Alaska

2011-09-02T12:27:00.000-05:00

"A major earthquake measuring a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 has rocked remote portions of Alaska, the U.S. Geological Survey reports. The USGS issued, then canceled, a tsunami warning for Alaska's Aleutian Islands. It also lowered the magnitude to 6.8."

Click here for more details.

Hurricane Irene heads for the United States coastline

2011-08-26T11:31:00.001-05:00

Aug 26 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday warned Americans to take Hurricane Irene seriously and urged them to obey orders to evacuate from the path of what is likely to be an "extremely dangerous and costly" storm.

"All indications point to this being a historic hurricane," Obama said in a statement to reporters from the farm where he is vacationing on this island off the Boston coast.

Fifty-five million people are potentially in Hurricane Irene's path, from the Carolinas to Cape Cod on the U.S. East Coast, and tens of thousands are evacuating as cities including New York brace for the powerful storm to hit.

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Track Hurricane Irene with your students!

Use this graph: http://tinyurl.com/3u9375a

and this site for the data: http://tinyurl.com/4xu452m. (Put cursor over dot for coordinates.)

Or try this:

Hurricane Student Booklet from NOAA.

Full Moon May Washout Perseid Meteor Shower Tonight

2011-08-12T18:52:00.000-05:00

Where to look!

Info from Stardate.com:
"Though the shower technically peaks at about 1 a.m. CDT on Saturday, August 13, prime viewing time begins when the constellation Perseus rises into fine view in the northeast around midnight on Friday, August 12. The full Moon will rise in early evening Friday and will be directly overhead after midnight, coinciding exactly with the predicted time of the shower’s peak intensity. The Moon’s brilliant light will overpower most of the meteors."

What a good viewing might look like.

Go here for more information!

Northern Lights Video

2011-08-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

Aurora Borealis @ Tibbitt Lake, NWT from Michael Ericsson on Vimeo.

All Eyes on Vesta

2011-07-16T08:19:00.000-05:00

NASA's Dawn spacecraft obtained this image of the giant asteroid Vesta on July 9, 2011. More details on the Dawn spacecraft mission here.

It's always a good idea to keep your students "up" on what spacecraft NASA currently has floating around "up there!" Check out the NASA website for a wealth of information on several current missions.

Example: The Final Mission of the Space Shuttle.

Go here for a search engine for educator materials for teachers, all grades!

First & Last Shuttle Launches - Fun Perspective!

2011-07-13T15:04:00.000-05:00

Check out the article that goes with this fun photo!

The Geospatial Revolution

2011-04-12T18:44:00.001-05:00

Geospatial technology is changing the modern society in every way, from personal trip planning to homeland security. Check out this great website with four videos and teacher resources.

Messenger's Mercury Photos

2011-04-02T08:01:00.000-05:00

"MESSENGER has delivered its first image since entering orbit about Mercury on March 17. It was taken...by the Mercury Dual Imaging System as the spacecraft sailed high above Mercury’s south pole, and provides a glimpse of portions of Mercury's surface not previously seen by spacecraft. The image was acquired as part of the orbital commissioning phase of the MESSENGER mission. Continuous global mapping of Mercury will begin on April 4."

Click here to visit NASA's Mercury webpages.

The NASA Effect

2011-03-29T08:44:00.000-05:00

From Tyson deGrasse Tyson
Director, Hyden Planetarium

ASTOUNDING INFORMATION!

2011-03-12T13:27:00.000-06:00

"The quake was a global-scale event, shifting the axis of the entire earth by four inches." Click here for details.

The earthquake moved the Japanese coast eight feet. Click here for more information.

8.9 Earthquake Hits Japan, Tsunami Warnings Issued for U.S.A.

2011-03-11T08:34:00.000-06:00

Click here for details of Earthquake.

Click here for U.S. Tsunami Warning.

Did you feel it map:

Shuttle Countdown Clock

2011-02-24T08:30:00.001-06:00

Today is the last launch of the Discovery space shuttle. EVER.

Click here for the countdown clock.

From NASA:
"During space shuttle Discovery's final spaceflight, the STS-133 crew members will take important spare parts to the International Space Station along with the Express Logistics Carrier-4."

New Zeeland Earthquake

2011-02-22T08:22:00.000-06:00

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Click here for more details.
And here.

New Teacher Resources

2011-02-20T11:01:00.000-06:00

Welcome to SCINEWS!

"The purpose of SCINEWS is to provide middle and high school teachers timely, pre-packaged lessons on a science current event (such as an oil spill, earthquake, or shuttle launch) that are short (~15 min), easy to implement, and align to AZ state standards. Materials might include a slide show, videos, maps, photographs, or KML files for use in Google Earth. Each current event lesson has an associated PDF document that contains a brief overview of the event and lesson, as well as a map, photo(s), and AZ standards targeted. Although using current events in the classroom is not new, the goal here is to provide simple and short lessons that associate ‘textbook’ concepts with real events in the news while allowing for class discussion."

HINT from Marcia: Scroll down till you see the above image. There are currently 8 lessons that relate to recent "in the news" earth science-type world events, such as recent Kepler discoveries, Australian floods, Gulf Oil Spill.

New Melt Record for Greenland Ice Sheet

2011-02-07T08:49:00.000-06:00

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The video shows the same meltwater area in 2009 and 2010. Very dramatic difference!

Click here for more details.

Cyclone Yasi Hits Australia

2011-02-03T08:07:00.000-06:00

Share with your students the power of a Category 5 Hurricane. Also a good time to share the different terminology: Cyclone not Hurricane, and its opposite rotation in the southern hemisphere.

Marcia's Teaching Ideas Newsletter

2011-02-02T19:34:00.000-06:00

Marcia's Teaching Ideas Newsletter
via #constantcontact

You can sign up for email delivery, if you like!

