Limperts Lab and Limpertsteins Lyrics

Hydrology Unit Syllabus Information-January 5th, 2010-3rd Nine Weeks…

Content Standards: 

S6E3:  Students will recognize the significant role of water in Earth processes.

Elements:

S6E3.a:  Explain that a large portion of the Earth’s surface is water, consistingof oceans, rivers lakes, underground water, and ice.

S6E3.b:  Relate varous atmospheric conditions to stages of the water cycle.

S6E3.c:  Describe the composition, location, and subsurface topography of the world’s oceans.

S6E3.d:  Explain the causes of waves, currents, and tides.

Standards for Characteristics of Sciences:

S6CS6.c:  Organize scientific information using appropriate tables, charts, and graphs, and identifying relationships they reveal.

Here are some of the activities  we will do the help you learn about Earth’s water.  You will hear and participate in the play of a drop of water and its adventure and relate the parts of this play to the steps of the water cycle.  You’ll participate in a “bead” lab which takes you through the water cycle, and then you’ll draw a picture story of your unique trip.  You will also see a demonstration to show you how water is distributed on Earth’s surface. Then, your lab team will take your turn at showing mastery of this distribution of water lab and its important features.    You will read parts of chapters 11, 13 and 14.  You will fill out a graph based on sonar readings to help you get a “picture” of the ocean floor and create the different zones/features of the ocean and ocean floor.   You’ll find out about currents by investigating the path of Nike tennis shoes which were accidentally dumped into the ocean.  You will demonstrate and shoe the Coriolis Effect by using a real record turntable.   You see how warm water compares to cold water and then relate that to currents in the ocean.  Finally, you’ll study how waves and tides are formed and how they affect the Earth.  We will be paying special attention to the spring and neap tide for this.  As you can see, in science, we will continue to focus on lab work, projects, team work, motion activities, station activities, and thinking outside the box to help us understand these concepts. 

This unit will last approximately 4 weeks…

Hydrology Unit Information/Notes: 

Water Cycle: the continuous movement of Earth’s water from the ocean to the atmosphere to the land and back to the ocean. Driven by energy from the sun

a) precipitation-rain, snow, sleet, hail falls from clouds onto Earth’s land and oceans

b)percolation-soaking in and downward movement of water through pores and other spaces in soil due to gravity

c)condensation-water vapor cools and changes into water droplets that forms clouds.. water loses energy here

d)evaporation-water from oceans and Earth’s surface changes into water vapor..energy from sun causes this and water gains energy here

e)runoff-precipitation that flows over land into streams and rivers..later enters the oceans

Waves: form as wind blows across the water’s surface and transfers energy to the water. As the energy moves through the water, so do the waves, but the water itself stays behind, rising and falling in circular movements.

crest=top part of a wave

trough=bottom part of a wave

wavelength=distance between 2 waves

wave height=distance from crest to trough

frequency=number of waves

Water underground:

zone of saturation=has water

zone of aeration=water passes through this, air here

water table=top of saturated zone, has water

aquifer=a rock layer that stores groundwater and allows the flow of groundwater

Porosity=percentage of open space between individual rock particles in a rock layer

permeability=water passes easilt through

impermeable=water doesn’t pass through easily

recharge zone=new water that enters an aquifer

dry well=no water can be obtained

artesian spring=water flows from a crack in the cap rock of the aquifer

stalagmites=cone-shaped on floor of cave

stalactites=sharp, icicle-shaped on cave ceilings

Water Distribution: 97% salt water 3% fresh water

a)lakes/rivers=.34%

b)ocean/salt water=97%

c)shallow groundwater=12%

d)deep groundwater=11%

Water vapor=.037%

e)available for human use-only water in lakes, rivers, and shallow groundwater is available for human use..less than 1%

Ocean Zones:

a)intertidal=shallow, located between high and low tide, animals here live on land and underwater

b)sublittoral=begins where intertidal zone ends, always covered by ocean water, temp, water pressure, sunlights remains the same

c)bathyal=edge of cont shelf to abyssal plain, lack of sunlight here, plat life is scarce

d)abyssal=no plants, very few animals here, on the abyssal plain, largest ecological zone

e)hadal=deepest zone, trenches

f)neritic=greatest amount of marine life, covers cont, shelf, warm, shallow, more sunlight here

g)oceanic=covers sea floor except cont.shelf, water temp colder, pressure greater than in neritic

 

Ocean Topography:

a)continental shelf-gently sloping, 1st level begins at shoreline

b)continental slope-begins at edge of cont. shelf, steeper drop, 2nd level

c)continental rise-base of cont. slope, made of large piles of sediment

d)abyssal plain-flat, broad part of coean floor, covered by mud and remains of tiny marine organisms

e)mid-ocean ridge=largest underwater mountain chain, rift zones, tectonic plates pull apart

f)rift valley-as mountains build up these form between them in the rift zone(cracks, valley)

g)seamounts-mountains completely underwater

h)volcanic islands-mountains that break through the surface of the water

i)trench=huge cracks, deepest part of oceans

 

