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Physical Science

Unit 3: Earth Science

Week 25: Introduction to Earth Science

Week 26: Earth’s Structure

Week 27: Earth’s Wonders

Week 28: Oceans & Seas

Week 29: Movement & Ocean Floor

Week 30: Water as a Resource

Week 31: Atmospheric Conditions

Week 32: Weather & Climate

Week 33: Weather and You

Week 34: The Solar System

Week 35: Stars

Week 36: Our Place in Space

Unit 3 Test

This course frequently refers to lessons on YouTube.

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and

Wikipedia if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also

recommend viewing the videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’

exposure to potentially offensive ads and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Physical Science

Unit 3: Earth Science

Week 25: Introduction to Earth Science

Week 25: Lesson 1

Read: With a parent’s permission, read the “What Is Earth Science?” article from Geology.com.

https://geology.com/articles/what-is-earth-science.shtml

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch these Crash Course Kids YouTube videos about earth

science.

“Four Spheres Part 1” (running time 4:00)

“Four Spheres Part 2” (running time 3:30)

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia

if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the

videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads

and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Define the following terms.

1. Geology

2. Meteorology

3. Oceanography

4. Astronomy

Respond to the following questions.

1. List the four spheres mentioned in the videos, along with at least three examples of

components from each sphere.

2. Match how the four areas you will be studying in earth science relate to the four spheres.

Discuss your answers with your teacher.

Geosphere a. Astronomy

Biosphere b. Meteorology

Hydrosphere c. Oceanography

Atmosphere d. Geology

e. None of the above

Week 25: Lesson 2

Beginning of Time on Earth

There was a time when there was nothing. Just like there was a time when you were not born yet;

you did not exist prior to being carried in your mother’s womb. There was a time when your

parents and your grandparents were not present on Earth either. We can go even further back to a

time when there were no trees, no animals, and even Earth did not exist. God always existed.

How do we know this? Creation points to a designer. For example, our distance from the sun is

perfect—too close and we would burn; too far away and we would freeze.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same

was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any

thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.” KJV John 1:1-4

How did it all start?

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without form, and

void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the

waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was

good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness

He called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” KJV Genesis 1:1-5

Read: With a parent’s permission, read the “When God Made Something Out of Nothing – Day

1” article from Creation for Kids.

https://creation.com/when-god-made-something-out-of-nothing-day-1

Respond to the following question.

1. According to the article, what were the four things God made on Creation Day 1?

How old is the earth?

To prove your age, you can look at your birth certificate. Well, guess what? We can determine

how old the earth is by looking at its “birth certificate,” as well!

Read: Read and take notes on the “Age of the Earth” article at Creation.com.

https://creation.com/age-of-the-earth

Critical Thinking Question

1. How do the “101 evidences for a young age of the earth and the universe” in the

reation.com article support the Biblical account of creation? Give at least three specific

examples.

Week 25: Lesson 3

Read: With a parent’s permission, read the “Dating Methods” article from Creation for Kids.

https://creation.com/answers-for-kids-dating-methods

Respond to the following question.

1. Explain how scientists use carbon and radiometric dating methods. What are some of the

problems associated with these methods?

Week 26: Earth’s Structure

Week 26: Lesson 1

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch the video “Layers of the Earth” from MooMooMath

and Science.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RKoLleyDJ4

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia

if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the

videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads

and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Would it surprise you to hear that scientists haven’t even been able to drill all the way through

the crust of the earth? That’s because the deeper you drill, the hotter it gets. This is the principle

behind geothermal energy, which converts heat from underground into electricity or direct

heating units.

In addition to the great heat below the earth’s crust, there is also the enormous pressure of all

those miles of rock weighing down on the mantle. If the crust were a single hard piece, it might

shatter like a pie shell. Fortunately, Earth’s crust is made of pieces called tectonic plates, and

they have a soft, pliable layer to float on called the asthenosphere (a portion of the mantle).

Unfortunately, the places those plates rub together are prone to earthquakes and volcanoes

because the mantle and outer core of the earth are in constant motion.

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch the video “Earth's Interior, Plate Tectonics, and the

Rock Cycle.”

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

Many science books will tell you that the tectonic plates under the continents drifted apart over

the course of “millions of years.” Creation scientists will point to the Flood as the probable cause

of a catastrophic continental shift.

Read: Read more about the science behind the Flood and plate tectonics.

https://www.icr.org/article/continental-drift-plate-tectonics-bible

To read more about how that fits with Biblical teaching, you can read the following article.

https://www.icr.org/article/embracing-catastrophic-plate-tectonics

To see how the continents may have fit together before the Flood, view the following animation.

https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/pangea

Define the following terms.

1. Crust

2. Mantle

3. Outer core

4. Inner core

5. Lithosphere

6. Tectonic plates

Respond to the following question.

1. Compare and contrast Earth’s four layers: crust, mantle, outer core, inner core.

Week 26: Lesson 2

Activity 1: Structure of the Earth

Choose one of the three options below to explore the structure of the Earth:

Option 1: Paper Model

You will need:

• Compass or different sized lids for drawing circles

• Construction paper in several colors (yellow, orange, red, black or brown, blue or green)

• Scissors

• Colored Markers

• Labels or slips of white paper and tape

• A metal brad or a piece of wire with a button (as shown in the video)

Follow the instructions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XEv37-9VI4.

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia

if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the

videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads

and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Option 2: Clay Model

You will need:

• Art or play clay in several colors (red, orange, yellow, brown, green, blue)

• Butter knife or dental floss to cut open the finished product

Follow the instructions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9vtd4PLCDI&t=161s.

Option 3: Egg Model

You will need:

• A hardboiled egg

• Kitchen knife

• Cutting surface

Follow the instructions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r19TMQvTmMA.

Activity 2: Tectonic Plate Jigsaw

Instructions

1. Print out one of the maps on the next two pages.

2. If you selected the color map, carefully print the names of the tectonic plates on the map,

following the color-coded guide.

3. If you selected the black and white map, carefully color in the plates with a light shade of

colored pencil. Make sure you can still see the outlines of the continents. If necessary, go over

the outlines of the continents in a darker color.

4. No matter which map you chose, your next step is to cut apart the tectonic plates at the lines.

Note: Do not cut along the borders of continents because the plates and continents do not line

up exactly.

5. With the map cut apart, see if you can reassemble the pieces like a jigsaw puzzle.

6. With the jigsaw puzzle assembled, experiment a little with continental drift. Try pushing the

pieces together or pulling them apart. Then answer the questions on the pages after the maps.

Critical Thinking Questions

1. In 1864, Jules Verne published his classic book Journey to the Center of the Earth. Based on

what you’ve learned, would that story be possible in real life? Why or why not?

2. When using the maps, what happens to the paper when you push it together?

3. If this were a land mass instead, what land formation could result when the tectonic plates

collide?

4. With a parent’s permission, look up “Subduction Zones” online and explain how these relate

to your paper experiment.

