Today we will begin our new unit on Earth's structure. Before you visit the website below, think about what you already know about Earth, how it works, what it looks like inside, what parts make up the Earth? Write a response to this KWL prompt in a new blog post. Be sure to write down as well questions about any aspect of Earth that you want to learn about.
http://www.mnh.si.edu/earth/main_frames.html
When visiting this Smithsonian Website, visit the Multimedia Section. When you are there, you will be able to click on a variety of topics. Throughout this unit, we will be studying the forces behind the Earth's changes, the rock cycle, rock types, types of mining, minerals and how mining works to be used in the production of vital and not so vital goods.
Visit the various sections regarding: Plate Tectonics and Volcanoes, Gems and Minerals, Rocks and Mining.
In Plate Tectonics, pay attention mostly to the Inner Earth and The Unreachable Frontier. Within Inner Earth, find out the layers of the Earth and what they are like inside. In the Unreachable Frontier, find out what meteorites may tell us about space. Also, visit the rocks section in Unreachable Frontier. Discuss how the special rocks called peridotites can give us clues about the Inner Earth. Then, v isit diamonds. How do diamonds grow? Where are they found? How do they get to the surface of the Earth?
You may be interested as well in Volcanoes and Hotspots as this will explain convection and will allow you to understand how the Rock Cycle Works later on.
In Rocks and Mining, pay attention to the Rocks at and below Earth's Surface as well as Mining. However, when you go into each subsection there are many different tabs you can click on.