Currents:streamlike movements of water influenced by weather, Earth’s rotation, position of the continents

Surface currents=controlled by global winds, coriolis effect, and continental deflections

Coriolis Effect:Earth’s rotation causes wind and surface currents to move in curved paths rather than straight lines

El Nino/La Nina:El Nino=warming, pacific ocean  La Nina=cooling, eastern pacific ocean

Tides: daily changes in the level of ocean water are influenced by the sun and the moon.

a)neap tide=when the sun, Earth, and moon form a 90 degree angle, weaker, math tide, smallest daily tidal range and occur during 1st and 3rd quarter moon phases, gravitational forces on Earth by moon and sun work against each other

b)spring tide=stronger tide, when the sun, Earth, and moon are aligned in a straight line, largest daily tidal range and occur during new and full moons or every 14 days

c)tidal bulge-called high tides, when part of the ocean is directly facing the moon, the water there bulges toward the moon. At the same time, water on the opposite side of the Earth bulges because of the rotation of the Earth and the motion of the moon around the Earth. Low tides occur between the high tides.

d)high/low tide=high tide-tidal bulges  low tides=when water is drawn away from the area between the high tides

 

**Meteorology:

Layers of the Atmosphere: the atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surrounds Earth.  Protects us as well from the sun’s damaging rays.

a)troposphere=lowest layer, we live here, airplanes take off here, densest layer(90% of atmospheres mass), clouds, weather here, co2 here, as altitude increases, temp decreases

b)stratopshere=ozone layer here, above troposphere, lower part cold, upper part hot due to ozone layer..temps rise as altitude increases here..airplanes fly above the clouds here

c)mesosphere-middle layer, above stratosphere, coldest layer, temp decreases as altitude increases, shooting stars

d)thermosphere-contains 2 parts, temp increases with altitude here, very high temps but we don’t feel hot here

e)ionosphere-aurora borealis, radio waves

f)exosphere-upper part of thermosphere, tv signals, satellites

 

Composition of the Atmosphere:

a)nitrogen=78%, most common atmospheric gas, released when dead plants and dead animals break down and when volcanoes erupt

b)oxygen=21%, 2nd most common atmospheric gas, made of phytoplankton and plants

c)other gases=1% argon, co2, water vapor,

Altitude and Air Pressure: as altitude increases, air pressure decreases..air pressure strongest at
Earth’s surface because more air is above you…As you move farther away from the surface, fewer gas molecules are above you so air pressure decreases then

Atmospheric Pressure and Temperature:

Heat Transfer: 3 types

a)radiation=trasnfer of energy by electromagnetic waves, warmth of sun

b)conduction=heat transfer by direct contact, touching, transfer of thermal energy through a material

c)convection=transfer of energy by circulation or movement of a liquid or a gas,, warm air rises, cold air sinks, convection currents

 

Winds:the movement of air caused by differences in air pressure, greater the pressure difference, faster the wind blows

Global Winds: differences in air pressure are caused by the unequal heating of the Earth.. Air rises at the equator and sinks at the poles…Warm air less dense low pressure, rises towards poles..Cold air denser, sinks high pressure flows towards equator

a)polar easterlies=poles to 60 degrees, cold, sinking air moves from poles to 60 degrees n and south..can carry cold arctic air and produce snow and freezing weather

b)westerlies=between 30-60 degrees, flow towards the poles from west to east, carry moist air, producing rain and snow

c)trade winds=steady easterly winds, sailors used these, 30 degrees to Equator, curve to west in northern hemisphere and curve to east in southern

d)doldrums=at equator, very little wind because warm rising air creates low pressure

e)horse latitudes=30 degrees north and south, sinking air creates high pressure, winds here are weak, horses thrown overboard, world’s deserts are here because sinking air is dry

Local Winds: cover short distances and can blow from any direction, during day land heats up faster than water, warm land air rises and cold ocean air flows in to replace it…At night, land cools faster than water so the wind blows toward the ocean

a)sea breeze=cool air from ocean during the day flows to the land

b)land breeze=cooler air over land at night moves toward the ocean

c)mountain breeze=cool air moves down the slopes into the valley, producing a mountain breeze(at night)

d)valley breeze=warm air rises up the mountain slopes creating a valley breeze(during day)

 

Jet Stream:high speed winds in upper troposphere and lower stratosphere(400 km/h) west to east faster flight  east to west slower flight

Unequal Heating of the Earth:Air rises at equator(warm, low pressure) and sinks(cold, high pressure) at the poles

Humidity:the amount of water vapor in the air/as water evaporates and becomes water vapor, humidity in air increases..as temp of air increases..air’s ability to hold water vapor also increases