New Extinction Theory

2011-01-26T09:46:00.000-06:00

Check out this new theory for the Permian Extinction of almost all animals! Very interesting! What do YOU think?
http://geology.com/press-release/coal-fires-permian-extinction/

Customizable Mineral ID Chart!

2011-01-21T08:58:00.003-06:00

Go here to download an excel file with a four-page mineral ID chart that you can customize to the minerals you choose.

http://geology.com/minerals/mineral-identification.shtml

Great idea!

Kizimen Volcano

2011-01-13T09:05:00.000-06:00

Kizimen Volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula is erupting! Show your students some great photos with captions in Russian (with English subtitles.) What fun!

Then go the the National Geographic's YouTube page and show some volcano videos! This one is beautiful! (Ads before video.)

Shifting Magnetic Poles

2011-01-11T09:09:00.000-06:00

Interesting article in the Tampa Tribune: "The airport has closed its primary runway until Jan. 13 to repaint the numeric designators at each end and change taxiway signage to account for the shift in location of the Earth's magnetic north pole."
Click here for more information.

Use this interesting fact to teach a mini- or maxi-lesson on the Earth's Magnetic Poles!
Click here for a great Pdf crammed full of good teaching ideas!
Click here for a video of the Tampa Airports situation, explaining the 10 degree shift!

Basic Ground-Water Hydrology

2011-01-06T09:02:00.000-06:00

Basic Ground-Water Hydrology (.pdf)

To learn about basic ground water concepts you can download and print a free copy of USGS Water Supply Paper 2220, Basic Ground-Water Hydrology by Ralph Heath.

Big Night in Astronomy TONIGHT!

2010-12-20T14:39:00.000-06:00

Deep-sea Volcano Video

2009-12-17T16:05:00.002-06:00

Deep-sea Volcano Video just released:

(Courtesy NSF, NOAA, AIVL/WHOI)

Oceanographers using the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Jason discovered and recorded the first video and still images of a deep-sea volcano actively erupting molten lava on the seafloor.

Jason, designed and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for the National Deep Submergence Facility, utilized a prototype, high-definition still and video camera to capture the powerful event nearly 4,000 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, in an area bounded by Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.

Mayon Volcano Alert

2009-12-15T11:22:00.002-06:00

20,000 evacuated as Mayon Volcano oozes lava

MANILA, Philippines -- Alert level 3 remained hoisted over Mayon Volcano as of Tuesday because of its highly restive state, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

In a bulletin released by the agency on Tuesday, it said the alert level meant the enforcement of a six-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ) around the volcano.

In addition, a seven-kilometer extended danger zone on the southeast flank of the volcano is also off-limits.

These areas, Phivolcs said, “should be free from human activity because of sudden explosions that may generate hazardous volcanic flows.”

“In addition, areas in the southeast that are outside the seven kilometer danger zone but within eight kilometers of the crater should be on extra alert for increased volcanic activity,” the agency said.

Reading Ice Core Lesson Plans

2009-12-05T13:42:00.011-06:00

Here's a wonderful lesson plan where the teacher makes simulated ice core samples for the students to study:

Frozen in Time: Ice Cores by Jan French

Click here for the Pdf lesson, complete with ice core instructions and student worksheet.

Click here for PBS "Stories in the Ice."

Click here for National Ice Core Laboratory.

Click here for another Pdf lesson in which the students model their own ice cores using play dough and other substances. Then their cores are exchanges and studied. Very kewl!

Click here for a nice "movie" of the life of a snowflake, showing how a glacier forms in layers from snow. Click here for accompanying lesson.

Reading Iceland Ice Cores

2009-12-05T13:30:00.001-06:00

An interview with Vasilii Petrenko, who is working in Greenland where cores are being taken from the Greenland ice sheet. They are studying trapped air in the ice to learn about its composition--especially its CO2 content and the clues that it might provide about climate change.

Top Ten Hurricanes and Earthquakes

2009-11-23T11:05:00.003-06:00

Tornado that touched down Aug 20, 2006
between Bennett and Watkin, Colorado

Estimated Insured Losses for the Top 10
Historical Hurricanes Based on Current Exposures

Source: strategicrisk.co.uk

Date/Event name/2009 Insured Loss

September 18, 1926 Miami Hurricane - $101 billion
August 24, 1992 Hurricane Andrew - $57 billion
September 17, 1947 1947 Fort Lauderdale Hurricane - $55 billion
September 17, 1928 Great Okeechobee Hurricane - $51 billion
August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina - $42 billion
September 9, 1900 Galveston Hurricane of 1900 - $40 billion
September 21, 1938 The Great New England Hurricane - $38 billion
September 9, 1965 Hurricane Betsy - $36 billion
September 10, 1960 Hurricane Donna - $31 billion
September 5, 1950 Hurricane Easy - $21 billion

Estimated Insured Losses for the Top 10
Historical Earthquakes Based on Current Exposures

Date/Event name/Magnitude/2009 Insured Loss

February 7, 1812 New Madrid, MO - 7.7 $100 billion
April 18, 1906 San Francisco, CA - 7.8 $96 billion
August 31, 1886 Charleston, SC - 7.3 $37 billion
June 1, 1838 San Francisco, CA - 7.4 $27 billion
January 17, 1994 Northridge, CA - 6.7 $21 billion
October 21, 1868 Hayward, CA - 7.0 $21 billion
January 9, 1857 Fort Tejon, CA - 7.9 $8 billion
October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta, CA - 6.3 $6 billion
March 10, 1933 Long Beach, CA - 6.4 $5 billion
July 1, 1911 Calaveras, CA - 6.4 $4 billion

Click here for similar disaster list in slide show format from Live Science.com.

2000 Leonid Meteor Shower

2009-11-16T13:34:00.005-06:00

Great Vodcast from BBC about this year's Leonid Meteor Shower:

This year's Leonid Meteor Shower will occur on November 17th.

