EARTH SCIENCE
NEWS JOURNAL
Earth Science is not just a subject that is studied in school. Earth
Science is the collective observations of thousands of
scientists in hundreds of fields of study. At any given time Earth Scientists may be found
tracking hurricanes, measuring the lava flow of a volcanic eruption or watching the sky
for approaching asteroids. The goal of this long-term assignment is to learn more about
our home (the Earth!) and it’s relationship to the rest of the universe. As residents of this
planet it’s time to find out what’s going on in the life of the Earth.
The Task:
To become familiar with the four branches of Earth Science
Requirements:
1. Choose the field of earth science you wish to read about.
2. Collect one news article on your selected topic. News articles
must be current (within one month of the due date).
3. Read the article. Write a one paragraph summary detailing
the important points. Be sure to include the branch of earth science
that the article includes. Write a second paragraph about your reaction
to the article. Did it surprise you, interest you, concern you, make you
think about things in a new way? In total you will have two
paragraphs.
4. Articles must be attached to summaries.
5. Summaries must be word processed and checked for spelling
and grammar.
Timeline:
Articles and summaries are due the first week of each month
beginning in October. Assignments may be turned in at any time
during the first week. Late assignments will receive a deduction in
points.
Topics:
Astronomy, Geology, Meteorology, Oceanography
Evaluation:
1. Complete (two paragraphs)
2. Accurate and relevant
3. Word processed (spelling and grammar checked)
4. Neat
5. On time (Late assignments will receive partial credit.)
HOW DO I FIND AN ARTICLE?
Sources include newspapers, magazines and internet sites. Check the date of the
article, especially if it is on the net. Some internet news sources are listed below.
Agencies like NASA will even send you an article each week if you subscribe to
their service. If you have any doubt about your article, show it to me a few days
before it is due.
HOW DO I WRITE A SUMMARY?
First you must read the article carefully. Use a highlighter to indicate points of
interest. Then write a rough copy and check to see that it is coherent. Remember
the second paragraph is about your reaction to the article.
HOW DO I GET THE MAXIMUM CREDIT?
Don’t procrastinate! Don’t wait until the night before it is due only to find out
you can’t get on the computer or there’s no ink or your internet access is down.
Take advantage of the NMS Library and sign up for A-Period. Don’t forget to
proofread!
WHAT IS THE FORMAT?
Month of News Journal
Name
Date
Section
Summary
Upper right corner of paper
Centered
HOW DO I SUBMIT IT?
Each student will get a folder. Any time during the week that they are due, you
may put your summary and article in the folder. At the end of the week, I will
check the folders and grade the summaries.
HOW WILL IT BE EVALUATED?
Article with date
Summary (1st paragraph)
Second paragraph
Accuracy, neatness
Total
5 points
5 points
5 points
5 points
20 points
ESNJ NEWS SOURCES
Meteorology
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
http://www.cnn.com/WEATHER/
http://www.topix.net/news/weather
http://www.topix.net/science/meteorology
http://weather.msn.com/
http://www.newszoom.com/search/latest/meteorology/news/
Astronomy
1. http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx
2. http://www.space.com/
3. http://science.nasa.gov/Astronomy.htm
4. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3033063/
5. http://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/
Geology
1. http://geology.com/news/
2. http://www.topix.net/science/geology
3. http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/template.cfm?name=geonews
4. http://www.brightsurf.com/isearch/index.php?
action=search&s=Geology
5. http://www.ags.gov.ab.ca/news/geology_news.html
Oceanography
1. http://www.underwatertimes.com/oceans/oceans.php
2. http://www.oceanfutures.org/news/news_index.asp
3. http://www.ocean.com/news/
4. http://www.brightsurf.com/isearch/index.php?
action=search&s=Oceanography
5. http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/oceanography/
General Science Websites
1. Science News Online: http://www.sciencenews.org/
2. Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
3. New Scientist: www.newscientist.com
4. EurekAlert: www.eurekalert.org
5. Nature: http://www.nature.com/nsu/
6. New York Times Science: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/
science/
7. NOVA: http://www.science.org.au/nova/
8. Science Magazine: http://www.sciencemag.org/
ESNJ Due Dates 10-11
MONTH
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
DUE DATES
8th
5th
3rd
7th
4th
4th
8th
6th