5. When you pull the paper apart, it creates a gap. How does the earth compensate when

tectonic plates drift apart? (Hint: View this link from yesterday and scroll down to “Sea

Floor Spreading.” https://www.icr.org/article/continental-drift-plate-tectonics-bible)

Week 26: Lesson 3

Read: Read and take notes on the “Earthquake” article from World Book Student.

https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar171680

Respond to the following questions.

1. What are some other natural disasters that can be caused by earthquakes (besides collapsed

buildings or fires)?

2. What are some ways to try to reduce the destructive effects of earthquakes?

3. Where do earthquakes begin?

4. What are some factors that can trigger an earthquake?

Week 27: Earth’s Wonders

Week 27: Lesson 1

Read: Read and take notes on the “Volcano” article from World Book Student:

https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar587920

Please note: There is a brief “600,000 years” reference in the Silicic caldera

complexes subsection of “Types of Volcanoes.”

Respond to the following questions.

1. Explain the process that results in a volcanic eruption.

2. What are some of the products of a volcanic eruption, and what are the dangers of each?

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch “Landforms, Hey!” from Crash Course Kids on

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN6QX43QB4g

**Please note: A “millions of years in the making” statement is made near the very end of the

video.

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia

if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the

videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads

and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Week 27: Lesson 2

Read: Read and take notes on the “Minerals” article from World Book Student. Stop before the

section titled “Chemical Bonds.”

https://worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar363040

Read: Read and take notes on the “Rock” article from World Book Student. Stop before the

section titled “Rocks as a Hobby.”

https://worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar472260

Define the following terms.

1. Minerals (list the four qualities of a mineral)

2. Rocks

3. Igneous rocks

4. Sedimentary rocks

5. Metamorphic rocks

Experiment: Supersaturated Solutions

You will need:

• Scientific Experiment Sheet

• 2 microwave-safe cups or mason jars

• Water

• Sugar

• Spoon

• Plate

• Microwave oven

• 2 wooden skewers or popsicle sticks

• Hair clip or similar

Preparation

1. Get one wooden skewer or popsicle stick wet.

2. Immediately roll it in sugar, making sure some of the sugar crystals stick to it.

3. Set the stick aside to dry on a clean plate and fill out your Scientific Experiment Sheet. Be

sure to read through the rest of the procedure and make a prediction about what will happen:

how much more sugar do you think you can add in Step 6?

Procedure

1. Put 8 ounces of water in one cup or jar.

2. . Stir in sugar by the teaspoonful until you have as much as possible dissolved. There may be

a few grains left in the bottom, which is okay at this stage. This is called a saturated solution,

which means the water is unable to hold any more sugar in suspension.

3. Break the other skewer or popsicle stick into a piece that will easily fit inside the cup in the

microwave. The purpose of this is to prevent burns from a superheated cup, which can boil

over in an instant when it is bumped.

4. Put the stick in the cup with the saturated sugar solution and microwave it for about 2

minutes. You may remove it from the microwave as soon as it boils. Use a hot mitt to protect

your hand.

5. Stir the solution to see if the sugar crystals at the bottom will disappear.

6. Add sugar by the teaspoonful until no more can possibly dissolve. This is your supersaturated

solution, where the water can actually hold more sugar than it can at room temperature.

Extension

You may have made rock candy before. This part of the experiment is just for fun!

1. When it is cool enough, pour off the liquid portion of your supersaturated sugar solution into

your second cup or jar to remove the remaining crystal sugar from the bottom.

2. When your stick from step #3 is dry, use a hair clip or something similar to suspend the stick

in the sugar solution.

3. As you probably know from experience, crystals of sugar will form to create rock candy over

time. Leave the solution undisturbed until enough crystals have formed to enjoy as a treat.

(This step may take a few days, so be sure to keep working through the lessons while you

wait!)

Complete your Scientific Experiment Sheet, if you have not already done so.

Watch: Watch this video from Sci Guys to learn more about the science behind this process.

(Note: They use a saucepan instead of a microwave, which is an alternative for the above

experiment.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpOU0Fo7QfU

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia

if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the

videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads

and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Critical Thinking Questions

If a quartz rock falls into a lake, it will remain a rock. If the water is very hot, however, it can

dissolve the quartz into what’s known as hydrothermal quartz. This phenomenon happens, for

example, around the volcanic steam vents of Yellowstone National Park.

1. How is process of making hydrothermal quartz similar to the supersaturated sugar solution

you made in the experiment?

2. Bonus Question: Can volcanic steam be hotter than boiling water? Why or why not? (Hint:

With your parent’s permission, watch this video online:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jWhd-XkO_o.)

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and

Wikipedia if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also

recommend viewing the videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’

exposure to potentially offensive ads and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Week 27: Lesson 3

Read: With a parent’s permission, read “The Bible Best Explains the Ice Age” from the Institute

for Creation Research.

https://www.icr.org/article/the-bible-best-explains-the-ice-age

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch this video from Answers in Genesis:

https://answersingenesis.org/kids/videos/science/ice-age/

Respond to the following question.

1. Explain in your own words the factors that contributed to sheets of ice forming over much of

the earth following the Flood.

Career Spotlight

Read: With a parent’s permission, read about Dr. Steven A. Austin at Creation.com.

https://creation.com/geologist-steve-austin

Respond to the following questions.

1. What modern natural disaster transformed geological thinking? How did it do that?

2. What US landform is now an icon of Creation and the Flood?

3. What is odd about finding nautiloid fossils in a layer from Arizona to Nevada?

Week 28: Oceans and Seas

Week 28: Lesson 1

Read: Read and take notes on the “Water” article from World Book Student.

Stop at the section, “World distribution of water.”

https://worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar593660

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch “The Great Aqua Adventure” from

Crash Course Kids on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5G4NCwWUxY

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia

if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the

videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads

and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Define the following terms.

(Hint: Even if the reading doesn’t define the word directly, you may deduce it from context or

look it up in a dictionary.)

1. Water cycle

2. Evaporation

3. Water vapor

4. Condensation

5. Precipitation

6. Transpiration

7. Aquifer (Hint: See “Ground water” after this heading: https://worldbookonline.com/student-

new/#/article/home/ar593660/outline/h18)

Respond to the following question.

8. Name some ways that water can be purified. (Hint: Scroll down to “Purifying and Treating

Water” after “Ground Water” above.)

Activity: View the Water Cycle picture on the next page. Match the numbers on the picture with

the portion of the water cycle the arrow represents.

1. a. aquifer

2. b. precipitation

3. c. salt water

4. d. runoff

5. e. evaporation

6. f. fresh water

7. g. condensation

Optional Activity: Make a Terrarium

Instructions: https://climatekids.nasa.gov/mini-garden/

You will need:

• Glass container with a lid, such as a mason jar

• Marble-sized rocks

• Activated charcoal (or sand if unavailable)

• Potting soil

• Small plants, such as moss or succulents.