Dew Point:temperature at which a gas condenses into a liquid

Clouds: A collection of small water droplets or ice crystals suspended in air, which forms when the air is cooled and condensation occurs

a) cumulus=puffy, white, clouds with flat bottoms, cotton-ball clouds, fair weather

b)stratus=clouds that form in layers, cover large areas of the sky, rain prodcing clouds, low clouds

c)cirrus=high clouds, thin, feathery, wispy, form when wind is strong, indicate a change in weather is coming

d)cumulonimbus-t-storm clouds, tall, bad storms(severe)

e)fog=low level stratus cloud, formed near the ground

Precipitation:

a)rain

b)snow

c)sleet

d)hail

Air masses:a large body of air where temp and moisture content are similar throughout

a)maritime=forms over water, wet

b)continental=forms over land, dry

c)polar=forms over polar regions, cold

d)tropical=develops over the tropics, warm

Fronts:the area in which two types of air masses meet

a)cold=quick, bring t-storms, rain, snow, cooler, drier weather follows a cold front…forms where cold air moves under warm air, which is less dense, and pushes warm air up.. blue triangles

b)warm=red, half circles, forms where warm air moves over cold, denser air, warm air replaces the cold air.  moves slower, brings drizzly rain, followed by clear and warm weather

c)stationary-eqaul number of cold and warm fronts, stalls out very slow to move, brings many days of rain and clouds weather

d)occluded=warm air mass caught between 2 colder air masses…cool temps, large amounts of rain and snow

Cyclones:low pressure, warm air rises, counterclockwise motion

Anti-Cyclones=high pressure, cold air sinks, clockwise motion

High Pressure=cooler, denser air sinks, anticyclone=blue H

Low Pressure=red L, warm air rises, cyclone

Blue/Red colors blue=cold  red-warm

Severe Weather:

a)T-storms/lightning-small, intense weather systems that produce strong winds, heavy rain, lightning, and thunder, can occur along cold fronts

b)tornadoes-small, spinning column of air that has high winds, low central pressure, and that touches the ground..when a funnel shaped cloud actually touches the ground

c)hurricanes-large, rotating tropical weather system that has high winds of at least 120 km/h..gain strength by warm water..lose strength over land or in cooler water, eye=center of hurricane, warm and calm, low pressure, light winds  eye wall=group of cumulonimbus clouds surrounding the eye, heavy rains, strong winds…rain bands=beyond the eye wall, spiraling bands of clouds circle the center of the hurricane..rain bands produce heavy rains and high winds

d)flash floods=number one weather-related cause of death.. a flood that rises and falls very suddenly..find a high place to wait out the flood

Tornado watch=a tornado may happen/conditions are favorable

Tornado Warning= tornado has been spotted on the ground or indicated by radar/go to lowest part of house/basement

Hurricane Watch=conditions are possible within 36 hours

Hurricane Warning=conditions are likely within 24 hours/prepare to evacuate

Weather instruments/Weather Forecasting:

barometer=instrument used to measure air pressure

anemometer=instrument used to measure wind speed

Meteorology

Chapters 15 and 16

Holt, Rinehart, and Winston Earth Science

6^th Grade Science

2^nd Semester

 

          In this 3-4 week unit, students will discover that weather forecasting is not nearly as easy as it seems.  They will do experiments to see how heat affects the atmosphere and oceans.  Different groups of students will follow specific weather for an assigned city in the United States for 2 weeks.  Some cities will be on coastlines, and some will be in-land.  Then they’ll compare results for temperature and pressure.  Students will also investigate layers of the atmosphere and different types of clouds.  They will learn about weather measuring instruments and the meaning of different symbols used on weather maps.  They will participate in a hurricane tracking game, and they will do an in-depth study of major types of storms that may affect the United States.  By the time they finish this unit of study, they will have much more respect for the job of meteorologists.  They may even begin to understand why it is so hard for meteorologists to accurately predict snow days!

 

Georgia Performance Standards:

 

Characteristics of Sciences:

 

S6CS3:  Students will use computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data and following scientific explanations.

           

S6CS3.b:  Use metric input units (such as seconds, meters, or  grams/mL) of scientific calculations to determine the proper unit for expressing the answer.

 

S6CS4:   Students will use tools and instruments for observing, measuring, and manipulating equipment and materials in scientific activities.

 

S6CS5:  Students will use the ideas of system, model, change, and scale in exploring scientific and technological matters.

 

            S6CS5.a:  Observe and explain how parts are related to other parts in systems such as weather systems, solar systems,  and  ocean  systems, including how the output from  one part of a system (in the form  of material,  energy,  or information)  can become the input  to other parts (e.g., El Nino’s effect on  weather).

 

S6CS9:  Students will investigate the features of the process of scientific inquiry.

           

            S6CS9.c:  Students use technology and mathematics to enhance the process of scientific inquiry.

 

S6CS10:  Students will enhance reading in all areas of the curriculum.

 

Content:

 

S6E3.b:  Relate various conditions to stages of the water cycle.

 

S6E4.a:  Demonstrate that land and water absorb or lose heat at different rates and explain the resulting effects on weather patterns.

 

S6E4.b:  Relate unequal heating of land and water surfaces to formation of large global wind systems and weather events such as tornadoes and thunderstorms.

 

S6E4.c:  Relate how moisture evaporating from the ocean affects the wather patterns and weather events such as hurricanes.

 

S6E5.i:  Describe methods for conserving natural resources such as water, soil, and air.