Encourage your students to watch!

Click here for details.

Click here for how to observe.

Click here for a fun Fact Sheet about Leonid Meteor Showers.

Find out how light pollution has changed the way we view the night sky.

Go to StarDate Online for short video.

Tennesee Rockslide Video

2009-11-13T08:34:00.001-06:00

Great video caught by video news crew:

Show today at the beginning of each class or this coming Monday as a "rocking" good way to start the week, especially if you are teaching EROSION!

Close Call Asteroid

2009-11-13T08:24:00.003-06:00

"A newly discovered asteroid designated 2009 VA, which is only about 7 meters in size, passed about 2 Earth radii (14,000 km) from the Earth's surface Nov. 6 at around 16:30 EST. This is the third-closest known (non-impacting) Earth approach on record for a cataloged asteroid."

Click here for the article.

Video on asteroids and comets:

Video about asteroids and asteroid belt:

CAUTION: I would caution you about discussing this topic with your students. Be sure you are prepared for some of them reacting strongly to this! They seem quite grown-up at the middle-school level, but many still carry a child within and may get "creeped out" by this type of scenario.

Hurricane Ida

2009-11-09T09:03:00.003-06:00

Hurricane Ida has been bearing down on the southern United States through the Gulf of Mexico. It has currently been downgraded to a Tropical Storm, and it's hoped it will bring only rain to the projected area.

Here's a great link with many visuals to show your students!

Click here for blank chart of the Atlantic Basin.

Weather.com has a nice video center.

Human Impact on Climate

2009-10-29T11:36:00.003-05:00

Arctic Lake Sediments Yield 200,000 Years of Climate Change Data
Analysis Supports a Human Impact on Climate

"The possibility that climate change might simply be a natural variation like others that have occurred throughout geologic time is dimming, according to evidence in a Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences paper published in October, 2009."

Click here for details.

ScienceFriday.com

2009-10-28T15:27:00.003-05:00

SCIENCE FRIDAY!

Another great resource for teachers.

Click here for Science Friday - Making Science User-Friendly.

Lots of MP3s you can download and listen to with your students. There are suggestions how how to use this resource.

Also lots of Videos which would be fun to watch, too!

EARTH SCIENCE WEEK 2009

2009-10-13T08:17:00.004-05:00

Did you remember this is EARTH SCIENCE WEEK?

This year's theme is Climate. Here's a nice Climate Activity if you need something to pay homage to Earth Science week but can't spend too much time on it because of curriculum demands.

Dangerous Atmosphere: "How much of a danger does severe weather pose for the area where you live?"

Would work quite well if you have a big screen projection system. Do the research together with each student recording the information in a chart.

Then do a quick discussion, ending with safety tips for each type of danger in your area.

Have each student make a button with a safety tip and wear it this week. Or they could make an Earth Science Week button!

No Moon Crash Photos???

2009-10-09T14:55:00.004-05:00

NASA photo

Interesting...

No good photos of the crash plume are available.

Click here for a good article on just this occurrence, or non-occurrence, from Yahoo News.

Might be an interesting discussion with your students about the unexpected results of an experiment. How we all make assumptions and then wonder what happened when it doesn't work out that way. How this is actually how many important scientific discoveries occur. Not in a planned experiment, but in the ANOMALY that shows us the truth.

NASA Probe crashes into Moon!!!

2009-10-09T08:08:00.002-05:00

On purpose!

And Why? "NASA hopes the impact will kick up enough dust to help the LCROSS probe find the presence of water in the moon's soil." --CNN Report

And Why does that matter? "NASA has said it believes water on the moon could be a valuable resource in the agency's quest to explore the solar system."--CNN Report.

While your students were still sleeping or standing on the corner waiting for their bus, the Great Moon Bombing occurred. Scientists across the country, both amateur and professional, watched the live action.

Here's a NASA animation:

Here's a video that shows before, during, and after impact. No really good photos yet. Hoping to find some later today:

Click here for the latest news reports.

Click here for the LCROSS page at NASA's site.

What fun!

Earthquakes Continue in South Pacific

2009-10-08T08:27:00.005-05:00

Santa Cruz Islands Earthquake

"Another large earthquake in the Vanuatu region. This 7.7 earthquake occurred near the Santa Cruz Islands on Thursday, October 08, 2009 at 9:18 AM local time. It was located on the boundary between the Australia and Pacific plates. A tsunami watch was issued but canceled."

Click here for details.

Vanuatu Earthquake

"A 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Torres Islands, Vanuatu area on Thursday, October 08, 2009 at 09:03 AM local time. The earthquake occurred near the boundary between the Australia and Pacific plates."

Click here for details.

CNN Reports on South Pacific Earthquakes

Click here for details.

USGS Podcast on Samoa/Sumatra Earthquakes

2009-10-06T07:54:00.003-05:00

"Two large earthquakes have hit the Pacific. Harley Benz, Scientist-in-Charge at the USGS National Earthquake Information Center, talks about the quakes' damage, their relationship to one another, and what USGS scientists are doing in the aftermath."

Click here for USGS Podcast about the earthquakes.

Click here for more CoreCasts.

Click here for CoreFacts - a shorter version of a CoreCast.

Hazard in the New Madrid Seismic Zone

2009-10-05T07:47:00.002-05:00

"There is broad agreement in the scientific community that a continuing concern exists for a major destructive earthquake in the New Madrid seismic zone. Many structures in Memphis, Tenn., St. Louis, Mo., and other communities in the central Mississippi River Valley region are vulnerable and at risk from severe ground shaking."

Click here for the details.

Click here for the new August 2009 Fact Sheet.

Can a Large Earthquake Trigger Global Seismic Activity?

