EMSE 3123
Math and Science in Education
Dr. Osborne
Lab Activity 10
Earth and Space Sciences
Name: __________________________________________
Date:____________
1. Earth Materials. Study the available rocks. Select four different examples and complete the
table of properties below:
Property
(name each)
Hardness
Rock 1.
Rock 2.
Rock 3.
Rock 4.
Luster
Color
Density
a. Describe how you would determine the density of an unknown rock.
b. Demonstration that salt is harder than chalk.
Chalk is soft. It has a score of 1 on the Mohs scale. Salt is harder.
Place some salt in a small cup. Stir the salt continuously with a piece of colored chalk. After a
while the salt will take on the color of the chalk indicating that it has eroded the chalk and made
the chalk particles smaller.
2. Outline how you would teach the rock cycle and differences between rocks to children.
3. Modeling the properties of granite with marble shake boxes.
Set up marble shake boxes as shown. Clear marbles represent quartz, black represent mica, and
blue represent feldspar. Gentle cooling gives larger crystals (granite). Violent cooling gives
small ones (rhyolite).
a. Shake one box gently and shake the other one violently. Observe the results.
b. Describe the differences between extrusive and intrusive igneous rocks.
c. Compare and contrast the conditions that result in either large or small crystals.
d. Where does beach sand in New Jersey come from?
4. Sedimentation bottles. Prepare sedimentation bottles with equal amounts of water. Measure
out 10 g of materials for each bottle.
A
B
C
D
Bottle
Contents
A
Water only (control)
B
Gravel
C
Cat litter (clay)
D
Sand
Shake each bottle violently for 30 sec. Record how long it takes for the material to sediment
completely.
5. Maps
Types of Maps
Geographical maps
Road maps
Topographic maps
i. Example: make a three-dimensional mountain based on a topographical map
Topographic map of mountain
Model of topographic map
ii. Cut a map and fit the continnts together to make gondwanaland. We think it looked
like this. When Africa meets North America, New Jersey is opposite Morocco.
6. Air.
Properties of Air
a. Air takes up space
b. Air can be compressed. The Cartesian Diver investigation.
Components are set up as shown. There is an initial water level in the dropper. Ask the children
to predict what will happen when the bottle is squeezed. What are your predictions?
Why does the dropper sink when the bottle is squeezed?
c. Air can be poured.
Explain how air can be poured. Given the density of air, how would air behave when poured
under water?
d. Air has weight
Explain a demonstration the shows that air has weight.
7. Water
Water is one of the most common materials on Earth. All three states of water can exist at
relatively ordinary temperatures.
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Ice is solid water. Ice forms when water freezes. This occurs at 32°F (0°C) which is
called the freezing (also the melting) point of water. When ice forms it expands. Because
of this, ice floats on water. But just barely; 90% of the ice is still below the surface.
Water is the liquid form of the material. It is found at temperatures above the melting
point [32°F (0°C)] and below the boiling point [212°F (100°C)] of the material.
Steam is the gaseous form of water. It is found at temperatures above the boiling point of
water. In order to maintain steam, it requires high temperature and pressure. An example
is steam lines which are used in large buildings for heating. Water vapor is the presence
of gaseous water molecules dissolved in the air.
Water expands when frozen.
The Water Cycle
Nature works in cycles. The water cycle is important because it circulates water over various
parts of the Earth. It also has a very important connection with the weather. In fact, precipitation,
such as rain and snow, is part of the water cycle. The water cycle is a system with several
components.
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Evaporation. Sunlight causes water to evaporate from large bodies of water such as the
Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico and produces a layer of moist air above them. On a
smaller scale, this also occurs in the region of the Great Lakes and contributes to the lakeeffect snow storms that occur in the winter in that region.
Condensation. The moisture in the air is raised aloft up into the atmosphere. At the
higher levels of the atmosphere the moisture condenses into clouds and either water
droplets or snow, depending on the temperature. Wind currents generally move the moist
air over land at the same time it is condensing.
Precipitation. The condensed water in the clouds falls back to the Earth as rain or snow.
This is especially important in the southeastern United States where moist air from the
Gulf of Mexico condenses and produces rain over the southeastern states. This moisture
and precipitation is also a component of large weather systems which can affect the New
Jersey area with rain or snow storms.
Runoff. When precipitation falls to the ground it is collected by streams and rivers. The
water travels down the streams and rivers eventually returning to the oceans.
Design an activity in which you would teach children in your class where to find water on Earth,
how it gets to where they live, and how people use water. Incude what to do with used (waste)
water, and how to conserve water by saving water.
8. Space Sciences
Sun and shadows
A sunny day can be a bright and cheery experience. Students can learn about the position of the
Sun in the sky by learning the properties of shadows.
 When the Sun is high in the sky (late spring, summer, early fall, noontime) the shadows
are short
 When the Sun is at an intermediate height in the sky (spring, fall, early or late in the day)
the shadows are of intermediate length
 When the Sun is low in the sky (late fall, winter, early spring, or very early or very late in
the day) the shadows are the longest
Students can also learn about how the Sun moves in the sky by observing shadows.
 The Sun rises in the east. This means that if you are facing north, the Sun will be on your
right and your shadow will be on your left, sort of in the direction of 9 AM.
 The Sun crosses the sky through the south and toward the west. As you face north, your
shadow will progress through the 10 and 11 AM hours, be pointing northerly at Noon and
move through the 1 and 2 PM hours during the afternoon.
 The Sun is in the west in the afternoon. If you are facing North, your shadow will be on
your right side, more or less in the 3 PM position.
The above motions of your shadow occur in the Northern Hemisphere because the Sun travels
from the east, through the south and to the west in the Northern Hemisphere. These are also the
motions that you would see using a sundial. The mechanical clock was developed in the middle
ages in Europe. The hands on the clock move in the clockwise direction which is the same
direction your shadow moves during the day if you are facing north.
Shadow at Noon on December 21st. 52 cm.
Shadow at Noon on March 21st. 22 cm.
Phases of the Moon
Phases of the Moon can be modeled with a simple devise such as that shown at
the right. I made mine from a square of plywood, a length of ¼ -inch dowel and a
rubber baseball.
In a dimly-lit classroom, using a strong light source close to the ball, the teacher
can deomonstrate to children that the phases of the Moon are seen as a result of
the angle at which the light from the Sun strikes the surface of the Moon.
The arrangement is shown below.
The relationship of the lunar phases to the related angles is shown below.
Stars
Children can be taught to recognize star patterns in the night sky. Constellation cups can be used
to show them simple patterns.
Exampe: Orion the Hunter.
As with all constelltion cups, the pattern of stars has to be reversed so it can be viewed properly
from the inside.
The pattern of holes is punched into the cup backwards The constellation appears corecgtly
when held up to the light and viewed from the inside of the cup.
Where would you look to find out when Orion is visible in the night sky at a time that is
convenient for children?
Motions of Earth and Moon
The Earth-Moon-Sun Ballet
We can demonstrate the motion of the Earth and Moon with respect to the Sun with three
students.
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One student wears a yellow hat to represent the Sun.
One student holds a globe to represent the Earth.
One student holds the rubber baseball to represent the Moon.
The student representing the Moon traavels counter-clockwise around the student representing
the Earth. This deomnstrates the motion of the Moon as it revolves (orbits) the Earth when
viewed from space in a position above the North Pole.
While the Moon is going around the Earth, the Earth travels counerclockwise around the Sun.
This represets the path of the Earth as viewed from the North Pole. To represent time accurately,
the Moon should travel around the Earth 12 times while the Earth travel around the Sun once.