Earth’s Geosphere

Station #1

Topographic Maps

Topographic maps (“topo maps”) are used by scientists, geologists, land planners and architects, as well as backpackers and hikers to understand the physical shape of land. Topographic maps are another example of how map-makers and geographers have come up with creative ways to transform our 3D world into 2D representations that fit on paper. However, these special maps have their own set of symbols and designs in order to show all the diverse landforms and shapes of Earth’s surface.

1. Watch this video from the outdoor equipment company REI about how to read and use a topographic map.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoVcRxza8nI

2. Check out the examples of topographic

maps that are here at this station. Look for

symbols and special lines, and try to figure

out what the map is trying to show.

For help understanding the many different

symbols you might see, go look at this website’s detailed list of

topographic mapping symbols and their meanings. https://www.topozone.com/topographic-map-legend-symbols/

3. Go to our class textbook, and read through the section on topographic maps

and map symbols – middle of page 33 through page 36. Then use the

information from the video, the website above, and this section of our textbook

to complete the “Problem-Solving Lab” at the bottom of page 35 (questions 1 –

4). Write your answers on a separate sheet of loose notebook paper.

4. Go to pages 42 and 43 of our class textbook. Use the topographic map shown

on page 43 to answer the “Procedure,” “Analyze,” and “Conclude & Apply”

questions on page 42. (Write your answers on the same sheet of loose

notebook paper that you used for the “Problem-Solving Lab” above.) There are

copies of the topographic map from page 43 for you to use if you’d like to write,

color, highlight, or mark on the map as you use it to answer the questions.

There are rulers and string to help as well, if needed.

Earth’s Geosphere

Station #2

Earth’s History

Our class has already been discussing the history and development of our planet, and all of the important changes that have happened over time. These changes have slowly allowed complex living organisms and ecosystems to grow and survive, including humans’ way of life today.

1. For one of this unit’s projects, you will be creating your own timeline of the most important events in the

formation, development, and future of our planet. Start by checking out the guidelines for this assignment. Your timeline should start with the “Big Bang” and end with at least one prediction for the future of our planet.

2. Read through each of the “25 Biggest Turning Points in Earth’s History” from BBC Earth. This website includes

some interesting visuals, including a great animation of the formation of our solar system and planet. Make a note

of each of these important events that you think you might want to include on your own timeline. http://www.bbc.com/earth/bespoke/story/20150123-earths-25-biggest-turning-points/

3. Use the links, videos, and articles listed below to get a better idea of some other important events that helped

shape the planet as we know it today. Make sure to keep a list of the events you think should be included when

you make your own timeline:

Video: PBS Eons “The Whole Saga of the Supercontinents” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfYn9KVya-Q

Interactive Map: National Geographic “Map of Human Migration” (includes several helpful links

and explanations of how humans first spread throughout the planet) https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/human-journey/

Article: History.com “Neotlithic Revolution” (explains how and why humans invented agriculture

and the many changes and impacts it led to) https://www.history.com/topics/pre-history/neolithic-revolution

Video: NPR “7 Billion: How Did We Get So Big So Fast?”

(shows human population growth over time and explains some of the causes;

don’t forget – there are already almost 8 billion humans on the planet today!) https://www.npr.org/2011/10/31/141816460/visualizing-how-a-population-grows-to-7-billion

Article: OpenLearn “The Industrial Revolution and its environmental impacts” https://www.open.edu/openlearn/nature-environment/the-environment/environmental-science/working-our-environment-introduction/content-section-2.3

OR

Video: CrashCourse History of Science “The Industrial Revolution” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCpqN7GmLYk

Article: Smithsonian Magazine “What Is the Anthropocene and Are We in It?” (explains the new period

of Earth’s history that scientists are proposing to show how humans have impacted the Earth) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-is-the-anthropocene-and-are-we-in-it-164801414/

Earth’s Geosphere

Station #3

Earth’s Internal Structure

The Earth’s Geosphere includes all of the matter that makes up the planet’s solid, physical surface and internal structure. But what is exactly down there below the Earth’s surface?

1. Start by watching this short video that shows what the early Earth looked like, and how it worked. It also mentions the major forces that led to its formation and development over its first few billion years. Pay close attention to what is going on inside the Earth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDqskltCixA 2. Read through the short article “Earth’s Internal Structure” and use the diagrams available to get a clear idea of

the different layers of the planet and their individual characteristics.

