Name ___________________
Period ___________________
Battle of the Branches
In this research activity, you will be differentiating among the four branches of Earth
Science. You will then choose one branch that will be looked at in depth and create a
power point detailing the importance of this job to our lives. Earth Science has four
areas that are in competition for the coveted title of "Best of the Branches". While
they all feel they deserve the number one spot, only one will prevail. You will join a
team and dive into the struggle. Let's get started.
Task
As students, you often wonder why you have to learn certain things in science. By completing this
webquest, you will be able to see how important science is to your life, and how discoveries in
science have changed the way we live today. You will be looking at the four branches of Earth
Science and discovering how each of them effects our lives.
The four branches of Earth Science are Oceanography, Meteorology, Astronomy, and
Geology. These branches will be studied in depth throughout this course. Your task is to become
familiar with what people who work in each of these branches do, and how it effects our
lives. You are then to convince the rest of the class that your branch is the most important. You
are to do the following:
1. Look up information using specific web sites to complete an information sheet.
2. Compare and contrast each branch of Earth Science by filling out a graphic organizer about
people who work in these fields.
3. Create a presentation (propose your product to your teacher before beginning) on the
branch of Earth Science selected for your team to describe the following.
a. What people who work in that branch study.
b. How studying the branch effects our lives.
c. The amount of education needed to become a scientist in that branch.
d. The salary that scientists make who work in that field.
e. Identify a scientist who works in the field and what he/she is famous for in that field.
f. According to you, what is the most interesting aspect of this branch?
Process
You will be using the following websites to complete the information sheet
(See Below).
GEOLOGY WEBSITES:
http://geology.com
http://www.gl.rhbnc.ac.uk/schools/text/geo_do.htm
http://www.aapg.org/explorer/2005/06jun/salarysurvey.cfm
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/geology/geopeople_intro.html&edu=elem
OCEANOGRAPHY WEBSITES:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/Giants/Revelle/
http://www.soc.soton.ac.uk/PR/schools2.html
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/oceanage/03reed/reed.html
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceanographer.html
http://oceancareers.com/2.0/career_salary.php?career_id=68
METEOROLOGY WEBSITES
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos051.htm
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/?n=faq-employment
http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/mandias/careers.html
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/
http://www.theweatherchannelkids.com/
ASTRONOMY
http://www.schoolobservatory.org.uk/astro
http://www.noao.edu/education/astfaq.html - ques1
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos052.htm - earnings
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4838
http://www.nasa.gov/about/career/index.html
Name: __________________________________________
Information Sheet
1. Name three things that a geologist studies.
2. How does geology affect our lives?
3. Name a famous geologist and a discovery that they made.
4. Name three things that an oceanographer studies.
5. How does oceanography affect our lives?
6. Name a famous oceanographer and a discovery that they made.
7. Name three things that an astronomer studies.
8. How does astronomy affect our lives?
9. Name a famous astronomer and a discovery that they made.
10. Name three things that a meteorologist studies.
11. How does meteorology affect our lives?
12. Name a famous meteorologist and a discovery that they made.
Task #2- Complete the Following Graphic Organizer
BRANCHES
What do they
study?
What type of
education is
required?
How much is
the average
salary?
How does their
work affect out
lives?
The most
interesting
aspect of this
job is………
GEOLOGISTS
OCEANOGRAPHER
ASTRONOMER
METEOROLOGIST
Your final task is to create a presentation in which you will convey the following
information: Remember, you must have your presentation type/product okayed before
you start!!!!!!!
1. What people who work in that branch study.
2. How studying the branch effects our lives.
3. The amount of education needed to become a scientist in that branch.
4. The salary that scientists make who work in that field.
5. Identify a scientist who works in the field and what he/she is famous for in
that field.
6. According to you, what is the most interesting aspect of this branch?
Information
sheet is
completed.
Graphic
organizer is
complete
Power point
presentation.
Beginning
Developing
Accomplished
Exemplary
1
2
3
4
All answers
are
All answers
Some answers
completed
are
are left
but
completed and
blank, complete
complete
complete
sentences are
sentences
sentences
not used.
are not
are used.
used.
Graphic
organizer is
missing
information.
All answers are
complete and
complete
sentences are
used. Students
include extra
information to
their answers.
Graphic
Graphic
organizer
Graphic
organizer is
complete
organizer is
complete and
but some
complete and
information is
information all information
correct and
is not
is correct.
neatly written.
correct.
Power point
Power point is Power point includes all
missing two
is mnissing
information
pieces of
one piece of and slides are
information. information.
neatly
designed.
Adapted from http://questgarden.com/120/54/2/110826151727/index.htm
Power point
includes all
information
and slides are
neatly
designed with
graphics and
animations.
Score