#TrashBag

On Monday we started out our week with a new project that would open our eyes to how much trash we actually produce. The project consisted of everyone in the school carrying around their own personal trash bag with them at all times. This meant that all trashcans in the school would be gone too. This was fortunate for me because my job at school is to take out the school trash. In total we will carry our trash bag with us for 24 hours, even at home, and all trash we produce will go into the bag. Hopefully this project will open our eyes to the amount of waste that goes into landfills each year. After that we watched a video showing what humans have truly done to the earth. Even though it was a cartoon, it did show me how much humans have really affected the Eco-system and the organisms living on it. After the video, we took the tech book assignment to test our prior knowledge on oceans. I did better than I thought I would do and got 54% correct. At home keeping up with the trash made me realize how much waste I truly produce. It was less than I thought but in a year that would be a lot of trash after a while.

On Tuesday we collected the data from our classes' trash collection. Most of the trash collected in a day by the entire class was significantly lower than I thought it was going to be. My trash collecting experience left me wondering about how much trash the entire school would bring together in a week. The flaws that may have occurred when collecting the data would be that some people might have changed their ways for the day or for some reason they collected more trash than they would on a regular day due to some different reason. Another factor that could have resulted in skewed data is some trash items weigh more than others. For example thin plastic bags weigh less than heavy cardboard but cardboard is less detrimental to the environment because it is a paper product. Plastic can not be broken down as quickly as cardboard can which is a factor we need to consider when buying products in the store or how much of it we use. After collecting our data and putting in a graph, we started the notes for our new unit on oceans. Prior to this unit my knowledge on oceans was very limited and being educated on oceans would overall help my view on what I can do to help near the ocean where I live.

On Wednesday we did more notes on the oceans unit. Today we went over salinity in the oceans and some factors that go into it but we did not go into much detail. One thing I learned that I did not know before is the amount of solids able to be dissolved in water are much higher when the water is warmer. I also learned that plankton  are a key micro-organism in the ocean ecosystem and provide many larger animals with a food source. After taking notes we worked on the pre-lab questions for the upcoming lab. These questions pertained to the oceans and most were basic questions about the definition of words that seemed to have nothing to do with oceans. One question I struggled on was the question about micro and macro nutrients and was curious to see what  they had to do with the hydrosphere.

On Thursday we continued with the notes for the unit. One new thing that was introduced to me that I did not know before was that the oceans are highly affected by convection almost like what occurs in the mantle. We also briefly went over the Coriolis Effect which is rumored to change the way in which the toilet water flushes depending on where you live. Now this is probably not true but natural water does take on this effect. After that we worked on our ocean water lab. In this lab we tested the difference of the boiling and freezing point of fresh and slat water. The freezing point of salt water is much lower because it is denser which did surprise me. We also tested the salinity levels of different water mixtures both salt and fresh.

On Friday we started the class with notes. We reviewed the Coriolis effect by watching a video that both explained and proved that the theory exists. In the video two men on both sides of the world performed the same type of experiment. The experiment was that a pool was drained on both sides of the world. Food coloring was put in the pool to show direction and both sides went different ways proving the effect to be true and the reasons that toilets swirl different ways is because they are man made. After watching the video and taking notes we worked on the lab. Today we tested salinity of the different samples and compared density. We put the data in graphs to better show our data.

This week I think everyone can improve on the amount of trash they produce. I can do this by being more resourceful and recycling the items that actually can be recycled. One important thing I learned this week is that if our trash production doesn't decrease the landfills will continue to get bigger which is not good for the environment.

Soil Profile

On Monday we started out the week by taking notes. We briefly reviewed the notes we started to review on Friday. One new thing I learned about soil is the different kinds of soil. The different types of soil are pedalfer, laterites, and pedocal. Pedalfer is the best soil for plants to grow in because it is very rich in minerals. Pedocal however, is very infertile and lies in an area with little rainfall resulting it to be very dry. After reviewing notes we started a soil analysis lab. For this lab we all had to bring in a soil sample to test. My soil was very coarse when viewed under the microscope and did not bubble when vinegar was applied leading me to believe I have sand. Since Wilmington is a coastal town this is common for most soil samples.