3. Use what you’ve learned in the past, along with the information from the

video, article, and diagrams to build your “Earth’s Layers” foldable notes

organizer. Start by folding two sheets of construction paper together so you

have four “flaps” to work with. Then, cut out and glue each of the four major

sections of the Earth’s internal structure to a different flap, along with the

labels and descriptions that match. Fill-in missing information about the

composition, thickness, and state of matter for each section. https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/cms/lib/GA01000924/Centricity/Domain/2688/earthfoldable.pdf

4. Watch this great summary video from Bozeman Science that gives a great overview of the most important ideas we

need to learn about Geology (especially with respect Environmental Science), including the Earth’s internal structure

and the impacts of its layers. Feel free to add any missing details or important ideas to your foldable notes organizer,

alongside each layer or on the back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acwSG17e_lQ

Earth’s Geosphere

Station #4

Mapping Worldwide

Earthquake and Volcano Data

Scientists have been tracking the frequency and location of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions since long before they even understood their underlying causes. In fact, generations of this data was one of the key sources that revealed how the Earth’s interior actually works! 1. Follow the instructions at the station to map out the locations of major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions around

the world. On one copy of the blank world map, use the latitude and longitude data provided to plot each of the points. Use a special symbol or color to differentiate between the locations of earthquakes and volcanoes.

https://1.cdn.edl.io/ENT3gzoKnFS0DBU9ZgOOjFG4sO4WFzsnDYAPaUTBIoLyp36A.pdf

2. Based on what you see in the locations of these natural disasters on your map, answer the questions (A – E) in

question 5 of the instruction sheet. Write your answers on the back of your map or on a separate sheet of loose

notebook paper and staple these to your map.

3. Check out this PBS Learning interactive map that shows the locations of every known earthquake and volcano,

updated with the most recent data. (Click the “Launch” button and then click the “+” symbol in the upper left corner

to “turn on” the earthquake and volcano data.) How does your map compare to the data shown in this online map? https://unctv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/buac17-35-sci-ess-quakevolmapint/global-earthquakes-and-volcanoes-map/

4. Watch this video that explains some of the patterns you might have noticed in the locations of the earthquakes and

volcanoes you plotted on your world map. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrwYtGf40hA

Earth’s Geosphere

Station #5

What evidence do Scientists have for the theory of Plate Tectonics?

As early as the 1500s, geographers and explorers noticed how the shapes of the continents on Earth seemed to fit one another, like pieces of a puzzle. But it wasn’t until the early 1900s that scientists started seriously considering this as evidence of how the Earth’s surface has changed over time. When Alfred Wegener proposed the first formal theory of how continents were moving around the planet in 1912, most scientists laughed his ideas off as impossible and unreliable. It took another 50 years for mapping technologies to help scientists realize that the secrets to how the continents were moving was lying on the ocean floor all along.

1. Start by watching this video clip where Bill Nye tell you how Alfred Wegener first came up with his theory of

“Continental Drift.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np9ADpKnBSY

2. Next, watch this second video clip that explains Wegener’s theory in a little more detail, and tells about the

evidence that he based his theory upon. As you watch, record some basic notes about the four major sources of

evidence that Wegener used to validate and explain that “Continental Drift” existed. Make sure you can name these

four major sources of evidence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM8KrmRedSw

3. Read the information on this webpage for Earth Science students that explains how Wegener’s theory eventually

led to our modern understanding of how the plates of the Earth’s crust have moved over time, and are still moving

today – it’s called “the Theory of Plate Tectonics.” (There is a great, 2-minute summary video at the bottom of this

page that you might want to check out as well.) What is the key piece of evidence that was added in the mid-1900s

that built on the theory of Continental Drift and allowed scientists to understand how the continents and the surface

of our planet moves and changes? Add you answer to this question to your notes from above. https://www.ck12.org/earth-science/theory-of-plate-tectonics/lesson/Theory-of-Plate-Tectonics-MS-ES/?referrer=concept_details

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4. This video from National Geographic has some great visuals that show how the scientists have used data from the

ocean floors around the world to understand where the edges (boundaries) of the different tectonic plates are

located, and how they are still moving today. Watch the video and pay close attention to what these plate

boundaries actually look like. The video also names three different types of plate boundaries, based on the

movements of the plates where they meet. Write the names of these three types of boundaries and movements,

and what kinds of landforms the video shows they create. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/plate-tectonics/

5. This review video does an awesome job of explaining how the theories, evidence, and impacts of plate tectonics are

all connected. Watch this video and use it to make sure you’ve recorded good, reliable notes about the “big ideas”

of Plate Tectonic theory and the evidence scientists use to support it. Then, use the bullet points in the video’s last

1 minute to help you summarize the most important ideas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbtAXW-2nz0

Earth’s Geosphere

Station #6

The Tectonic Plates of Earth’s Crust

Scientists now understand that the Earth’s crust – the thin layer of solid rock that surrounds the outside of the planet – is

actually broken into about 25 “chunks” of varying sizes. We now call these “chunks” of the Earth’s crust “tectonic plates.” While 7 or 8 of these plates cover that vast majority of our planet’s outer surface, there are many others (even some called “microplates” that form in tiny areas between the larger plates). All of these tectonic plates are constantly pushing and grinding against one another, moving slowly over time, and even growing and destroying. 1. Take a blank copy of the world map with all of the tectonic plates outlined. Then, use the information on the

websites below to help you identify each plate and the directions in which it is moving.

