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[b]Earth Science Presentation[/b] Choose a topic of interest to research and present to the class that is related to Modules 5-8. Your presentation week will depend on your topic and you will notified of the date as soon as possible. Semester projects will be presented within the weeks we read that module if possible. This is not a science fair project and should not take up your whole life for weeks, but plan on spending at minimum about 2-3 hours of research/reading with additional time getting a prop (map, pictures, model) prepared for your presentation. Please note that this should not be a regurgitation of the textbook information, but bring us some completely new, more in-depth information. You will be giving us more insight into a particular subject. At a glance, here are some ideas but you can come up with some others. However, all ideas need final approval from me. Please note that this is not remotely an exhaustive list, but just possible topics I see at a quick glance or ones that other students have successfully completed. [u]Choose something that is in line with your own interests[/u] and see if you can tie in something from above. Some of these topics may require a little research to find more specific topics. - If you already have a rock collection, you may want to bring that and tell us about all your rocks (you should be [u]very[/u] knowledgeable about them). - If you like history, plan on researching the history of something. (event, instrument, development of an idea) - If you like models - build a detailed model of something (working or static). - If you like demonstrating things, bring or build something and show us how it works - If you really like reading, read a decent sized book and tell us what you learned. - If you like gadgets, bring a weather instrument and tell us about it and how it works (you need to be the "expert" on this). You get the idea :) [u]Plan on bringing a prop of some kind.[/u] Everyone likes to "see" what you are talking about. [u]Module 5: Hydosphere[/u] Oceans density; ocean currents; ocean salinity; the desalination process by reverse osmosis; groundwater; different types of wells and how they work; map of named worldwide glaciers and how much they are moving; iceberg classification [u]Module 6: Lithosphere[/u] formation and samples of metamorphic rocks/igneous rocks; plate tectonics; history of plate tectonics; earthquakes; New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1812; seismology; seismology equipment; make a working model of seismology equipment; volcanoes (Krakatau, Tambora, Vesuvius, Mt. St. Helens, current active ones); vulcanology; aurora classification; Ring of Fire; map the world's volcanoes; make an earthquake map [u]Module 7: Weather Factors[/u] history of cloud classification/Luke Howard; John Constable; history of the Prime Meridian; history of equinox celebrations around the world; latitude; history of longitude; history of Fahrenheit/Celsius/Kelvin; Benjamin Franklin and his lightening experiments; Beaufort wind scale [u]Module 8: Predicting Weather [/u] snow; hail; rain; floods; blizzards; lightening; lightening myths/facts; tornadoes; hurricanes; a map of hurricane tracks over the century (large hurricanes); tornado chasers; snow photography; history of a weather instrument (barometer; thermometer); make a working model of a weather instrument; weather prediction lore; natural weather predictors (animals and plants); weather balloons; cloud seeding; monsoons; modern weather stations; weather aircraft; weather satellites

Fall Semester - Submitted ideas due Tuesday, October 18, 2011

[http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/sciencefair.php Earth Science Project Ideas from the U.S. Geological Survey] (great ideas here!)

This varies from year to year: [u]Physicist Poster Presentations[/u] Students choose a physicist from a list and will research and present a poster to the class that includes a list of critieria. The class sits in a large horseshoe by date to make their five minute presentations. It's a great way to see the development of physics throughout history as the students make their presentations. OR [u]Science Fair Project[/u]

Spring Semester