On Tuesday I was absent.

On Wednesday we started the class with a science starter. For the science starter we had to name the soil horizons from the top to the bottom. This helped me review for the test the next day because it tested my ability to remember the order of the layers. After that we reviewed the answers to the study guide. Doing the study guide helped me organize the information we had learned in class. Writing down the answers to the questions also helped me review information I did not understand the first time learning it. After reviewing the study guide we worked on our soil lab. Since I was absent the day before, I had to set up my graduated cylinder. To do this I put sand in the cylinder and filled the rest with water and shook it up. I am waiting for the results tomorrow to take the percentages of sand, silt, and clay. After that I took the pH of my soil and surprisingly it was a neutral 7.0.

On Thursday we took our test on the whole unit. This unit mainly consisted of weathering, erosion, and soil. One big thing I had to study for this test was the order of the soil layers and to do this, I would have to improve my study habits. One thing that helped me remember the order was the phrase orange apes eat big crunchy raspberries. One of the first things I did when I got my test was list out all of the layers so I would not forget when doing the multiple choice questions. The test was different because the short answer section was abbreviated. All of the answers given had to be less than two sentences which was hard for me to summarize how soil was formed in two sentences. Overall I felt good after taking the test and I was able to answer many questions from past units and current.

On Friday we continued with our marsh seed project. So far in total we have 12 seeds planted. In each planter, four seeds are planted and the goal is for them to eventually grow. After we planted the remainder of our germinated seeds, we dumped the sprouted seeds in a colander to be planted in a larger container. The goal of this project is to restore the salt marsh and learn about the ecosystems that rely on the salt-marsh. After planting our seeds we watched a video to introduce our next unit. The next unit revolves around the hydrosphere a part of Earth we have not fully gone over as a class yet.

Soil

On Monday we started the class by reviewing vocab. To do this ,we got out a blank piece of paper and numbered it from one to nine. Then Mrs.G called out the vocab definitions and we had to write down the word that corresponded with the given definition. This helped me know the words I needed to study for the quiz on Tuesday. The quiz would be on the units we had gone over in class about erosion and weathering and the vocab for those units. After doing the vocab quiz we studied  the textbook questions for the remainder of class. Our only homework was to study for the quiz which was something I really needed to study hard for.

On Tuesday we had our quiz on units 1-2. This quiz had vocab from the notes and material we learned from doing the weathering stations lab. Some of the information from the weathering stations lab included ice wedging. We had to use what we learned from the notes and also the lab to help us answer a question that would require us to apply our knowledge.  I knew most of the questions but some did trip me up. I can use my quiz to understand what I missed and not make the same mistakes next time on the test. Also reviewing the quiz to help study for the test always seems to work for me based on my results from the past.

On Wednesday we got our quiz results back. I did well and I now understand the questions I missed and why I missed them. After reviewing quiz, we were introduced to the new units about soil. For our science starter we were asked basic questions like "what is soil". From my past understanding soil is the minerals and sediment on the ground beneath us with both living and non-living things in it. After that we did vocab cards for the whole unit. These words were all new to me but I understood most of the meanings. One word that you may not know is used to describe soil is humus. Humus is the dark organic matter that form on the soil when living things decay. This is the type of humus that belongs in the ground not on pita chips.

On Thursday we went over the soil unit by learning the soil layers. The vocab we had previously done on Wednesday was very helpful for this. To learn the soil layers we filled out a diagram with definitions on the side. The soil layers are named by letters A, B, C, R and O. The topsoil layer is the best layer to grow plants in because of the mineral rich humus. The bottom layer is very different from the top layer and had been barely weathered. While doing the worksheet we made an edible representation of the layers in soil.  Different ingredients represented each layers of the soil.