2009-10-01T08:05:00.003-05:00

Indonesian Quake 9/30/09

In case you've been wondering just that as multiple Ring of Fire Earthquakes occur this week:

Click here for a World Map of this week's Earthquakes.

"U.S. seismologists have found evidence that the massive 2004 earthquake that triggered killer tsunamis throughout the Indian Ocean weakened at least a portion of California's famed San Andreas Fault. The results, which appeared in the journal Nature, suggest that the Earth's largest earthquakes can weaken fault zones worldwide and may trigger periods of increased global seismic activity."

Click here for details.

Click here for another article on how large quakes trigger more smaller quakes.

AND AS ALWAYS! I hope you are having your students chart worldwide earthquakes and volcanic eruptions during your school year! Take a few moments once a week to chart the week's tectonic activity. This one activity can unify many of your Earth Science course objectives!

2009-09-30T08:03:00.004-05:00

IN THE NEWS:

Earthquakes with related Tsunamis in the Pacific Ring of Fire area. Here's a YouTube Fox News Update:

It's important to note that loss of life is now being reported.

Click here to read more about it in the New York Times.

Water on the Moon

2009-09-25T19:49:00.004-05:00

"NASA scientists have discovered water molecules in the polar regions of the MOON. Instruments aboard three separate spacecraft revealed water molecules in amounts that are greater than predicted, but still relatively small."

Click here to read the rest of the NASA press release.

Georgia Flooding Photos

2009-09-24T15:21:00.002-05:00

It is not every day a major Interstate highway gets closed by flooding in Georgia. Interstate 20 was closed west of Atlanta for around two days because of Sweetwater Creek flowing over it.

Click here to see many more photos!

Southeastern US Rainfall

2009-09-23T10:09:00.007-05:00

Southeastern Rainfall Map for September 14–21, 2009

"Several storms over the southeastern United States left behind acres of standing water and multiple deaths in September 2009. The governor of Georgia declared a state of emergency in the state’s 17 counties hardest hit by the floods, CNN reported. Deaths in Georgia alone totaled 7 by the morning of September 22, 2009, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution."

Have your students contrast the above map to this Average Rainfall Map:

The TRICK is that there are different units on each map! See if any of your students catch that! If not, hint that they need to look closer! Provide them with a conversion factor: 1 mm = 0.039 inches.

Then have them add the inches to the mm SE US Rainfall Map. Example: 300 mm = 11.8 mm. Then how much different is the one map from the other?

AH-HA! The bottom map shows a yearly average! See if any of your students catches that. If not, hint that there is still something wrong! Perhaps look for a monthly average chart online? Divide the total by 12 for average monthly?

BUT look closely at the title! This is only for one week! What is the usual/average/typical rainfall for one week? How can we find that? NOW can you contrast the maps???

WHAT FUN it is to teach your students to THINK!

Greenland's Melting Glaciers

2009-09-21T17:48:00.001-05:00

Visit Greenland through this CNN video to learn about how Greenland’s glaciers are rapidly melting and contributing to sea level rise.

Black Point Lava Flow in northern Arizona

2009-09-09T09:55:00.005-05:00

"The otherworldly footprint of black basaltic lava creates a striking landscape at Black Point Lava Flow in northern Arizona, seen in this photograph taken from the International Space Station."

I highly recommend the site where this photo resides: NASA's Earth Observatory which has an Image of the Day. Great Earth Science Photos, worthy of being shown daily during your bellwork time, perhaps!

LA County Wild Fires as viewed from Satellite

2009-09-02T19:45:00.002-05:00

Wildfires burned north of the city of Los Angeles County on August 29, 2009. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image around 2:20 p.m. local time (21:20 UTC) the same day. Red outlines show hotspots where MODIS detected high surface temperatures associated with fires, and the hotspots roughly correspond with fires described by California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. A department bulletin, issued August 30, 2009, stated that the Station fire was 5 percent contained, affected 35,200 acres, had destroyed 3 residences, and threatened 10,000 more. As of August 30, the Morris fire, affecting 2,168 acres, was 95 percent contained.

Get Ready for Earth Science Week!

2009-09-02T19:37:00.005-05:00

With school starting, now is the time to start planning for Earth Science Week which will be observed this year between October 11th and 17th, sponsored by the American Geological Institute.

The theme is “Understanding Climate” and you can learn more at their website.

Tracking Hurricane Jimena

2009-09-01T10:37:00.006-05:00

Every Earth Science teacher should have their students track a hurricane a few times in their career. Especially one poised to hit the North American continent. The following links will get you started. Basically you need a source for the location of Jimena as it nears the Baja California peninsula and you need a map for them to plot its course.

Click here for a blank tracking map. You might have them draw in a few more lat/long lines.

Go here for the locations to map. Click on various dates and times. Location is usually near the top. Lots of other interesting facts such as wind speed, etc.

Here's the path so far:

HURRICANE JIMENA PATH

FRI AUG 28 2009
AT 800 PM PDT...0300 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION
THIRTEEN-E WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 13.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE
101.9 WEST

Saturday August 29, 2009
1: 0300 UTC TROPICAL DEPRESSION CENTER LOCATED NEAR 13.8N 101.9W
2: 0900 UTC TROPICAL STORM CENTER LOCATED NEAR 14.1N 102.3W
3: 1300 UTC TROPICAL STORM CENTER LOCATED NEAR 14.2N 102.8W
4: 1500 UTC HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 14.3N 103.2W
5: 2100 UTC HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 15.1N 104.2W

Sunday August 30, 2009
6: 0300 UTC HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 15.8N 105.1W
7: 0900 UTC HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 16.0N 105.7W
8: 1500 UTC HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 16.3N 106.3W
9: 2100 UTC HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 16.6N 106.8W

Monday August 31, 2009
10: 0300 UTC HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 17.0N 107.2W
11: 0900 UTC HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 17.5N 107.9W
12: 1500 UTC HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 18.0N 108.3W
13: 2100 UTC HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 18.5N 109.2W

Tuesday September 1, 2009
14: 0300 UTC HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 19.4N 109.6W
15: 0900 UTC HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 20.2N 110.1W
16: 1500 UTC HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 21.0N 110.7W

Twitter for Teachers

2009-08-31T10:41:00.003-05:00

Check out this site for ideas on ways to use Twitter as a Teacher.

