Earthquakes

On Monday we started a new lab having to do with earthquakes. This lab like the other one we did last week would help to reinforce the new information we had learned from taking notes. Earthquakes are caused when the plates under the crust move. Sometimes these movements can cause a large impact or a very minimal one. The reason that many earthquakes happen near the Pacific ocean is because that is where most of the plate movement occurs. The purpose of this lab was  for us to build a structure out of toothpicks and marshmallows that would still be structurally sound after an earthquake. The earthquake will be simulated with a large sheet of jello that will vibrate back and forth. Our structure was very tall so I don't think it will stay up for very long.

On Tuesday we finished this lab out by testing our structures on sheets of jello. Over night some of the structures loosened up and fell down but ours remained intact. The reason was because as the jello vibrated and moved back and forth the building structure moved with it bouncing back to its original position. My hypothesis from yesterday was proven wrong but if I were to make any improvements on it I would have added more support on the bottom and decreased the height of it as well. The rest of the day we spent working on finishing our labs and since I finished early I worked on my study guide. For the test so far I feel good about the past information that was on the quiz but I need to improve on studying the new information on earthquakes and volcanoes.

On Wednesday we did not have school since it was Veterans Day.

On Thursday we spent most of the class reviewing for our test on Friday. We played a review game as a class. This review game consisted of an answer sheet where we would record our answers. Each set of questions revolved around a different topic and most of the them had to do with the earth's core and plate tectonics.  From doing this review game I now know I have to review the different seismic waves such as body and surface waves. I also need to review the process that occur at a mid-ocean ridge and also the effects of plate boundaries. Other than those few topics of focused review I feel good about my knowledge of the test and have definitely improved my studying in advance from last week.

On Friday we took the test and afterward I felt generally good about it. I thought I was well prepared and I studied well in advance. When I saw my grade I was surprised because second guessed my self on some of the multiple choice answers but by using my knowledge I was able to narrow some of the answers down. Overall this week I definitely improved on my test because I did better on my test than quiz.