2. Use the information, diagrams, and maps on this webpage to help you write the name of each of Earth’s tectonic

plates on your map. Then, thinking about the three types of movements at plate boundaries, identify which

directions the different plates are moving. Add arrows to your map to show the direction of these movements. (The

interactive map at the bottom of the webpage allows you to highlight the different types of movements along the

different plate boundaries.) http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/plate.html

3. Now that you have identified the major tectonic plates and their movements, test your understanding with the

site’s quiz. Click on the red “Plates & Boundaries Challenge” link at the bottom of the first webpage and start the

quiz. You’ll match each tectonic plate to its name and then identify the type of boundaries between different

plates based on their movements. Record your score in your notes before moving on. http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/plate2.html

4. Go try this second quiz from a different website. Use the magnifying glass to hover over the plate boundaries and

reveal the arrows that show the movements of the plates. Based on their movements, determine what type of

boundary is occurring between then different plates. Record your score in your notes before moving on. https://www.ck12.org/assessment/tools/geometry-tool/plix.html?eId=SCI.ESC.260&questionId=544ad3e18e0e085b6d5d6f7d&artifactID=1833886&plix_redirect=1

5. Before you move on, check out this 2 minute video that shows how the continents (due to the movements of the

plates beneath them) will continue to move around the planet for next 250 million year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hos7w8xrcEs

Earth’s Geosphere

Station #7

What happens when the tectonic plates meet?

Scientists now understand that the Earth’s crust – the thin layer of solid rock that surrounds the outside of the planet – is actually broken into about 25 “chunks” of varying sizes. We now call these “chunks” of the Earth’s crust “tectonic plates.” While 7 or 8 of these plates cover that vast majority of our planet’s outer surface, there are many others (even some called “microplates” that form in tiny areas between the larger plates). All of these tectonic plates are constantly pushing and grinding against one another, moving slowly over time, and even growing and destroying. 1. Start by going to your notes. Practice writing out an explanation of what causes the tectonic plates of Earth to move

over time, in your own words. (You might want to draw a labeled diagram to help support your explanation.) Then,

check your explanation by watching the short video clip below.

2. Watch this short video clip from 2 Minute Classroom that gives a great overview of how plate tectonics works and

the three main types of plate boundaries. Use it to check that your explanation from above is correct. If you need,

go back and change something so you’ve got a reliable explanation to look back to in your notes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yD7jmHcdVc

3. Take a blank copy of the “Plate Boundaries Organizer Chart.” This is where you’ll keep important information you

find on the website below.

4. Go to this website and read about how the different types of movements lead to different interactions at the plate

boundaries. Keep track of important information by filling-in your chart. When you’re ready to move on, click the

red “See what happens…” link at the bottom of the webpage. http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/slip.html

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5. On the next page of the website, read about convergent boundaries and the different landforms they create. (Pay

close attention to the different types of crust that are interacting in each scenario – This makes a big impact! For

example, notice that there are at least two different types of convergent boundaries with very different impacts.)

Use the diagrams and animations to see the impacts of the movements of the tectonic plates. Add any important

information to your chart. When you’re ready to move on, click the red “Next” link at the bottom of the webpage.

(If you are struggling to understand the differences between the different types

of convergent boundaries and their different impacts, skip down to step #8

and then come back after watching the video explanation.)

6. On the next page of the website, read about divergent and transform boundaries and the landforms they create.

(You might notice these two types are a little easier to understand.) Use the diagrams and animations to see the

impacts of the movements of the tectonic plates. Add any important information to your chart. When you’re ready

to move on, click the red “Plate Interactions Challenge” link at the bottom of the webpage.

7. Now it’s time to show what you understand! Take the “Plate Interactional Challenge” on the next page of the

website. You’ll be given three different scenarios that represent real-life geologic formations around the world that

are still moving and changing today. Based on the information given to you, determine what kind of plate boundary

is occurring at that location, and then predict what changes the future might bring for that region. Record your

score in your notes before moving on. http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/slip4.html

8. To make sure you really understand the key differences between the types of convergent boundaries and their

impacts on the Earth’s surface, watch this video explanation. Add any important information to your chart or

notes if needed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnTaooNKoA0

9. Turn your “Plate Boundaries Organizer Chart” over to its back side. Here, there is a blank map of the world. On this

map, draw in the locations of the world’s largest mountain ranges, deep ocean trenches, and mid-ocean rifts and

rises. Color code each so you can tell the difference between each mark, and label as needed to make sure your

work is clear and helpful as a reference for you to use in the future. Think back to the different types of plate

boundaries, the landforms they each create, and the information you’ve been learning about in the articles, games,

and videos at this station. How does this map connect to these different types of plate boundaries? What causes the

formation of these different landforms?