More later on how the whole concept of Twitter can be used by teachers!

Seattle Earthquake Video

2009-08-25T10:11:00.001-05:00

From CNN:

Dramatic Climate Change Temperature Map

2009-08-24T08:02:00.002-05:00

Click here for details.

Strong Gulf of CA Earthquake

2009-08-03T16:08:00.005-05:00

How strong? 6.9, which is a HUGE quake by any standard.

Click the image for details.

Don't forget to go to the Did You Feel It? webpage of the USGS!

This shows what people felt in terms of both Richter and Mercalli scales.

Have your students record some recent ones and then use a Mercalli Scale to record what types of things they could have noticed in their area. Record on a Map.

Teachable moment! Grab it!

Tranquility Base

2009-07-27T19:14:00.002-05:00

Did you know that Neil Armstrong never publicly stated how he FELT about being the first human on the moon? This song was written from that perspective. Great footage of the Moon Landing!

From Eric Brace:

"Forty years ago on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped out of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module and onto the surface of the moon. As the first man to walk across the lunar surface, one would expect Armstrong to have a lot of profound thoughts about it all. Curiously, he's never talked about how he felt, satisfied to discuss the event only in engineering terms.

I thought that was pretty strange, and one night under a bright moon, all the questions I had for Armstrong arranged themselves into a song. With the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing coming up, I headed into Eric Fritsch's East Nashville studio and recorded Tranquility Base, with Mike Webb (keyboards), Fred Eltringham (drums), Eric Fritsch (electric guitar, bass, organ), and Charlie Rauh (electric guitar).

Tranquility Base is streaming on the Red Beet Records website and is available for download on iTunes. The video is the creation of another fine East Nashvillian, Stacie Huckaba, who managed to get some very cool footage from NASA. You're welcome to forward it, embed it, share it with your mom."

Solar Eclipse - July 22, 2009

2009-07-20T20:14:00.004-05:00

Wednesday will be another big day in Astronomy: a Solar Eclipse with a path of totality that crosses over China. The eclipse will last more than six minutes - the longest for several hundred years - and won't be surpassed until 2132.

Here are some sites worth checking out:

Live Cast from Japan - be watching if you are teaching summer school!
Exploratorium has a nice video about Eclipse Chasers.
Try This from Exploratorium.
NASA's Eclipse Page. So far I haven't been able to get on this one! Too busy!
July 22, 2009 Solar Eclipse Wikipedia Entry.

Email me if you want to see my Solar Eclipse PowerPoint. Too big to upload to my site.

Here's one from Exploratorium of a Solar Eclipse in Turkey in 2006. Bailey's Beads and Diamond Ring are mentioned in this video.

Apollo 40th Anniversary!

2009-07-19T15:38:00.005-05:00

It will be a very special day tomorrow. The 40th Anniversary of the first humans to land on the moon. Check out NASA for some wonderful activities, videos, etc. And even if you don't have a class this summer, collect a few ideas while visiting the site and include them in your Earth Science or Astronomy or whatever! class this fall.

We remember where we were when Neil Armstrong landed, if we are old enough, that is! Check out the restored video showing this momentous occasion.

Here's one narrated by Walter Cronkite. It really catches the suspense of that moment. Worth showing your students!

Happy Anniversary!

Interactive Science Notebooks

2009-07-08T19:06:00.004-05:00

Head on over to the great new blog of one of my Science Teacher Buddies. She's doing some great pre-planning this summer on how to set up her notebook for middle school science students in the new Interactive (left side-right side) Notebook.

I never got this going because I didn't know how to get past the normal format of right side for teacher-input and left-side for student-outgo. Just didn't sound feasible to me.

She's doing something different and I really LIKE her ideas!

Way to go, Liz!

Click here to visit the Middle School Science blog.

Grains of Sand Reveal Possible Fifth State of Matter

2009-06-30T19:38:00.004-05:00

“You walk on the beach, and the sand supports your weight. Pick up a handful, and it runs through your fingers, like a liquid. But you can’t walk on water,” said Jaeger. “In the top of an hourglass, sand is this strange solid. It’s at the verge of being a solid; it flows through the middle as something like a liquid, and then it’s a solid again,” he said.

Click here to read more.

USGS FreeTeaching Packets

2009-06-28T07:18:00.002-05:00

The USGS has several teaching packets available for download at this site. Topics include such things as maps, caves, climate change, volcanoes. Worth a peek!

Minerals Slide Show

2009-06-22T20:08:00.005-05:00

Photo from:
www.richardwestonstudio.com/images.html

Beautiful close-up photos of some of the strangest minerals in the world in a slide show. Breathtaking. Click here.

A Film About Our Planet: HOME

2009-06-18T19:55:00.003-05:00

HOME is a full-length film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, being shown on YouTube. The movie shows Earth’s beauty with breathtaking aerial footage, and discusses the impact humans have had on the planet. Below is a short trailer.

You could show parts on several days. Or choose parts to show. Definitely has a theme worthy of showing to an Earth Science class. You decide what your own students can handle. Could even be shown without sound while your students work on an Introduction to Earth Science assignment! (Scroll to the bottom of the page.)