On Friday we all brought soil samples for an activity we would be doing next week. My soil definitely contained some sand and felt gritty and heavy. After that we checked on our seeds we had been germinating for a couple of weeks now. So far my group had eight germinated seeds. To germinate the seeds we put them in an air-tight container with water then placed it under a heating lamp. To germinate, seeds need water or else they will die so it was very important that they remained in water the whole time. We planted the germinated seeds into containers with soil and sprayed them with water. Our group had two planters so far with four seeds in each. In a few weeks we should have even more seeds that have germinated. After that we worked on our introduction for our lab report.

Overall this week I learned a lot about soil layers and composition. One thing I can improve on this week is memorizing the order of the layers for the test next week.

Weathering and Erosion

On Monday we were not at school because it was Martin Luther King Jr. day.

On Tuesday we started a new quarter which led to us starting a new unit. This new unit revolves around weathering,deposition, and soil. To ease our way into the new topics, we did an activity before starting our notes. The activity centered around weathering and involved skittles and water. The skittles were put on a tray, which represented Earth or the ground, and then we dropped water on them from a dropper. After each set of ten drops, a drawing was taken and a brief description was also recorded. Very quickly, the water removed the coloring from the outside of the skittle. After the coloring came off, the "s" on the top came directly off. At first I did not completely understand the processes, but after going over notes I understood it more.

On Wednesday, we started a new lab to continue with our unit about weathering. In this lab, there were many stations and at each station we learned about a different type of weathering through a demonstration. The station I went to dealt with chemical weathering. We were instructed to put vinegar on a penny for four minutes and then wipe it off. After the four minutes was up and I wiped the vinegar off, there was a huge difference from when I first put the penny in. The tarnish on the outside was gone and the penny was a lot shinier. The penny that had been sitting for 24-hours was even shinier and had almost no tarnish at all. This demonstration showed what happens to a rock when acid rain constantly hits the rock. The demonstrations we did at the stations helped me better understand the material I needed to improve on.

On Thursday we continued with the lab we had previously worked on. Before we worked on the lab we watched a video showing us the weathering that occurs at beach environments.  The change in just a couple months were very drastic but the change throughout the whole year was almost devastating. Almost 17 meters were gone in only one year due to beach erosion. This is a big problem in our area but it is hard to see in our daily life but this video really showed me how a beach environment can get destroyed by just weathering.
After watching the video we worked on the lab again. Today I mostly learned from the activities about frost action. Frost action occurs when water enter rocks through cracks and freezes. When water freezes, it expands breaking the rock apart. This is a type of mechanical weathering that can occur during the winter on road rocks. In the activity, two cups of water were presented on the table. One had been frozen and the other was normal. There was a difference been the volumes of the two waters. The frozen water appeared to have a greater amount. This was used to show that water expands as it freezes. Overall this lab helped me learn a lot more about the different types of weathering.

On Friday I was sick but it seems that we did more work on our seed lab.

This week was a short week since we had Monday off but I still was able to learn a lot about weathering. One thing I need to improve on this week is reviewing my notes more often. Reviewing my notes more frequently will make it a lot easier around test time and will help me learn the material better.

Rock Cyce

On Monday we continued with rocks and began reviewing for the quiz on Tuesday. This quiz contains information on metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary rocks. The basic information on the the rocks will be on the quiz but we will not have to identify any specific rocks. Instead on Friday we will have a lab practical where we will have to identify the most common rock types from each formation of rock. To study I used the quizlet on rock vocab. The terms that I often missed were pluton and stock. I would often mix these two up a lot but after a while I figured out how to remember them. One thing I need to improve on when studying for this test is understanding the difference between intrusive and extrusive rocks types and how to tell them apart.

On Tuesday we had our science quiz. For the most part it was challenging but I was able to use my common knowledge of rocks to work through the questions and come up with the best answer. One thing I will need to review for the test is labeling igneous rock formation below the Earth's surface. Some of the rock formations that I mixed up were stock and laccolith. Now I know that the difference between a stock and a lacolith is that a stock is a smaller version of a batholith and a lacolith pushes through the rock layer almost forming a new layer. After the quiz we worked on our sedimentary rock lab that we had started last week.