Critical Thinking Question

1. How does a closed terrarium demonstrate the water cycle?

Week 28: Lesson 2

Read: Read and take notes on the “Ocean” article in World Book Student. Stop before the “Life

in the Ocean” section.

https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar398740

Respond to the following questions.

1. What amount of Earth’s surface is covered by water?

2. How much of Earth’s water is found in oceans?

3. Name the major oceans and their sizes.

4. What is the average depth of the ocean? The article gives a measurement in feet. About how

many miles deep is that measurement?

5. What is the temperature near the bottom of the ocean?

6. List the categories of major resources provided by oceans, as listed in this article, and give

examples under each category.

7. How do ocean waters affect climate?

Read: Read “Fresh Water from the Sea” from World Book Student’s “Water” article.

https://worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar593660/outline/h30

Critical Thinking Questions

1. What are the three main methods of turning salt water into fresh water?

2. With only 3% of the water on Earth being fresh water, which is critical for all life forms, do

you think we can ever run out of fresh water? Why or why not?

Week 28: Lesson 3

What does Scripture say about the seas (oceans)?

God created the waters.

Genesis 1:9-10 “And God said, ‘Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together

unto one place, and let the dry land appear;’ and it was so. And God called the dry land

Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called He seas; and God saw that it was

good.”

Genesis 1:21 “God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the

waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind:

and God saw that it was good.”

The sea has limits.

Even though over 70% of the earth is covered by water, it will not overtake us because

God sets boundaries.

Jeremiah 5:22 “’Fear ye not Me?’ saith the LORD: ‘will ye not tremble at My presence,

which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot

pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though

they roar, yet can they not pass over it?”

Job 38:10-11 “And brake up for it My decreed place, and set bars and doors, And said,

‘Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed’?”

Proverbs 8:29 “When He gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His

commandment: when He appointed the foundations of the earth.”

Psalm 104:9 “Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again

to cover the earth.”

Read: Read “Heavens Above! Water Below! – Day 2” from Creation for Kids.

https://creation.com/heavens-above-water-below-day-2

Respond to the following questions.

1. Based on the above verses, why would we not expect to see oceanfront property in Kansas?

2. What is it about the atmosphere that makes life on earth possible for plants as well as

humans?

3. According to the article, what two things does the size of the oceans do for our planet?

4. List some important qualities of water that make life possible.

5. Write a short essay about the following topic.

In Western countries, only about 1% of water is used for drinking. How else does your

family use water? Do you think this is wasteful? Why or why not? How would using less

water benefit your community, if at all? Can you think of ways your family could use less?

Week 29: Movement and Ocean Floor

Week 29: Lesson 1

Read: Read and take notes on the “Ocean” article in

World Book Student. Start at the “How the ocean

moves” section and stop before “How the sea

floor was formed.”

https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-

new/#/article/home/ar398740/outline/h22

Define the following terms.

There are a lot of definitions in this lesson. Instead of completing another activity today, spend

some extra time studying the terms you just learned.

1. Wind-driven currents

2. Gyres

3. Upwelling

4. Thermohaline circulation

5. Surf

6. White cap

7. Tsunami

8. Tide

9. Spring tide

10. Neap tide

11. Abyssal plains

12. Mid-ocean ridges

13. Trenches

14. Hydrothermal vents

15. Continental shelf

16. Continental slope

17. Continental rise

18. Continental margin

Week 29: Lesson 2

Read: Read about the challenges of underwater exploration in “Kinds of underwater diving”

from World Book Student.

https://worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar161460/outline/h1

Aside from the problem of not being able to breathe underwater, divers have to overcome the

immense pressure. This experiment is designed to find out what causes that pressure.

Experiment: Water Pressure

You will need:

• Scientific Experiment Sheet

• Empty milk carton or orange juice container

• Nail

• Water

• Kitchen sink.

Preparation

1. Carefully use the nail to poke three holes along one side of the container. The holes should be

lined up in a row, at least one inch apart.

2. Read the whole procedure. Fill in your Scientific Experiment Sheet with your hypothesis.

Will the water flow out the holes equally when the container is filled, or will it flow faster

from one of the holes? Which one?

Procedure

1. Fill the container all the way to the rim in the sink.

2. Observe which hole is draining faster. Write down your observations on the Scientific

Experiment Sheet, including how you know more force is acting on one hole over another.

Read: Read more about the dangers of underwater diving here.

https://worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar161460/outline/h9

Critical Thinking Questions

1. What makes underwater pressure so dangerous for divers?

2. If underwater exploration is dangerous, how have humans been able to study the oceans? List

some solutions scientists have used.

Week 29: Lesson 3

Study the definitions from Lesson 1 and use them to complete the following activity.

Matching, Part 1: Match the numbers on the picture with the vocabulary.

1. a. Continental slope

2. b. Continental margin

3. c. Continental shelf

4. d. Continental rise

Matching, Part 2

5. Abyssal plains a. The deepest parts of the ocean

6. Mid-ocean ridges b. The broad, flat parts of the ocean floor

7. Hydrothermal vents c. Formed when hot mineral water shoots up

8. Trenches d. The longest mountain range on Earth

Matching, Part 3

9. Wind-driven currents a. Calmer tides during the moon’s first or third quarter

10. Gyres b. Water from the depths moving to the surface

11. Upwelling c. Rhythmic rise and fall of the ocean

12. Thermohaline circulation d. Steep mid-ocean waves that break

13. Surf e. Series of fast waves that get large near shore

14. White cap f. Surface water set in motion by the wind

15. Tsunami g. A rush of water against the shore

16. Tide h. Surface water moving in enormous circles

17. Spring tides i. Surface water moving to the ocean depths

18. Neap tides j. Larger tides around the new or full moon

Read: Read the section on “Ocean Problems,” stopping at the section titled “Habitat

modification.”

https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar398740/outline/h43

Read: Read the following Bible verses.

Genesis 2:15: And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to

dress it and to keep it.

Psalm 24:1: The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that

dwell therein.

Critical Thinking Question

1. Based on the Bible verses, what is a Christian’s responsibility toward the environment?

Where might Christians disagree with modern environmentalists? Have a discussion with

your parents about their views on the matter.

Read: With a parent’s permission, read the following article for further study.

https://answersingenesis.org/environmental-science/climate-change/what-about-environmentalism/

Week 30: Water as a Resource

Week 30: Lesson 1

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch “H2O – No!” from Crash Course Kids on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNOc7mHr5gI

This video begins a discussion of what happens when there is a shortage of water in an area, such

as in California. It has the largest population of any state in the United States, but it sometimes

has long stretches when less than the average amount of rain falls (called a drought). These

stretches can last for years. The problem of less water for more people is a big one in that state.

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia

if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the

videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads

and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch “Water Fix!” from Crash Course Kids on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYROQW9IDIg

Read: With a parent’s permission, read “Teen Finds Cheap Way to Turn Salt Water into Safe

Drinking Water.”

http://metro.co.uk/2017/02/04/teen-finds-cheap-way-to-turn-salt-water-into-safe-

drinking-water-6426659/

Respond to the following questions.