The Formation of Earth's Mantle

2009-06-16T11:03:00.003-05:00

"By using a super-computer to virtually squeeze and heat iron-bearing minerals under conditions that would have existed when the Earth crystallized from an ocean of magma to its solid form 4.5 billion years ago, two UC Davis geochemists have produced the first picture of how different isotopes of iron were initially distributed in the solid Earth."

Element #112 added to Periodic Table

2009-06-15T20:40:00.005-05:00

Ununbium
Symbol: Uub
Atomic Number: 112
Atomic Mass: (277.0) amu
Melting Point: Unknown
Boiling Point: Unknown
Number of Protons/Electrons: 112
Number of Neutrons: 165
Classification: Transition Metal
Crystal Structure: Unknown
Density @ 293 K: Unknown
Color: Unknown

I consider this pretty BIG NEWS! The element Ununbium has been added to the Periodic Table! What fun!

Ununbium is not its "real" name. Check this site out for keys to the naming of newly discovered and as yet "unnamed" elements. Scientists argue so much over who first "discovered" the heavier elements, so they give them a scientific name so we can call them something. Then they let the scientists duke it out till someone is declared the winner and gets naming rights.

BBC Article about Uub.

New Sensors along San Andreas Fault

2009-06-12T09:40:00.003-05:00

A series of 17 earthquake sensors will soon be installed along the southern portion of the San Andreas Fault. The intent of this $670,000 project is to detect vibrations and transmit warning signals to cell phones, computers and other communication devices.
Click here for details.

The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth

2009-06-11T11:38:00.005-05:00

"The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth hosts the best and most complete online collection of astronaut photographs of the Earth."

Nothing fancy. No slideshows or PPTs. Just gorgeous photos of Earth taken by astronauts.

Here is the main page.

Here is the archive page where photos are grouped according to some kewl titles, such as Cities at Night, The Art of Science, Auroras Dancing in the Night.

Also a fun Where in the World? Image Quiz.

Search for Photos:
They have a nice search feature at the top of the main page. So if you needed a photo for a certain PPT, enter something in the search form and see what comes up!

Also here:
Where is the ISS?

Also Collections (see top of main page):
Mission Highlights
Earth from Space
Cities Collection
Whole Earth
IPY
Weekly Top 10.

To see Education Collection
Go from Collections to Education:
Earth Systems from Space
How to Find Mt. Everest
Canyons, Craters, and Drifting Dunes

Research suggests winds dying down across US

2009-06-10T10:45:00.003-05:00

"The wind, a favorite power source of the green energy movement, seems to be dying down across the United States. And the cause, ironically, may be global warming — the very problem wind power seeks to address."

Click here for details on this story.

Magnetic Tornadoes on Mercury!

2009-06-09T11:22:00.003-05:00

How kewl is this!

Quatenary Period Wins Out

2009-06-08T11:33:00.002-05:00

"Pending an almost certain ratification by the ultimate authority--the International Commission on Stratigraphy --the Quaternary will officially take over the past 2.6 million years of the geologic time scale, when humans took up tools and the world began slipping in and out of the ice ages."

Click here to read details.

VORTEX2 Finally Catches a Tornado

2009-06-06T17:46:00.007-05:00

Vortex2 finally catches a tornado after four weeks on the road!

New Report Sets Forth Principles of Earth Science Literacy

2009-06-06T08:00:00.003-05:00

Earth's rocks and other materials provide a record of its history. Our solar system formed from a vast cloud of gas and dust 4.6 billion years ago. Earth's crust has two distinct types: continental and oceanic.

These and other concepts are the major ideas of Earth science that all citizens should know, according to a newly released report--Earth Science Literacy Principles: The Big Ideas and Supporting Concepts of Earth Science--funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported Earth Science Literacy Initiative (ESLI).

New Solar Power Plant near Phoenix

2009-06-06T07:55:00.004-05:00

Wind and Solar Power really CAN be in our future!
Actually, they're in our present!
Click here for the story.

A Car that runs on AIR??!!

2009-06-03T19:28:00.004-05:00

Are you kidding me? How fun is this?!

Visit site based in France and watch kewl video!

New Online Science Magazine in Video Format!

2009-06-02T20:14:00.001-05:00

From the National Science Foundation. You can watch full screen in HD video. Wonderful. First edition is Astronomy-related. Download the full version so you can save it to show your students next year!

Hurricanes - Disturbing New Trend

2009-06-01T19:22:00.001-05:00

Hurricanes aren't where they should be.

NSF Website on Climate Change

2009-06-01T10:13:00.001-05:00

Climate Change is being added to school district or state science benchmarks across the nation. The National Science Foundation website is a good place to start.

Click here to begin.

Click here to download their Climate Change Report.

Big Science Projects on the Edge of Doability

2009-05-29T07:42:00.003-05:00

Check out this slide show! Show your students what their future in Science could be!

And while you are watching these slides, have your students sing out with what branch of Earth Science each slide represents! And it's NOT always astronomy! There are underlying fields of science on every slide. See if they can figure them out!

Galaxy Flashcards and Lesson

2009-05-28T11:43:00.007-05:00

Here's a good Galaxy Lesson:

Print out enough Galaxy Flashcards so each small group gets a complete set. Remove the Hubble Tuning Fork cards.

Ask your students to spread the cards out on the table and gather round so everyone can see. They need to look at all the cards and start to discover any common cards--cards that seem to have similar shapes.

After they are somewhat familiar with the cards, you'll notice they naturally start separating the cards into groups. Encourage any group to do this if they don't start on their own.

Once they have them separated, ask them to make labels for each group. Don't offer any suggestions. Many will know some of the names, such as Spiral, etc. Just let them know it's okay to use the correct term if they know one.

Next, hand them the Hubble Tuning Fork card. Have them rearrange their cards using the Fork card as a guide. Give them the correct terms and have them redo their labels.

Groups can share how they arranged their cards. You might have different arrangements and it would be good to discuss the differences. Just make sure they all know they did a good job! No wrong answers!

