Regents Earth Science- Overview of Class Agenda and Goals
This outline follows the 6 day school cycle. Since different sections meet on different days, the course
agenda is based on 4 days of lecture and 1 day of lab. Dates will be placed throughout for an easier
gauge of progress as the marking period continues.
Week 1-Week 5
**Please note that the following is subject to change **
Cycle 1: 9/8-9/12/2015
LECTURE DAY
1
AGENDA
-Course Overview and Expectations
-Team building and inquiry
activities
GOALS
-RESTATE course
expectations
-EVALUATE observations
in order to develop wellsupported conclusions
-DEFINE Earth Science
-SUMMARIZE a current
event article about Earth
Science
2
-What is Earth Science?
-How does Earth Science connect
to our world?
-Letter to the Editor- Article
Summaries
3
-Intro to Earth Science, Branches,
and Spheres
-Course Blog
-DIFFERENTIATE between
the branches of Earth
Science
-COMPARE AND
CONTRAST the spheres of
the Earth
-SUMMARIZE a current
event article about Earth
Science
4
-Letter to the Editor
-Open systems vs. Closed systems
5
Scientific Method Notes and
Activities
-SUMMARIZE a current
event article about Earth
Science
-DEVISE a simple yet
detailed plan to direct an
alien from Mars to Earth
-COMPARE AND
CONTRAST open systems
to closed systems and
give examples of each
-LIST the steps of the
scientific method
-IDENTIFY a statement as
an observation or an
6
-Observation and Inferences
Activity
-Measurements and Rounding
inference
-DESCRIBE inferences and
observations of unknown
objects
DESCRIBE the rules of
rounding
DEFINE units and the
rules for carrying units
Lab Period Agenda:
Agenda
-“Earth to Martian” lab
-“What is the Scientific Method”note outline
Goals
-DEVISE a simple yet detailed
plan to direct an alien from Mars
to Earth
Cycle 2: 9/16-9/24
1
2
Work Day:
-Catch up on any material and
labs
-Review material covered so far
Finish Scientific Method
Notes/Practice
Lake Nyos Lab
3
Notes: Systems
Review Intro Material
4
Density Notes and Lab
5
Intro Quiz
Rounding Practice
See Day 4
6
-DESCRIBE the
importance to
communication in
science
-CONCLUDE the cause of
an event given data
using the scientific
method
-COMPARE AND
CONTRAST open
systems to closed
systems and give
examples of each
-DEFINE density
-IDENTIFY the
characteristics of
density
-COMPARE the density
of one object to another
-DEFINE density
-IDENTIFY the
characteristics of
density
-COMPARE the density
of one object to another
Labs:
Agenda
-Lake Nyos Lab
Goals
-DESCRIBE the importance to
communication in science
-CONCLUDE the cause of an
event given data using the
scientific method
-DEFINE density
-IDENTIFY the characteristics of
density
-COMPARE the density of one
object to another
Density Lab
Week 3: 9/25-10/
1
- Finish Measurements and Rounding
-Graphing and Formulas
CALCULATE different variables
using Earth Science formulas
STATE the relationship between
variables given a graph
2
3
4
5
6
Week 4: 9/22-9/26
Monday
-Finish Density and Rate of Change
Tuesday
Gradient Formula notes and practice
Finish practice
Wednesday
Thursday
Quiz: Rounding, Units, Density, ROC and Gradient
What do you know about Lat and Long?
Lat/Long of NYS
Lat/Long Groupwork
Friday
Latitude and Longitude
CALCULATE different variables
using formulas
CALCULATE density, gradient and
ROC
EVALUATE data to make
decisions on what to do while
hiking
DEFINE latitude, longitude,
equator and prime meridian
LOCATE places using latitude and
longitude
STATE the latitude and longitude
of given places
DEFINE latitude, longitude,
prime meridian, and
international dateline
EXPLAIN what latitude and
longitude is and how is it useful
in today’s society
Week 5: 9/29-10/3
Monday
What do you know about Lat and Long?
Lat/Long of NYS
Lat/Long Groupwork
Tuesday
Map Scales
Finish Latitude/Longitude Notes
PLAY-DOH EXTRA CREDIT DUE
Wednesday
What’s Earth Science Got to Do with Latitude and
Longitude?
DEFINE latitude, longitude,
equator and prime meridian
LOCATE places using latitude and
longitude
STATE the latitude and longitude
of given places
UTILIZE a map scale to
determine distances
DEFINE latitude, longitude,
equator and prime meridian
LOCATE places using latitude and
longitude
STATE the latitude and longitude
of given places
DESCRIBE how GPS works and
how it is related to latitude and
longitude
Review of Latitude and Longitude using diagrams,
word games and word maps
DEFINE words related to
mapping our world
Thursday
Finish Worksheets
ILLUSTRATE concepts related to
latitude and longitude
DO NOW: Vocabulary Builder: Mapping Our
World
DEFINE the features of a
topographic map
What’s in a Picture?/Videos: Topography
EXPLAIN how and why
topographic maps are used in
our society
Notes: Topography
DESCRIBE different features of a
topographic map that affect the
landscape of a region (ie. Slope,
stream flow, etc)
Friday
Drawing Isolines
Finding Gradient
Topo Map Lab
CONSTRUCT an iso map
DETERMINE the gradient of
different variables using a field
map
ANALYZE a topographic map
using procedures discussed in
class
DETERMINE values on a
topographic map using methods
discussed in class