1. Explain in your own words some of the reasons for a fresh water shortage despite the

presence of vast oceans.

2. Explain some strategies to address the issue, as well as the drawbacks to some of these

strategies.

Week 30: Lesson 2

Obviously, chemical use will have consequences for the location where it was used. A farm field

sprayed with herbicide will have dead weeds. An overturned railcar tanker will spill its contents

on the ground around it. Chemicals might spread further than expected, however, which is what

this day’s activities will explore.

Experiment 1: Water Pollution

You will need:

• Scientific Experiment Sheet

• Paper or plastic cups

• Soil (enough to fill cup)

• Large container of clean water

• Food coloring

• Optional: alternate forms of soil, such as sand, clay, gravel or charcoal

Preparation

1. Poke three or four tiny holes in the bottom of the cup for water to drain.

2. Fill the cup with soil. This becomes our miniature ‘farm.’

3. Read the rest of the instructions and fill in your Scientific Experiment Sheet. Will the food

coloring be absorbed by the soil?

Procedure

1. Squirt some food coloring on the top of the soil in the cup. This is our experiment’s version

of farm chemicals, such as weed killer or fertilizer.

2. Hold the cup over the large container of clean water.

3. Drip water across the top of the cup until you see water coming out the holes in the bottom.

This represents rainfall across our experimental farm. Use your observations of what happens

to the clean water in the container to complete your Scientific Experiment Sheet.

Optional Extension

The clean container represents groundwater reserves under our farm. If you have time,

experiment with filling a cup with several layers of the optional soil types. Is there some

combination that keeps the groundwater reserve cleaner than the others?

Read: Read the paragraph about nonpoint sources of water pollution from World Book Student.

https://worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar594330/outline/h5

Read: Read these two paragraphs regarding how farmers might abate chemical runoff.

• Agriculture:

https://worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar182428/outline/h20

• Nonpoint control (scroll down a paragraph if necessary):

https://worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar594330/outline/h10

Critical Thinking Questions

1. When enough rain fell on our experimental farm, what happened to the clean water in the

container below? What does that mean for the groundwater beneath a real farm?

2. Based on the readings, what can farmers do to ensure the water supply stays clean?

3. Besides the farming chemicals mentioned in the experiment, what other types of pollution

make their way into bodies of water by a similar process to the one you just explored?

Week 30: Lesson 3

Careers in Oceanography

Read: Read the “Careers in Oceanography” section of the Ocean article in World Book Student.

https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar398740/outline/h48

Career Spotlight

Read: Read about the following oceanographers in World Book Discover.

• Sylvia Alice Earle:

https://www.worldbookonline.com/wbdiscover/article?id=ar841035

• Jacques-Yves Cousteau:

https://www.worldbookonline.com/wbdiscover/article?id=ar830452

Respond to your reading by telling a parent or sibling about what you have learned.

Week 31: Atmospheric Conditions

Week 31: Lesson 1

Read: Read and take notes on the “Weather” article from World Book Student. Stop before

“Weather Radar.”

https://worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar596160

Define the following terms.

1. Meteorologist

2. Water vapor

3. Air pressure

4. Humidity

5. Relative humidity

6. Dew point

7. Front

Respond to the following questions.

1. How does air pressure affect weather?

2. How does the earth heat up and cool down?

3. How do clouds form? (Be sure to describe how air pressure is involved.)

4. What are the differences between trade winds, westerlies, and polar winds?

Matching: Match the tools of a meteorologist with what they measure.

1. Thermometer a. measures wind speed

2. Hygrometer b. measures air pressure

3. Anemometer c. measures water vapor in the air

4. Rain gauge d. measures rainfall

5. Barometer e. measures air temperature

Week 31: Lesson 2

Activity: Measuring the Wind

You will need:

• 2 straws

• 5 small paper cups

• Stapler

• Pencil with eraser

• Thumbtack

• Marker

• Watch with second hand

• Outdoor table, or indoor table with fan

Preparation

1. To begin, we will assemble our pieces into a homemade anemometer. Start by stapling a cup

to the end of each straw, so that they face outward in the same direction.

2. Staple another cup to the other end of each straw so that all the cups face the same direction

when assembled.

3. Place both straws in an X pattern across the top of the pencil eraser and fasten by piercing all

the way through with the thumbtack.

4. Twirl the pencil between your fingers to ensure it is assembled correctly.

5. Make a small hole in the bottom of the last cup and push the pencil through it. The pencil

should rest against the table and spin freely when you blow across the cups.

6. Mark one of the cups so that you can see it easily.

Procedure

1. If it is a breezy day, take your anemometer outside and set it on a flat surface. (If it is not a

breezy day, use a fan on your kitchen table to blow on the device.)

2. Using a watch with a second hand, count how many times the wind turns the anemometer in

one minute. Use the mark you made on one of the cups to help you count revolutions.

Critical Thinking Questions

1. Describe the movement of your anemometer during the experiment. How many revolutions

per minute (rpm) did you record?

2. Move the anemometer to a different location (if you are working outside). Is there a

difference in the number of revolutions per minute? If there is, why do you think the

difference exists?

3. What can you tell about the wind direction based on observing the movement of your

anemometer?

Extension

Determine the approximate wind speed based upon results from your experiment. Here’s how!

First, measure the circle your cups are making. Use a piece of string to trace the circle then

measure it against a ruler. Another option is to measure the distance from one cup to the opposite

cup and multiply by pi (3.14).

Next, multiply this by the number of revolutions you counted above. This is the total number of

inches your cup traveled in a minute. Write that number in the first box below.

On a calculator, divide the number in the first box by 12, divide again by 5280, and then multiply

by 60. That should give you miles per hour. You can check your work at the following website.

http://www.kylesconverter.com/speed-or-velocity/inches-per-minute-to-miles-per-hour

Week 31: Lesson 3

Read: Read and take notes on the “Meteorology” article in World Book Student.

https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar358200

Respond to the following questions.

1. What is meteorology?

2. Why do meteorologists measure weather conditions? Why is thisimportant?

3. What are some possible occupations for meteorologists?

4. Give a brief summary of the history of meteorology.

Activity: Weather Prediction

Note: This activity takes place over the course of several days. Finish the preparation today and

then come back to it every day for the next five days to complete it. You may continue with next

week’s lessons on your regular schedule while you do so.

Preparation

1. Print or save the chart at the end of this lesson.

2. View today’s extended weather forecast for the next five days. You may use a newspaper, a

television newscast (be sure to record it so you can rewind), a website, or even a weather app

on a phone. One such website is Weather.com, where you can search your zip code and select

the “10 Day” option.

3. Fill in the chart with all of the predicted data for the next five days (including today):

temperature highs and lows; type of precipitation predicted (or fair weather); wind speed and

direction; and relative humidity if given.

Procedure

1. Come back to the same weather forecast every day for the next five days. Look only at the

part of the forecast for the current day. Record the data on the “Actual” column of your chart.