Lastly, show your students the slide show on galaxies I put up last week. For BONUS POINTS, they could number a piece of paper and record the name and type of galaxy for each slide. Or you could make this required.

By the end of this lesson, your students show be able to identify the type of Galaxy when given a picture of a galaxy.

Hubble Photo Montage from CNN

2009-05-22T07:48:00.005-05:00

CNN has put together a beautiful Hubble photo slide show on Galaxies. This can be shown once moving through the slides fast, then go slide by slide using the arrows, viewing the captions (click "View Captions.") Can be projected full screen without ads. Make sure you turn up the sound! Fun music accompanies the photos. REALLY NICE!

Click here to go directly the the CNN Hubble Slide Show.

Star Trek: Real or Not?

2009-05-21T07:47:00.005-05:00

Capitalize on the latest Star Trek movie, which many of your students have probably seen. Show this series of slides from MSNBC that cover 10 sci-fi wonders. Are they Fact or Fiction?

Click here for the slide show.

Have your students take out a piece of paper and fold in thirds, hot dog-bun style. List the 10 Innovations down the left column, skipping a line each time. Put Fact and Fiction at the top of the other two columns. Then show the slide show. They can either check the correct column for a basic required 10 points, or add words in the correct column to show why that innovation is a reality or not. Make that worth 15-20 points.

Ten Innovations:

Teleportation
Tricorder
Deflector Shield
PHaSER
Holodeck
Tractor Beam
Communicator
Universal Translator
Cloaking Device
Warp Drive

What fun!

World Stress Map

2009-05-20T10:19:00.004-05:00

Neat world stress map available as a Pdf Poster. Great visual of major earthquake zones, volcanic regions, and best of all, where mountains are forming as well! See the stress in the US in the eastern and western mountain regions.

Click here to download the World Stress Map.

Los Angeles Earthquake

2009-05-19T19:34:00.006-05:00

I figure you all know about the 4.7 earthquake that rattled the LA area yesterday.

Do you know about the "Did You Feel It?" page from the USGS Volcano website?

Click here to see how many people went to this page and reported having felt the quake. Apparently several thousand people reported to the USGS “Did you feel it?” page within twenty minutes of the earthquake.

Several maps show the intensity felt and the location of each "reporter." Fun to see if the maps indicate the location of the epicenter!

So, next time you feel a quake, go to this page and report what you felt!

And be sure to visit if you know a quake has occurred. Show your students what's going on in the World of Quakes!

Earth Science Week Contests

2009-05-16T12:53:00.005-05:00

Click here for some great ideas for Earth Week Contests!

Or go here for the specific contests:

(1) Photography Contest. The photography theme for this year is: “How Climate Shapes My World.” All submissions must be postmarked or received electronically by 5 p.m. EST, Friday, October 16, 2009.

(2) Visual Arts Contest. A two-dimensional (flat) visual arts project no larger than 24 x 36 inches, dealing with the topic, "The Climate Where I Live." All mailed submissions must be postmarked no later than Friday, October 16, 2009.

(3) Essay Contest. The essays should focus on the topic "Climate Connections." All mailed submissions must be postmarked no later than Friday, October 16, 2009, and all electronic submissions must be received by 5 p.m. EST, Friday, October 16, 2009.

VORTEX2 Videos!!!

2009-05-14T19:01:00.008-05:00

FINALLY! Found a good source of videos on VORTEX2!! I can't embed them, but here's a link. They have several GREAT videos. These are through the Weather Channel over at Truveo. Check it out!

NOTE: Be sure to scroll down the list of videos. There are tons more than you think!

Giant Trilobites Discovered in Portugal

2009-05-13T08:15:00.003-05:00

Click here to visit the National Geographic site for details of this amazing discovery. Includes theories for the demise of Trilobites.
35 inches long!

Atlantis Launch Successful

2009-05-12T07:51:00.004-05:00

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida (CNN) -- The space shuttle Atlantis blasted off successfully Monday afternoon on NASA's fifth and final repair visit to the Hubble Space Telescope.

Space shuttle Atlantis launched successfully from Florida Monday on its way to the Hubble telescope.

The spacecraft rocketed into mostly sunny skies right on schedule at 2:01 p.m. ET.

Atlantis will spend five days upgrading the Hubble, the orbiting observatory that's been scanning the universe for almost two decades.

For the seven members of the shuttle crew, that means added pressure.

"I think [this] is motivating us because we know there's nobody coming after us to do anything we don't get done," said Atlantis Commander Scott Altman. "This is it. We either get it done or it doesn't happen."

Meteorite Men TV Special Coming Sunday May 10th

2009-05-10T10:28:00.002-05:00

Meteorite Men special airs Sunday, May 10 at 9pm et/pt on Discovery's Science Channel. In the Pacific Time Zone, you may be able to view it at 6pm depending on your cable service. Two incredible treasure hunters search the globe for Meteorites.

INFINITE PHOTOGRAPH—AS SEEN ON EARTH

2009-05-10T09:59:00.003-05:00

This is an amazing photo mosaic presentation from National Geographic. Visitors can zoom in on a photo to find that it is comprised of hundreds more photos, which are all mosaics themselves, and so on. Most individual photographs also include camera settings and a brief description.

Click here to visit. And let me know if you come up with a way to use this in your Earth Science classroom! I've also included the YouTube version.

NASA's Videos for Teachers

2009-05-07T19:19:00.013-05:00

I could spend days telling you about all the amazing video clips available on the NASA site. They have several places you can visit for videos. Just about any topic you can imagine.

Examples:

NASA eClips™: Get it? ;-)
"Short relevant educational video segments. These videos inspire and engage students, helping them see real world connections. New video segments are produced weekly exploring current applications of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, topics. The programs are produced for targeted audiences: K-5, 6-8, 9-12 and the general public."

