Rock Cycle Project

I hope you are all having a pleasent break from the busy school year!

The Rock Cycle Project is due at the end of the week (1/6 and 1/7) after the children return from their break.  After watching them work for the last few days, I know many of the kids have good start on their projects.  There were a few children, here and there, who were spending more time socializing in class than working so I thought, just in case, I would post the Rock Cycle Project online.   

Please talk to your children about the Rock Cycle Project.  With a little preperation, this can be a really fun project!  Last year we had Rock Cycle Songs, Rock Cycle Game shows, and even a Rock Cycle Rap!  Here is the link to the Rock Cycle Project. It can also be found in our Classroom Documents to the right.  You will want to open it with Micrsoft Word For Windows.  Using another program, like Google Docs, will mess up the formating.

Happy Holidays

Daniel Kretchmar and Brian Streitz

Rocks and Minerals Test Review

Below is the review sheet that we are handing out to the students today and tomorrow!


Rocks and Minerals Test Review

1. Minerals can be described as: inorganic, formed in nature, and having a crystalline structure.

2. A mineral deposit that is large and pure enough to be mined is called .

3. Which mineral is the most resistant to scratching?

4. Which mineral is the least resistant to scratching?

5. A solid whose atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite pattern is called a crystal.

6. What part of the appearance of a mineral can vary according to the impurities in that mineral?

7.What do you call the splitting of a mineral along smooth, flat surfaces?

8. What is the name for the measure of the ability of a mineral to resist scratching?

9. What are the characteristics called that are particular to only a few types of minerals

10. What is the colored powder of a mineral called?

11. What is the name for the way in which a mineral reflects light.

12. What is the breaking of a mineral along either curved or irregular surfaces called?

13. What is the smallest part of an element?

14. What is a solid whose atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a pattern?

15. What is a substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances?

16. The sizes, shapes, and positions of the grains that make up a rock is call texture

Words you should know

streak               luster                  atom                     cleavage                  ore                   reclamation

             density           surface-mines            subsurface-mines                  crystallizes                      mineral

 metamorphism                 hardness                  fracture                      special-properties 
               
metallic           submetallic              nonmetallic                Mohs-Scale          texture

conductivity           grain

Chapter 3 Mineral Test!!!

The Chapter 3 Mineral Test is Wednesday and Thursday of this week.  The information on the test is taken almost directly from the Reading Packets that we mentioned in out last post.  Our last post (below) contains links to the reading packets.  The test is not difficult as tests go, but there are a few words that we went over in class that the kids should review.  Also, students may have to use a dichotomous key to identify a mineral in class.

Mineral Properties:
Color (color and clearness: Opaque, Translucent, Transparent)
Luster (metallic, submetallic, nonmetallic),
Hardness (1-10 Moh Scale (1= talc (soft) 10=diamond (hard))
Streak (color)
Density (gm/ml)
Special Properties (like floresense, or Magnatism),
Breakage:  fractures (uneven or curved breaks) or cleavage (flat, even surfaces)
Texture (rough or smooth)
Conductivity (Good conductor or poor conductor; good insulator or bad insulator)
Good Luck!

Daniel Kretchamr and Brian Streitz
WWMS Earth Science

Directed Reading Packets

Good Afternoon,
                We have uploaded the Chapter 3 and 4 Directed reading packets to our documents on google.

Please follow the appropriate link if you need a copy of it.

Chapter 3 Directed Reading A

Chapter 3 Directed Reading B

Chapter 4 Directed Reading A

Chapter 4 Directed Reading B

Have a Happy Thanksgiving

Daniel Kretchmar and Brian Streitz
WWMS

Geology Vocabulary

The Geology Vocabulary from the MN State Standards

The Ultimate Geology Vocabulary:  More Geology Vocabulary than you want to know

Chemistry Test Flash Cards

Good Afternoon!

We spent the last two days studying for our Chemistry Test.  Eighth Grade students who have science on "A" days will take the test on Wednesday. Eighth Grade students who have science on "B" days will take the test on Thursday.  We made flash cards in class yesterday and today so everyone should be prepared to study for the test. 

In case anyone forgot their flash cards at school or can't quite remember the correct order for the cards, We have placed a copy of the flashcards, complete with answers, on our google docs page.  Follow the link below and click in the "FlashCards.Chemistry Key.doc"

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B1wDNmvo7W92MjNmYmFhMDUtMTYzMC00M2FmLWE0YzEtNTM5MGEyM2RlN2Q5&sort=name&layout=list&num=50

If the link above doesn't work, just click on the link to the right! Classroom Documents/Assignments

Study hard and do well. 

Students!  Remember, if you don't have time to do a good job the first time, how are you going to find time to take it a second time?


Mr Kretchmar and Mr Streitz

Interactive links about stars

Here are some wonderful links to learn about stars

Life Cycle of a Star
(This link will teach you all about how stars form from nebulae, age and change into other stars, die (nova, super nova, collapse into blackholes, or just run out of fuel) form nebulae, and turn into new stars!)



Interactive HR diagram

The H-R diagram will show the life cycle of a star and the connection between luminousity and temperature.

H-R Diagram Interactive
Similar to the one above (this one is from an online text book and appears very small unless you buy a link to the textbook, but it's still pretty cool)

Astronomy Java Applets
(lots of little demos!)