It is important to do this daily. For many of the forecasts, including the Weather.com

website, you will only be able to view wind and humidity on the same day. If you try to look

up the data later, you will only see temperature highs and lows and type of precipitation.

2. At the end of five days, look up the actual high and low temperatures recorded on each day.

These should be available on Weather.com. Enter your zip code and then click the “Monthly”

tab to see the actual data recorded in your area.

Respond to the following questions.

1. How did each day’s forecast compare to the weather that actually happened?

2. Was the prediction for the fifth day just as accurate as the prediction for the first day?

3. Based on your observations, is weather forecasting an exact science? Why or why not?

Weather Prediction Chart

View a weather forecast and fill in the following chart. Each day, record the new data for that

day and compare it to what was predicted.

Date

Predicted

Actual

Predicted

Actual

Predicted

Actual

Predicted

Actual

Predicted

Actual

Hi temp

Lo temp

Precipitation

Wind

Speed

Wind

Direction

Humidity

Other

Week 32: Weather and Climate

Week 32: Lesson 1

Read: Read and take notes on the “Weather” article in World Book Student. Review the

information beginning at “Planetary Scale Systems” and stop reading at “Weather

Balloons, Airplanes, and Ships.”

https://worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar596160/outline/h6

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch this video from Embry-Riddle Aeronautic University

for more information on the atmosphere and the Coriolis effect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XtcqIv_EHs

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch this video from Met Office that explains the jet

stream. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg91eowtfbw

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia

if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the

videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads

and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Define the following terms.

1. Troposphere

2. Planetary-scale circulation

3. Synoptic-scale system

4. Coriolis effect

5. Westerlies

6. Easterlies

7. Jet stream

8. Air mass

9. Warm front

10. Cold front

11. Stationary front

12. Lows

13. Highs (anticyclones)

Respond to the following questions.

1. What is the difference between a cyclone and a hurricane, as scientists use the word?

2. Why do thunderclouds often have a straight, flat top?

3. How does the rotation of the earth affect its weather patterns?

4. Write a short paragraph to explain why predicting weather patterns can be so complicated.

Optional: With a parent’s permission, watch the following video from Crash Course Kids for

more information about variable weather patterns.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD-2dvaG4UY

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia

if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the

videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads

and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Week 32: Lesson 2

Read: Read and take notes on the “Climate” article from World Book Student. Start at “Why

Climates Vary” and stop after the “Highland Climates” section.

https://worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar119200/outline/h1

Please note: There are references to man-made climate change before and after this selection.

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch this summary about the “Basics of Geography:

Climate.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95TtXYjOEv4

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch “Why Does Earth Have Deserts?” and “Rain

Shadows.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6Us1sPXBfA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMu4dShS74w

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia

if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the

videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads

and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Respond to the following questions.

1. What are the major factors that determine how climate varies from place to place?

2. List five latitudes that are important in determining climate.

3. In general, what is the climate like in each of these areas: tropics, middle latitudes, and polar

regions?

4. Summarize two of the ways large areas of land become deserts, based on the videos above.

5. It is a warm, sunny afternoon, and you can see clouds forming on the horizon. What can you

infer is happening in the atmosphere to form those clouds?

6. On that same warm, sunny afternoon, a thunderstorm rolls through your area. It starts with a

sudden downpour of thick hail. How can ice fall from the sky on a warm day?

Week 32: Lesson 3

Reminder: Last week’s activity (Week 31, Lesson 3) was done over the course of several days. Be

sure to go back and complete the questions if you have not already done so.

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch this summary titled “Climates of the Earth.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7br0HtZACiU

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia

if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the

videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads

and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Review: Review the section “Kinds of Climates” from World Book Student’s Climate article.

https://worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar119200/outline/h7

Activity: What’s My Climate?

On the next page, answer the questions to fill in the chart. Two examples have been done for

you.

Use the following directions and questions to guide you as you complete the chart.

Column 1

• Write in the name of your city or the nearest major city that you go shopping in.

• Look up that city’s latitude and elevation online.

• Are there any large bodies of water nearby that make the climate more mild or severe?

• Are there any mountains nearby that make the climate more rainy or dry?

Column 2

• Write in the type of climate your city experiences, based on the descriptions in the

reading.

Column 3

• Based on the reading and your own experience, what are the major features of your

climate?

Column 4

• Based on what you have learned this week about rain shadows, warm ocean currents, and

the circulation of air in the atmosphere, what do you think are the major contributing

factors to the type of climate your city experiences?

Activity Chart: What’s My Climate?

Location Detail

Type of climate

Climate details

Climate factors

City: Sacramento, CA

Latitude: 38.6 N

Elevation: 30 ft.

Water? yes

Mountains? yes

Mediterranean

(subtropical dry

summers)

Hot, dry summers

Mild, rainy winters

Pacific Ocean to the

west; Sierra Nevada

mountains to the east

City: Reno, NV

Latitude: 39.5 N

Elevation: 4505 ft

Water? no

Mountains? yes

Mid-latitude semi-

arid

Low rainfall

Hot summers, cool to

cold winters

Rain shadow from

Sierra Nevada

mountains; high

elevation

City:

Latitude:

Elevation:

Water?

Mountains?

The map below gives another perspective on how climates are categorized.

Week 33: Weather and You

Week 33: Lesson 1

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch the video “Severe Weather” from Crash Course Kids.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVZExLO0MWA

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia

if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the

videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads

and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Define the following terms.

(Please note: You may need to use a dictionary, because not all of these terms are defined in the

video. An online dictionary is available at https://www.merriam-webster.com/.)

1. Thunderstorm

2. Thunderhead

3. Tornado

4. Funnel cloud

5. Blizzard

6. Hurricane

7. Typhoon

8. Tropical cyclone

9. Storm surge

10. Flash flood

11. Drought

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch the video “Explaining the Categories of Hurricane

Intensity.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uJMj0j9cA4

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch the video “How Are Tornados Rated?” from Allstate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7Wrj7mTJ6M

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia

if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the

videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads

and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Respond to the following questions.

1. Fill in this chart of wind speeds based on the videos above.

Category

Tornado Wind Speeds

(Tropical storm: 39-73mph)

EF0

CAT 1

EF1

CAT 2

EF2

CAT 3

EF3

CAT 4

EF4

CAT 5

EF5

2. Compare the scales used to categorize hurricanes and tornados. How are they similar?

3. Contrast the scales used to categorize hurricanes and tornados. How are they different?

4. Compare and contrast the damage caused by hurricanes versus the damage caused by

tornados.

Week 33: Lesson 2

Read: Read and take notes on the “Season” article from World Book Student.

https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar498720

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch the video “Are there seasons on Mars?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0RvswtXJi8

Note: In the video, there is a brief mention of “millions of years” that does not relate to the

inferred age of the Earth.

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia

if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the

videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads

and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Respond to the following questions.