NASA's Video Gallery:
Lots of videos on Hubble and what Hubble has seen in the Universe. Hover your mouse over the photo introducing a certain video and Add to your Playlist! A feature for the teacher who needs to find what they want to use quickly.

NASA TV: online or at YouTube:
Several channels with a multitude of topics.

NASA Interactive Features:
Then there is the incredible interactive site! Great fun for you and your students! Be sure to check this area out! Topics such as:

Spacewalk Simulations
10 Things About the Earth
Eyes on the Earth 3D

Believe it or not, I've only scratched the surface! Be sure to visit NASA's website and explore all the wonderful things they have for the educator. Click here!

VORTEX2 - Tornado Scientists in the Plain States

2009-05-06T19:55:00.006-05:00

Very exciting happenings in Meteorology this week. I hope you're all watching VORTEX2.

"This blog will report on the Verification Of Rotation in Tornadoes EXperiment 2, or VORTEX2 project, the most ambitious tornado field project in history. Researchers will be sampling the super-cell thunderstorms that often form over more than 900 miles of the central Great Plains in the United States."

A team out of Boulder, CO is heading out to the plains of the midwest to study tornadoes. They have a collection of some of the best equipment ever assembled for the study of tornadoes.

I'm hoping they post videos of some of their "close encounters" that you can show your students. If they post them, I'll let you know!

What fun! I can't think of a much better way to inspire young people to consider the field of Meteorology than showing a group of scientists at work out in the field.

Now, the only other question I have today is this: Did they all pack their leather belts in case they have to hitch themselves to a water pipe during a tornado? [And what movie is that alluding to?]

Click here for a great Tornado Activity. This just might be the moment to use this mapping activity!

Migrating Sand Dunes

2009-05-06T13:27:00.003-05:00

http://gallery.usgs.gov/audio/corecast/ep94/20090504_94_DunesClimateChange.mp3

Listen to a PODCAST from the USGS by clicking the above link.

"Sand Dunes on the Loose Due to Climate Change

Host: Jessica Robertson

Climate change is increasing the mobility of sand dunes in the southwest, posing threats to roadways, infrastructure, human health, cultural practices of the Navajo Nation, and much more. Vegetation on dunes serves as stabilizers, but as the climate warms and precipitation decreases, there is less vegetation growth.

USGS scientist Margaret Hiza and intern Leanna Begay discuss their research to understand the dunes' plant diversity and what changes are occurring."

South Hit Hard by "Derecho"

2009-05-05T19:45:00.003-05:00

Check out this link. One more really amazing weather phenomenon.

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7505103

Note: Normally I wouldn't do this--ads show up on this ABCNews Site before you can see the video--but this is a KEWL video!

What is a microburst?

2009-05-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider explains how a microburst collapsed the Dallas Cowboys practice facility.

Kansas Tornado Video

2009-05-01T07:46:00.001-05:00

What's the Redoubt Volcano up to lately?

2009-04-30T09:40:00.004-05:00

No major eruptions lately. The Volcano is currently building a lava dome.

PHOTO: Summit crater of Redoubt Volcano showing the active lava dome and hot, roiling water ponded along the south and east margins of the dome. This view is from high over the south rim. Note the persistent fumaroles up on the west slope of the gorge.

Image courtesy of AVO/USGS: McGimsey, Game.

From Alaska Volcano Observatory:
2009-04-30 02:16:59

The Redoubt eruption continues. Seismic activity remains elevated. Darkness obscures webcam views.

Additional explosive events are possible with little or no warning. The volcano remains at ORANGE/WATCH and AVO is staffed 24/7.

A regional earthquake, preliminary magnitude of 4.8, occurred 40 mi S of Homer at 8:54 pm.

The Secret Lives of Snowflakes

2009-04-29T14:46:00.003-05:00

Too good to pass up even if it is Spring most places!

Click here for a great story and video and more!

March 2009 Tenth Warmest On Record For Global Temperatures

2009-04-29T14:22:00.004-05:00

The combined global land and ocean surface average temperature for March 2009 was the 10th warmest since records began in 1880, according to an analysis by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C.

Click here to read more.
Click here for another article.
Click here for a slide show about signs of global warming.
Click here for a fun "How to Make Your Own Thermometer" Activity.
Click here for a good "Graphing the Week's Temperatures" Activity.

3-Part Video Series on Yellowstone Volcano

2009-04-28T10:33:00.003-05:00

SETI is alive and well, thank you very much!

2009-04-28T10:01:00.002-05:00

SETI: The New Search for ET

QUEST on KQED Public Media.

" 'Is anyone out there?' For over 40 years scientists have been searching for extraterrestrial intelligence, but they’ve found nothing. Now the new Allen Telescope Array, a string of 350 radio telescopes, is being built 300 miles north of San Francisco and is breathing new life into the search. Find out why SETI scientists now say we might be hearing from ET sooner than you think."

I have often had an ET Day. Show whatever good video you have. Have your students write the pros and cons for the question, "Are We Alone?"

I like this video because it's short (11 min.) and covers the subject from a scientific--not a Hollywood--point of view, which is important, I think.

Click here for SETI webpage.

Click here for SETI sample lesson plans - part of their "Life in the Universe" curriculum.

Click here for "Are We Alone?" Science Radio.

Sally Ride at MIT

2009-04-27T14:47:00.004-05:00

On May 2, Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space, will touch down at MIT to inspire local girls at the Sally Ride Science Festival.

Presented by the MIT Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics and the Cambridge Science Festival, this unique event designed for 5th - 8th grade girls features an inspiring talk by Ride, discovery workshops, lunch, and a street fair with science activities, booths, and music.

The festival is free of charge, but advanced registration is required. Space is limited!

Visit www.SallyRideFestivals.com or call 1-800-561-5161