Earth’s Geosphere

Station #8

Earthquakes

Earthquakes occur when built-up tension energy is suddenly released deep below the Earth’s surface, in the crust. This can occur at plate boundaries, where plate movements cause parts of the crust to shift, or inside of plates, where tension from the plate boundaries causes breaks and cracks along fault lines. When the energy is released, it moves through the ground causing strong vibrations and motions that can tear apart roads, buildings, and even open up the surface of the planet. 1. Start with this video clip from National Geographic that reminds us how earthquakes work – why they occur, where

they occur, and what their possible impacts and damages are. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7ho6z32yyo

2. Next, go to your notes. In your own words, explain what an earthquake is and what causes earthquakes. (You

might want to draw a labeled diagram to help support your explanation.) Pages 495 and 496 of our class textbook

also have a good, brief explanation that might help you.

3. On pages 498 and 499 in our class textbook, there is an explanation of how the energy released during an

earthquake moves in waves through the Earth’s crust. Watch this video explanation of earthquake waves and

follow along in the textbook to get a better understanding of the three main types of waves that we can feel and

measure when an earthquake occurs. (There is also a helpful diagram on page 503 that shows how earthquake

waves moves through the Earth’s inner structure.) Add any import information to your notes if necessary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwY1ICqWGEA

4. To see more interesting information about volcanoes, check out the extra videos listed below:

Video: Science Insider “What If A Mega Earthquake Hit California”

(How do earthquakes impact humans and urbans?) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srDsF8h5JPE

Video: National Geographic “Tsunamis 101”

(How do tsunamis connect to earthquakes?) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oPb_9gOdn4

Station #9

Volcanoes

A volcano is formed when a crack or opening in the Earth’s crust allows the heat and pressure from the mantle to be released. This build up and release of energy causes the formation of molten rock below the Earth’s surface. Depending on the type of rock that melts and its chemical composition, different types of eruptions might occur leading to the formation of different shapes and forms of volcanoes along the crust. 1. First, there are some terms you’ll need to make sure you know in order to understand how volcanoes work:

viscosity, magma, and lava. Read this short article from National Geographic about the difference between

“magma” and “lava,” and the different types of magma that we might find at a volcano. These different types of

magma determine the type of eruption that is likely to occur at each different volcano, which is what determines

their size, shape, and danger as well. In your notes for this station, explain the difference between magma and lava

in your own words. Then, define the term “silica” and explain how the amount of silica in the magma determines

the kind of eruption that is likely to occur, based on what you’ve read in the article. (There are also some really cool

photos of volcanoes from around the world at the bottom of this webpage.) https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/05/volcano-magma-lava-difference-science/

2. Now that you’re clear on the key vocabulary you’ll need to know, watch this video that gives a good overview of

volcanoes and how they work. Then, go look at the volcano diagram shown on pages 18 and 19 of the Secrets of the

Earth book at this station. This diagram shows the different parts of a volcano and the terms scientists use to

describe them. (Check out the small blue box in the lower left corner that tells about one of the Earth’s largest ever

volcanic eruptions.) In your notes, draw a diagram of the inside of a volcano. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgktM2luLok

3. Because of the way that different types of magma impact the kinds of eruptions that are most likely to occur at

different volcanoes, there are three main types of volcanoes that we need to know about. Each type is formed by a

specific type of eruption, which poses different dangers for people and ecosystems nearby. Watch this video that

introduces the three main types of volcanoes and how they are formed. Then, go look at the diagrams that show

the types of volcanoes – the top of page 710 of the illustrated encyclopedia and pages 482 and 483 of our class

textbook. In your notes, draw a diagram of the three major types (or shapes) of volcanoes and list out the key

characteristics of each type. Pay close attention to the relationship between the kind of eruption likely to occur and

the shape of volcano that will form as a result. (You might want to create a chart to organize this information for

each volcano type.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdhARb2PGqA

4. To help you summarize the most important information you’ve looked at about volcanoes and how they work,

watch this National Geographic video. Add any import information to your notes if necessary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDy28QtdYJY

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5. To see more interesting information about volcanoes, check out the extra videos listed below:

Video: Documentary clip “Volcano Odyssey: Birth of an Island” (shows great underwater scenes

of how “hot spot” volcanoes and other underwater volcanoes lead to the creation of new islands) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoJHvYm2mXY

Video: National Geographic “Supervolcanoes 101”

(explains a whole other type of volcano that could completely change the face of our planet) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAlawvE8lVw&disable_polymer=true

Video: “Raging Planet” series “Deadly Mount St. Helens”

(shows and explains the most famous Volcanic eruption in US history) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJA27Bp1q58