Science Newsletter
Geology 8
~ November 13, 2015 ~
Good afternoon parents, guardians, and students and welcome our 9th science newsletter of the 2015-2016 school year. This week we continued with our study of Earth’s geosphere by learning about soil resources and mass wasting.
THE RECAP: Where have we been?
As a quick recap of the past week, we started off Monday by learning about the many uses of soil and the human activities that affect soil resources by reading section 4.3 and completing the corresponding reading study guide. On Tuesday, we discussed the key ideas of section 4.3 – human impact on soil. In our discussion students learned that farming, construction, and mining are the three main human activities that impact soil. Students also learned that through the use of proper farming techniques (contour plowing, conservation tillage, terraces, windbreaks, and crop rotation) nutrient-rich soil can be conserved. We also read and discussed an article about China’s current soil pollution problem. In this article, students learned that industrial growth over the last 30 years has led to contamination of 1/5th of China’s arable land. Students also learned that consuming food grown in this toxic soil leads to severe health effects later in life. We wrapped up our study of soil pollution by watching a short video about the effects of the Asarco smelter on the soil of the Puget Sound region, including University Place. On Thursday, we read, discussed, and recorded notes about the main ideas and details of section 5.1 – mass wasting. In the reading, students learned that wind, water, ice, and gravity are the major agents in the erosion and deposition of sediment. Students also learned about the various types of mass wasting – rockfalls, mudflows, landslides, slump, and creep. On Friday, students worked on the chapter 5 vocabulary as an introduction to the key terms related to erosion and deposition.
THE FUTURE: Where are we going?
· Monday 11/16: Section 5.2 – Water Erosion
· Tuesday 11/17: Section 5.2 – Water Erosion
· Wednesday 11/18: Line Graph Quiz *11:45 Early Release*
· Thursday 11/19: Chapter 5 Lab – Stream Features
· Friday 11/20: Mystery of the Megaflood
EXTRA INFORMATION:
I am enclosing copies of the following documents:
· November 13th Science Newsletter WORD Document
· Week of November 9th Early Work Power Point Presentation
· Section 4.3 Power Point Presentation
· Chapter 5 Vocabulary WORD Document
LAST MINUTE REMINDERS:
· The CJH annual food drive for the Families Unlimited Network is currently taking place through November 18th. Any nonperishable food items would be greatly appreciated.
· Study tables are after school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for extra help or just a quiet place to complete homework.
· The 8th grade Earth Science curriculum has an awesome website (www.classzone.com) to help students learn – please check it out!
· Feel free to contact me via email or phone if you have any questions about your student’s progress so far – hopefully by working together, we can keep our students on track and primed for success!
Thank you for your continued support. Have a wonderful weekend and ask your student to share with you the most interesting thing they learned about in our study of soil pollution.
Sincerely,
Mike Harris