1. You may have learned that the four seasons all begin on the twenty-first: March 21, June 21,

September 21, and December 21. However, these are averages instead of exact dates. Using a

calendar or an Internet search, look up the exact dates of this year’s spring and fall

equinoxes, as well as the summer and winter solstices.

2. Earth’s polar regions have the most extreme seasons of all. What is the main difference

between the longest day of the year and the shortest day at the North or South Poles? What

causes this?

3. The tropics generally do not have four seasons the way the middle latitudes do. What kind of

seasons do the tropics experience?

4. Earth’s axis tilts at 23.5 degrees from the sun. How does that relate to the latitude of the

Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn (Week 32: Lesson 2)? Why do you think that is?

5. Write a paragraph to compare and contrast the seasons on Mars with the seasons on Earth.

Include what causes the seasons, as well as any factors that might moderate the extremes.

Matching

1. tornado a. local flooding caused by excess rainfall

2. hurricane b. coastal flooding caused by a hurricane

3. typhoon c. spiral of spinning wind sometimes formed by a thunderstorm

4. tropical storm d. extreme weather that develops over years instead of days or minutes

5. storm surge e. large circular storm covering a vast area with winds over 74 mph

6. flash flood f. another name for a hurricane in SE Asia

7. drought g. large circular storm with winds not quite as strong as a hurricane

Week 33: Lesson 3

Read: Read and take notes on the “How People Affect the Weather” section of the “Weather”

article from World Book Student. Also watch the brief “Snowflake Formation” video

located in the right margin, next to the article.

https://worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar596160/outline/h22

Respond to the following questions.

1. Describe some ways that people have affected the weather.

2. Are there ways to reduce or change these effects? Explain your response.

3. We have studied several types of extreme weather this week. What kind of extreme weather

does not usually happen where you live, and why do you think that is?

4. Why do you think predicting extreme weather is so much easier now than it was 50 years

ago?

Career Spotlight:

Read: Read the “Careers in Weather” section of the “Weather” article from World Book

Student.

https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar596160/outline/h23

Week 34: The Solar System

Week 34: Lesson 1

Read: With a parent’s permission, read the “Sun, Shine!

Moon, Glow! Stars, Twinkle! – Day 4” article from

Creation for Kids.

https://creation.com/sun-shine-moon-glow-stars-

twinkle-day-4

A star and all the objects that circle around it are called a solar

system. When we say, “The Solar System,” we are referring to

the one we live in. It includes the sun, the planets, the planets’

satellites (moons), dwarf planets, asteroids, comets, and more.

Read: Read the “Solar System” article from World Book Student, starting with the section about

“The Sun” and stopping after “The Heliosphere.”

https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar518960/outline/h2

Please note: There are references to “millions of years” before and after this selection.

Read: Read the short article, “Dwarf Planet,” from World Book Student.

https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar754546

Define the following terms.

1. Orbit

2. Inner planets

3. Outer planets

4. Dwarf planet

5. Asteroid

6. Comet

7. Meteoroid

8. Heliosphere

Respond to the following questions.

1. How are inner planets different from outer planets?

2. How are asteroids different from comets?

3. What discovery demoted Pluto from its status as a planet to a “dwarf planet?”

4. What is unique about the dwarf planet Ceres?

Week 34: Lesson 2

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch this video from MooMooMath and Science.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKq93LJFnuo

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia

if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the

videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads

and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

The reason the video narrator talks about “relative” distance is because we’re trying to decide

how to compare very large, solar-system-sized distances in a way that we can see it on a very

tiny portion of Earth. Since most of us don’t live next to a golf course or park, we’ll have to use a

much smaller scale to try this ourselves. We’ll use this chart to help us.

As you can see from the incredible distances in the second column below, even astronomers need

something smaller to work with. They created Astronomical Units (AU). Each AU is 93 million

miles, putting Earth at exactly 1 AU away from the sun. We’ll put AUs in the third column.

There. Doesn’t that look more manageable?

From the Sun to:

Actual

Distance: Miles

Scale: AU

Mercury

36.0 million mi.

0.4 AU

Venus

67.2 million mi.

0.7 AU

Earth

93.0 million mi.

1 AU

Mars

141.6 million mi.

1.5 AU

Jupiter

483.6 million mi.

5.2 AU

Saturn

886.7 million mi.

9.6 AU

Uranus

1784.0 million mi.

19.2 AU

Neptune

2794.4 million mi.

30 AU

Pluto (optional)

3674.5 million mi.

40 AU

(average)

To translate AUs into smaller distances, all we have to do is switch out the units for something

small. Do you only have a sheet of paper? Use centimeters or inches for your scale. That means

you would draw Pluto 40 centimeters or 40 inches away from the sun, depending on how big

your paper is.

If all you have is paper, use the information above to draw a picture representing the sun and all

the planets. Make sure the sun is large, the inner planets and Pluto are tiny, and the gas giants are

medium-sized. (Jupiter should be the largest planet.)

However, if you have a sidewalk available, do the following activity using feet.

Activity: The Sun and Planets

You will need the following supplies:

• Sidewalk chalk

• Tape measure

• At least 20 feet (4.5 m) of a sidewalk or driveway to write on

Procedure

1. Choose your scale from the chart on the following page based on how much sidewalk you

have.

2. Print this page and highlight the column you chose in yellow (or similar).

3. Make a big yellow chalk circle at the starting point on the sidewalk to represent the sun.

4. Measure the first distance and put a tiny colored dot to represent Mercury.

5. Measure the other distances, putting tiny dots for the inner planets and Pluto, and much

larger circles for the gas giants (though not as large as the sun).

6. If you’re learning as a team, play a game with the planets. Choose Game 1, Game 2, or make

up your own.

Game 1

• Put strips of paper with planet names in a hat.

• Pull out a name and race to the planet. Option: Use “Red Light/Green Light” rules.

Game 2

• Play “Simon Says” by naming different ways to travel to the named planet.

• Examples: “Simon says, ‘Hop to Venus.’” “Simon says, ‘Crab-walk to Jupiter.’”

From the Sun

to . . .

Half Scale

Scale

Double Scale

Mercury

2 3/8 inches

5.9 cm.

4 5/8 inches

11.9 cm.

9 3/8 inches

23.8 cm.

Venus

4 3/8 inches

11 cm.

8 5/8 inches

22 cm.

17 3/8 inches (1.5 ft.)

44 cm.

Earth

6 inches

15.3 cm

12 inches (1 ft.)

30.5 cm.

2 ft.

61 cm. (0.6 m.)

Mars

9 inches

22.9 cm

18 inches (1.5 ft.)

45.7 cm

3 ft.

91 cm. (0.9m.)

Jupiter

31.2 inches (2.6 ft.)

79.2 cm (.8 m.)

5.2 ft.

158.5 cm (1.6 m.)

10.4 ft.

3.2 m.

Saturn

4.8 ft.

1.5 m.

9.6 ft.

2.9 m.