On Wednesday we got our quizzes back and I was happy to see that I did very well. We went over the commonly missed questions and had a basic overview of the entire quiz. After reviewing the quiz we worked on our sedimentary rocks. This rock lab was the most difficult for me because I did not have a clear understanding of the questions. Most of the questions were very complicated and revolved around the different processes of sedimentary rocks. After the lab we individually reviewed for the lab practical on Friday. The two rocks I usually mixed up were slate and shale. This is because they have similar colors and shale is the parent rock for slate.

On Thursday we continued with learning about rocks. We reviewed the processes of the rock cycle. In the rock cycle any type of rock can go through any of the rock formations. For example igneous rocks can change into sedimentary rocks through weathering and erosion. Weathering can break down rocks through natural proceseses such as acid rain and wind. Acid rain is an example of chemical weathering because the acid content in the rain can break down the minerals of rocks. After reviewing notes we worked on the textbook questions about the rock cycle. Most of the questions were review but some of the questions were about topics we discussed that day. We also had practicing on identifying the rocks for the lab practical on Friday.

On Friday we took our lab practical on rocks. One person went at a time and while we were waiting we studied for our upcoming test and worked on reviewing rocks. The lab practical was like  the practice one we reviewed in class but the rock samples were a lot different.  The color of the granite samples were very different I could not tell which rock it was at first. Most of the other rocks were similar in color but not in texture. After taking the practical I worked on my study guide for the test next Thursday.

Rocks and More

On Monday we continued with learning about rocks. We had previously started a new unit on them before Thanksgiving break but did a little reviewing before class just to make sure that we had a basic understanding. We then began to work on a new lab. This lab will help us learn more about different rock types and how to classify them. A big part in classifying rocks is by the way they are formed. Igneous rocks can be formed by two types of lava felsic or mafic magma. The difference between these two types is that one is more viscous than the other. One of the easiest texture to identify is the glassy rock texture. This rock has very sharp edges and is very shiny like glass. Another really cool rock type is pumice. This rock is very light and has many vesicles. Vesicles are holes that are forms in the rock because of pockets of gas that have formed inside the rocks. Due to all of these holes the rock is very light and can even float on water.

On Tuesday we continued with this lab and after finishing the lab I had a better understanding of intrusive and extrusive rocks. I also learned the slower the lava cools the larger the grains are. This is because they have more time to form. Fine grains are formed when lava is cooled quickly resulting in an extrusive rock.  To classify igneous rocks there are categories to help categorize them. Rocks can be classified by texture, color, intrusive, extrusive, minerals, and felsic of mafic. Lighter rocks have a lower density most of the time because they are very high in their silica content. Darker denser rocks, such as obsidian, are heavier because of their higher levels of iron.

On Wednesday we started to learn about metamorphic rocks. Metamorphic rocks are rocks that have been changed in some way from its original parent rock. For example bread changes into toast like metamorphic rock turns into a new form of rock. Metamorphic rocks can be categorized as foliated  or non-foliated. Foliated rocks have very distinct layers called bands. After notes we started a new lab on the classification of metamorphic rocks. This was like the igneous rock lab before although I did find naming the rocks a little easier in this lab.

On Thursday we reviewed notes mainly focusing on sedimentary rocks. Sedimentary rocks are formed from ground sediment that comes together over many years. Organic sedimentary rocks form from products from living organisms such as bones and shells. Chemical sedimentary rocks form from precipitates from water. After reviewing notes we started a new lab on sedimentary rocks. I have found sedimentary rocks to be harder to identify than igneous and metamorphic.

On Friday we continued with the sedimentary rock lab. I had a difficult time naming the rocks and that is something I need to improve on especially for the lab practical next week. We also have a quiz next Tuesday on everything we have learned so far with rocks. This lab helped me learn most of the basic concepts with rocks such as how each rock is classified.

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.