Earth/Space
Science
Virginia Science Olympiad
Coach’s Clinic
November 13, 2010
Presented by: Jennifer Ezzell
What are the Earth/Space
Events?
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Dynamic Planet
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Earth’s fresh waters
Fossils
 Meteorology
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Severe Storms
Road Scholar
 Solar System
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Dynamic Planet Event Basics
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Test Format: pencil and paper (may be in
stations or sit down test)
Given: data, charts, maps, graphs, diagrams,
pictures, and/or written descriptions
Students asked to: observe, analyze,
classify, infer, measure, calculate, predict,
interpret, create (graph, map, etc.)
Team may bring: FOUR double sided
sheets of notes (per TEAM) and up to 2 nongraphing calculators
Dynamic Planet 2011- Fresh
Water
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Lakes (inland body of water of considerable size;
surrounded by land; relatively still)
Rivers (natural flow of water- of considerable size;
exact size is debatable)
Streams (body of running water; smaller than riversalthough exact size is debatable)
Groundwater (water stored within the earth)
Wetlands (land that is largely covered with shallow
water or saturated soil)
Stream channels (the bed and bank of a riverlayout of river… be aware that channel can also
refer to the deep part of a waterway or harbor)
Dynamic Planet Vocabulary
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Limnology- study of inland water
Topographic map- shows the surface
features of Earth, including depth of rivers,
types of waterways, etc.
Karst features- land features that occur
because of groundwater and its interaction
with rock
Hydrologic cycle- the water cycle
Dynamic Planet Resources
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Web Resources:
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Book Resources:
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USGS (all types of water resources): http://www.usgs.gov/water/
Exploring Earth (science textbook visuals):
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/navigation/v
isualization.cfm
Center for Educational Technologies (simple water cycle):
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/water.html
Watersheds.org (kid-friendly Karst information with videos):
http://www.watersheds.org/teacher/rd.htm
BBC Schools (What is a River?):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/riversandcoasts/rivers/whatis_river
/index.shtml?channel
Geology textbooks (old college or high school ones) can also be good
resources- students may need help
DK online: earth (web-linked book) by: Matt Turner… linked to:
http://www.earth.dkonline.com/
Other Resources:
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Google Earth- good to look at stream channels and other features
Fossil Event Basics
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Test Format: Stations- pencil and paper
answers
Given: fossils, pictures, and/or written
descriptions
Students asked to: identify fossils (up to
50% of the test), answer questions about
fossils
Teams may bring: ONE magnifying glass,
ONE field guide (with notes, post-its), ONE 3ring binder with information- should include
the Official Fossil List for 2011 , available at:
http://soinc.org/sites/default/files/uploaded_fil
es/FossilList11v3.pdf
New to Fossils This Year
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Lagerstatten (added to 3m)
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This refers to areas of the world that have been found
to have many well preserved or varied fossils.
One example is Mazon Creek in Illinois:
http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/mazon_creek/
MazonCreekSite.html (this website is good for more
than just Lagerstatten)
The word “entrapment” was added to
tar/asphalt in 3b
Rules now state that species not on the list
may be used to “illustrate key concepts”- 3
Fossil Web Resources
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Fun and kid- friendly pages:
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Everything Fossils: http://www.fossils-facts-and-finds.com/
Finding Fossils: http://www.sdnhm.org/kids/fossils/
Fossil Gallery:
http://www.paleoportal.org/index.php?globalnav=fossil_gall
ery&sectionnav=main
Jason Project- Tectonic Fury: Mission 3 (teacher will need
to create account for students): www.jason.org
Pages useful for coach/parent, students may need
assistance
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USGS: http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/fossils/contents.html
Fossil Images:
http://www.fossilmuseum.net/FossilGalleries.htm
Fossil Book Resources
Smithsonian Handbooks: Fossils by:
Cyril Walker and David Ward
 National Audubon Society Field Guide
to Fossils (North America) by: Ida
Thompson
 Rocks & Fossils by: Margaret Hynes
Kingfisher Knowledge)
 Geology textbook (old college or high
school one)- students may need help
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Meteorology Event Basics
Test Format: pencil and paper (may be
stations or sit-down)
 Given: models, pictures, diagrams, charts,
and/or written descriptions
 Students asked to: answer questions
(predict, infer, observe, evaluate, analyze,
interpret, and problem solve)
 Teams may bring: ONE sheet of notes
and one calculator
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Meteorology 2011- Severe
Storms
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Start with Meteorology basicsconcepts that have to with all forms of
meteorology
Air masses
 Fronts
 Weather maps
 Doppler
 Cloud types
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Meteorology 2011
Severe Storms
Thunderstorms (electrical storm,
lightning storm, thundershower)
 Squall lines
 Tornados (twisters)
 Hurricanes (tropical cyclone)
 Cyclones
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Meteorology Web Resources
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Fun and kid- friendly pages:
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NOAA for kids (scroll down for grade 6-12):
http://www.education.noaa.gov/sweather.html
Jason Project- Monster Storms (coach will have
to create account for students): www.jason.org
Pages useful for coach/parent, students may
need assistance
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NOAA’s weather page:
http://www.noaa.gov/wx.html
College course on weather with notes:
http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~jpstimac/1400/1400index
.html
Meteorology Book Resources
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DK online: earth (web-linked book) by:
Matt Turner
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Linked to: http://www.earth.dkonline.com/
A Pocket Guide to Weather by: Julie
Lloyd
 DK books- there are a few related to these
topics
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Road Scholar Event Basics
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Test Format: may be a story format for a
trip- with questions along the way
Given one or more: state highway maps,
internet generated maps, a road atlas, USGS
topographic maps, and satellite/aerial images
Students asked to: work their way through
the story/test locating different points on the
maps and answering questions; draw map
features using the symbols sheet (possibly)
Students MUST bring: protractor, ruler, and
USGS Map Symbol Sheet
Students may bring: calculator, notes,
reference materials, and/or other measuring
devices (string, etc.)