19.2 ft.

5.9 m.

Uranus

9.6 ft.

2.9 m.

19.2 ft.

5.9 m.

38.4 ft.

11.7 m.

Neptune

15 ft.

4.6 m.

30 ft.

9.1 m.

60 ft.

18.3 m.

Pluto (optional)

(average)

20 ft.

6.1 m

40 ft.

12.2 m.

80 ft.

24.4 m.

Note: Converted measurements don’t always work out exactly double or half because of rounding.

Week 34: Lesson 3

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch this “Crash Course Kids” YouTube video about the

solar system called “Orbits are Odd.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGVXyCrpUn8

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia

if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the

videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads

and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Read: With a parent’s permission, read the “Black Holes” article from Answers in Genesis.

https://answersingenesis.org/astronomy/black-holes/black-holes/

Respond to the following questions.

1. Name two things that are odd about Pluto’s orbit.

2. Explain how a black hole makes an entire galaxy rotate.

3. Choose the space object that does not exist entirely within our solar system.

a. The Sun

b. Ceres

c. Pluto

d. Andromeda

4. Which of the following is true?

a. Earth is the only planet in our solar system with an atmosphere.

b. Titan, a moon of Saturn, has an atmosphere thicker than Earth’s.

c. The gas giant planets have atmospheres so thick that their insides are liquid.

d. Only b. and c.

e. None of the above.

5. Which planets are closest to the sun?

a. Outer

b. Inner

c. Dwarf

d. Giant

6. True or false? Saturn is the only planet that has rings.

7. True or false? A moon can also be called a satellite because it orbits another object.

8. True or false? Only planets can have moons.

9. True or false? There is nothing in the solar system outside the orbit of Pluto.

10. The outer planets are mostly made of what?

a. Hydrogen, helium, and liquid

b. Rock and metal

c. Plasma, dust, and gas

d. Ice and rock

11. The inner planets are mostly made of what?

a. Hydrogen, helium, and liquid

b. Rock and metal

c. Plasma, dust, and gas

d. Ice and rock

12. Comets are mostly made of what?

a. Hydrogen, helium, and liquid

b. Rock and metal

c. Plasma, dust, and gas

d. Ice and rock

Complete the table and then answer the questions below.

Planet

Inner/Outer

Temperature

(Hot/cold?)

Atmosphere*

(type)

Moons**

(how many?)

Composition

(rock/gas?)

Mercury

Venus

Earth

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

* List the top two elements as shown on the website below.

https://www.planetary.org/space-images/the-atmospheres-of-the-solar-system

** NASA has a list of how many moons have been discovered as of 2020.

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/how-many-moons/en/

13. The inner planets have a lot in common, and the outer planets have a lot in common. The two

groups also have some major differences. Make a list of what you notice of the similarities

and differences between these two groups based on the chart.

14. Why do you think Mercury and Venus have no moons?

15. Why do you think Jupiter and Saturn have so many moons?

Week 35: Stars

Week 35: Lesson 1

Read: Read and take notes on the “Astronomy” article from World Book Student. Stop before

the “Modern Astronomy” section. Also watch the brief “Phases of the Moon” video

located in the right margin, next to the article.

https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar034860/

Define the following terms.

1. Cosmology

2. Constellation

3. Celestial pole

4. Ecliptic

5. Zodiac

6. Retrograde motion

Respond to the following questions.

1. Make a list of the astronomers who shaped our understanding of the solar system.

2. Explain in your own words how people on Earth perceive the movement of stars.

3. How have people used this information (the movement of the stars) in useful ways?

Week 35: Lesson 2

Read: Read the articles on “Supernova” and the “Crab Nebula” from World Book Student.

https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar540310

https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar757482

Experiment: Exploding Supernova

You will need:

• Scientific Experiment Sheet

• Several handfuls of confetti (or paper hole punch-outs)

• Balloons of different sizes

• Funnel

• A large, cleared floor space

• Vacuum or broom

Preparation

1. Use the funnel to put confetti into each balloon. Be sure the confetti does not have sharp

edges that will pop the balloon accidentally.

2. Taking care not to inhale the confetti, blow up each balloon and tie it off. If you do not have

balloons of different sizes, make sure you inflate each to a different size.

3. Read the procedure and fill in your Scientific Experiment Sheet with your prediction.

Procedure

1. Take the first balloon to the center of your cleared floor space.

2. Place the balloon on the ground and pop it.

3. Measure the radius of the debris field. In other words, how far away did the furthest confetti

fly from the center of the balloon?

4. Write the measurement on the back of your Scientific Experiment Sheet.

5. Repeat these steps with your other balloons and then finish your Scientific Experiment Sheet.

Critical Thinking Questions

1. Explain the relationship between the size of the balloon and the distance the confetti flew

during your experiment.

2. How do you think this relates to our ability to see the remnants from the explosion of a

supernova in space?

Scientists measure distances in space in terms of how fast light travels. Light travels 186,282

miles per second. In a year, it travels nearly 6 trillion miles. That’s a long distance! Even at that

rate, however, the star nearest to our solar system is 4.3 light years away. In other words, if it had

a solar flare, it would take 4.3 years for us to see it.

Some people use those immense measurements to “prove” that the universe has to be extremely

old. The following article points out some problems with that reasoning.

Read: With a parent’s permission, read the “Light Travel-Time Problems” article from Answers

in Genesis. https://answersingenesis.org/astronomy/starlight/light-travel-time-problems/

Critical Thinking Question

1. In your own words, describe the line of reasoning from the article that made the most sense

to you.

Week 35: Lesson 3

Watch: With a parent’s permission, watch “Glow On,” a “Crash Course Kids” YouTube video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo-sKzMWYFA

Watch: This video zooms in on a distant galaxy and a supernova that was observed in 2014.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6He4NIm8ro

SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia

if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the

videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads

and inappropriate comments beside or beneath the video.

Read: These articles from NASA Kids describe more about our sun, other stars, and supernovae.

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/sun-compare/en/

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/supernova/en/

Activity: Try this Solar System quiz from CBC Kids. You may look up answers you don’t know.

https://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc2/the-feed/stargazing-a-solar-system-quiz

Record: Write your quiz score in the space below.

For Fun: With a parent’s permission, watch “Interplanet Janet” from School House Rock Live.

Please note that the video originally aired in 1978 and refers to Pluto as a planet.

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

Week 36: Our Place in Space

Week 36: Lesson 1

Read: Read and take notes on the “Space Exploration” article from World Book Student. Stop

before the “What Is Space?” section. (You will only be reading the “Introduction” today.)

https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar522550

Respond to the following questions.

1. Create a timeline of the major events in space exploration as discussed in the article.

2. Ask a parent, grandparent, or family friend to share memories surrounding the space shuttle

tragedies that occurred in 1988 and/or 2003. (Extension: You might use this as an

opportunity to write an interview-type magazine article.)

3. Optional: Research online and write down the names of the astronauts currently living on the

International Space Station. What countries do they represent?

Week 36: Lesson 2

Read: Read and take notes on the “Space Exploration” article from World Book Student. Start

at “Living in Space” and stop before “The Dawn of the Space Age.”

https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar522550/outline/h7

Respond to the following question.

Make a list of the problems astronauts encounter, along with the technologies they use to solve

those problems. You may use the chart below, or you may write a list in your notebook.

Problem

Solution

10.

11.

12.

Activity: Design a Spacecraft

Dream up a design for your own spacecraft. Try to solve the problems you listed. Draw a

diagram of your spacecraft, using labels and captions to explain your solutions.

Week 36: Lesson 3

Career Spotlight

Read: Read the “Careers” section of the “Astronomy” article from World Book Student.

https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar034860/outline/h38

Read: With a parent’s permission, read the “Exploring the Heavens” article from Creation.org.

https://creation.com/exploring-the-heavens-michael-tigges-nasa-interview

Respond to the following questions.

1. Is it possible for Christians to be scientists?

2. How has Christianity affected the way Michael Tigges views his job as a NASA senior

aerospace engineer?

3. Share your views on Christians as scientists with a parent.

Physical Science

Unit 3 Test

1. Match each field of science with what it studies.

i. Geology a. the universe

ii. Meteorology b. the atmosphere

iii. Oceanography c. the earth

iv. Astronomy d. the oceans

2. Which of these is true of Carbon-14 dating?

a. It measures the amount of reactive carbon contained in rock and fossils and estimates

how old it is based on how much C14 is left.

b. It assumes scientists know how much C14 was in the dated object to start with.

c. It assumes that C14 always decays into C12 at the same rate.

d. All of the above

e. None of the above

3. True or false? Because of the intense heat and pressure inside Earth, the further into the

core you go, the more liquefied it is.

4. Earthquakes are a common feature of Earth’s geology because:

a. Earth’s crust is divided into pieces called tectonic plates that rub together.

b. the tectonic plates float on the asthenosphere.

c. pressure inside the earth causes tectonic plates to move.

d. the mantle and outer core of the earth are in constant motion.

e. all of the above.

5. Match each volcanic term with its definition.

i. Pyroclastic flows a. molten rock under the earth’s surface

ii. Pyroclasts b. molten rock that flows from a volcano

iii. Lava flows c. boulders and ash that emerge from a volcano

iv. Magma d. deadly gasses and ash that flow from a volcano

6. Which of the following is a type of rock that forms when molten rock cools?

a. Mineral

b. Igneous

c. Sedimentary

d. Metamorphic

e. All of the above

7. True or false? Volcanic steam can be hotter than boiling water.

8. The eruption of Mount St. Helens:

a. proved that geologic features can form quickly.

b. transformed geologic thinking.

c. happened in 1980, which is quite recent in geologic terms.

d. occurred less than 100 miles south of Seattle, WA.

e. all of the above.

9. Christian researchers point to this US landform as an illustration of the Flood.

a. Yosemite National Park

b. Niagara Falls

c. The Okefenokee Swamp

d. The Grand Canyon

e. Mount St. Helens

10. Match each part of the water cycle with what happens in it.

i. evaporation a. water vapor transforms into liquid water

ii. transpiration b. liquid water transforms into water vapor

iii. precipitation c. water falls back to Earth

iv. condensation d. plant leaves release water as vapor

11. Which is the largest ocean on Earth?

a. the Arctic Ocean

b. the Atlantic Ocean

c. the Indian Ocean

d. the Pacific Ocean

e. the Southern Ocean

12. Choose the response that is not a way that the ocean affects climate.

a. The ocean’s vast size moderates the climate over the land.

b. The ocean’s resistance to changing temperature moderates the climate.

c. The ocean stores heat energy from the sun, circulating warmth over land.

d. The ocean’s clean air mass dilutes air pollution from the land.

e. The ocean remains cool, moderating the extremes of heat over land.

13. True or false? The one form of extreme weather that takes years to develop, instead of

days or minutes, is a drought.

14. The ocean is constantly in motion. Which of the following can cause the ocean’s water

to circulate?

a. The moon

b. The wind

c. Water temperature differences

d. Underwater disturbances

e. All of the above

15. Match the following statistics with what they describe.

i. 1% a. the amount of Earth covered by water

ii. 2% b. amount of water Westerners drink vs. use elsewhere

iii. 3% c. the amount of salt water on Earth

iv. 70% d. the amount of fresh water on Earth

v. 97% e. the amount of Earth’s water locked in ice caps, etc.

16. True or false? Desalination plants remove salt to make fresh water, but they are very

expensive to build and run.

17. Match the terms with their definitions.

i. Coriolis effect a. wind that blows from the equator toward the middle latitudes

ii. trade winds b. wind that blows from the poles toward the middle latitudes

iii. jet stream c. wind that blows mostly along the equator

iv. westerlies d. strong, fast wind that changes directions

v. easterlies e. zones of wind that circulate vertically in the atmosphere

18. Where would you find a rain shadow?

a. Underneath a rainbow

b. On the dry side of a mountain range

c. Under an umbrella

d. At the Tropic of Cancer

e. Under a thunderhead

19. True or false? Aristotle, Ptolemy, Kepler, and Galileo all studied astronomy.

20. Choose the planets that have rings.

a. Only Venus and Mars

b. Only Saturn

c. Only Jupiter and Saturn

d. Only Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune

e. All of the planets have faint rings

21. Which of the following is/are true of a dwarf planet?

a. The category of “dwarf planet” was created in 2006.

b. Dwarf planets don’t have enough gravity to clear their orbits of debris.

c. Pluto was demoted to dwarf status because scientists discovered Eris.

d. Ceres is the only dwarf planet in the interior of the solar system.

e. All of the above.

22. Match the planets with the information that describes them.

i. Mercury a. is sometimes further from the sun than Pluto

ii. Venus b. is exactly one Astronomical Unit from the sun

iii. Earth c. is the largest planet

iv. Mars d. is always the seventh planet from the sun

v. Jupiter e. has no moon for unknown reasons

vi. Saturn f. has no moon because the sun would pull it away

vii. Uranus g. has seasons similar to those on Earth

viii. Neptune h. will have the most moons when its pending ones

are confirmed

23. True or false? The eight planets orbit the sun randomly, like

electrons around a nucleus.

24. Retrograde motion describes which of the following situations?

a. Planets in the night sky appear to reverse course at times.

b. Pluto’s orbit comes closer to the sun than Neptune’s does.

c. The atmosphere of gas giants turns everything underneath to liquid.

d. Naming constellations for Greeks goes in and out of fashion.

e. All of the above

25. Name of the first artificial satellite ever to orbit Earth.

a. Gagarin

b. Apollo

c. Skylab

d. Enterprise

e. Sputnik

Congratulations on finishing Physical Science! Be sure to visit the certificate library on

SchoolhouseTeachers.com to print your certificate of completion.

https://schoolhouseteachers.com/certificate-gallery/certificate-library-courses/#science

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