New to Road Scholar This Year
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Satellite/aerial maps added to the types
of maps possible- 1
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No longer has to be presented in a
story format- although it still may be-3
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No longer required to draw a map
section- although it still may be
included-3
Road Scholar Preparation
Tests from past years- the best way to
prep for this event is to try it! (be aware
that these will require maps you may not
have available)
 If you have two teams have them create
tests for each other and then take them
(this way they can use the maps you have
available)
 Soinc.org has a coach’s manual for sale
with tons of information
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Road Scholar Web Resources
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Fun and kid- friendly pages:
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Information on azimuths and quadrant
bearings:
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/geology/le
veson/core/linksa/comp.html
Pages useful for coach/parent, students
may need assistance
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USGS map teaching resources:
http://education.usgs.gov/common/secondary.
htm#topographic
Road Scholar Map Resources
USGS topographic maps
 Road Atlas
 State maps (stop at rest areas and ask for
free maps)
 Google Earth
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Solar System Event Basics
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Test Format: pencil and paper (stations or sitdown; can be given through a slide show or
planetarium as well)
Given: models, pictures, diagrams, charts, and/or
written descriptions
Students asked to: answer questions by using
the following skills- inferring, predicting, observing,
hypothesizing, graphing, analyzing, problem
solving, and interpretation
Teams may bring: ONE page of notes and a nonprogrammable calculator (will need square root
function)
New to Solar System This Year
Gaseous planets (added to 3h- was just
terrestrial planet characteristics
 Magnetic fields was added to 3i
 The word “natural” was added to satellites
in 3b to clarify
 “Interpretation of planetary and satellite
surface and atmospheric features” 3n
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Solar System 2011 Topics
Formation of the solar system
 Sun
 The asteroid belt- area between the orbits
Mars and Jupiter with a lot of asteroids
 Oort Cloud- large “cloud” surrounding the
solar system; considered to be the edge of
the solar system
 Kuiper Belt- icy objects in orbit beyond the
orbits of Neptune and Pluto
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Solar System 2011 Topics
Continued…
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8 Planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
The natural satellites of the 8 planets (the moon
is the only natural satellite of Earth)
5 Dwarf planets: Pluto, Ceres (the largest
asteroid), Haumea, Eris, Make-make
Small Solar System Bodies (anything not a
planet or dwarf planet)
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Comets- show a “tail” or coma when they are close
enough to the sun
Asteroids- “minor” planets
Meteoroids- small rock chunks (any piece of rock or
metal too small to be an asteroid or comet)
Solar System Resources
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Fun and kid- friendly pages:
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Smithsonian Dynamic Earth page:
http://www.mnh.si.edu/earth/main_frames.html
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NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/
Exploring Earth- science textbook visuals:
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/t
erc/navigation/visualization.cfm
Pages useful for coach/parent, students may
need assistance
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Power Point presentation on soinc.org:
http://soinc.org/solar_system_b
The web is the best source of information in
this area- books become outdated very
quickly!
General Resources
(for all events)
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Science Olympiad National Homepage
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Science Olympiad Student Center (wiki)
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http://soinc.org/
http://scioly.org/wiki/Main_Page
North Carolina Science Olympiad Event
Resources
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http://www.sciencenc.com/events.php#b
References
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The links and books listed as resources as
well as www.wikipedia.org were used in
creating this Power Point presentation.
Thank you for
attending!
Questions?