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Earth Science Academic Library

Earth Science is a high school science course that explores Earth’s structure, interacting systems, and place in the universe.  The course uncovers concepts and processes found in:

  • Astronomy – Earth’s place in and interaction with space
  • Geology – physical structure and dynamic processes
  • Meteorology – atmosphere, weather and climate, and
  • Oceanography – oceans and marine life.
home school high school

Student’s lab experience in Earth Science will be completed online using Smart Science Virtual Labs. Smart Science will provide for the virtual learner a real-life type lab experience with a consistently high standard of quality.

Completing the labs, students will follow the scientific steps to reach accurate and supported conclusions of their work. With virtual labs, there is no equipment or supplies to purchase to complete the online labs.

Earth Science Online

Unit 1 – DYNAMIC STRUCTURE OF EARTH
  1. Course Overview
  2. Introduction to Earth Science
  3. Project: Research a Career (Choose one of the following scientific career fields and write a report that will give you a closer look at what this type of scientist does in his/her work. Include the information listed below in your report. This report should be roughly one page in length. Choose one of these career fields: astronomer, geologist, meteorologist, oceanographer. List three tasks this type of scientist completes most days. List a location where such a scientist may work. Identify three reasons why this type of scientist’s work is important. Identify what course of study is necessary to work in this field of science, as well as how many years of study are necessary to complete a degree in this field. Your paper should be at least 400 words in length.)
  4. A Unique Planet
  5. Quiz 1: Introduction to Earth Science
  6. Layers of the Earth
  7. Continental Drift
  8. Plate Tectonics
  9. Plate Boundaries
  10. Quiz 2: Earth’s Dynamic Internal Structure
  11. The Spheres of Earth
  12. Geochemical Cycles: Cycles of Earth Materials
  13. Biogeochemical Cycles: Cycles of Life Materials
  14. Flow of Energy in Ecosystems
  15. Project: Flow of Energy  (You have learned that a food chain can represent the flow of energy in an ecosystem. Most energy begins with the Sun. All food chains begin with a producer, which uses sunlight to make food through photosynthesis. Consumers obtain their energy by eating producers and other consumers. Primary consumers, or herbivores, eat plants. Secondary consumers feed on primary consumers, while tertiary consumers feed on secondary consumers. Secondary and tertiary consumers can be carnivores or omnivores, meaning they can eat only meat or eat both meat and plants. In nature, a linear food chain rarely exists. Most consumers eat a variety of organisms. A group of interconnected food chains is a food web. In this project, you will construct a food web. Imagine an ecosystem with the populations as listed on the Project page. List a food web representing the flow of energy in the ecosystem. Be sure to include all the populations. If necessary, research each animal’s diet to determine its place in the food web. After completing your food web, answer the questions – If the ecosystem is balanced, which populations should be the largest? Which should be the smallest?)
  16. Quiz 3: Earth’s Dynamic External Structure
  17. Review
  18. Test
  19. Alternate Test
  20. Glossary and Credits
Unit 2 – FORCES AND FEATURES OF EARTH
  1. Force of Earthquakes
  2. Measuring The Force of Earthquakes
  3. Features of Earthquakes
  4. Quiz 1: Earthquakes
  5. Force of Volcanoes
  6. Impact of Volcanoes
  7. Prediction of Volcanoes
  8. Features of Volcanoes
  9. Project: Volcanic Features Lab (Plate tectonics has changed the surface of the earth in many ways. Some of those changes are from volcanoes that plate movements create. And, as you know, volcanoes can cause many formations in Earth’s crust. Visit many of these geological features by exploring the Volcanic Features Lab.  Complete the lab and answer the question associated with the lab.)
  10. Quiz 2: Volcanoes
  11. Using Geologic Maps
  12. Using Topographic Maps
  13. Quiz 3: Identifying Features of Earth
  14. Review
  15. Special Project: Experiment: Smart Science Virtual Labs. (Earthquakes All Smart Science Virtual Labs for this course are from the section titled Earth Science unless noted differently- Measure distances to epicenters on seismograms; locate epicenters.  Complete the entire experiment including all questions.)
  16. Test
  17. Alternate Test
  18. Glossary and Credits
Unit 3 – FEATURES OF EARTH’S CRUST
  1. Minerals
  2. Mineral Identification
  3. Quiz 1
  4. Igneous Rocks
  5. Sedimentary Rocks
  6. Metamorphic Rocks
  7. The Rock Cycle
  8. Quiz 2
  9. Renewable Resources
  10. Nonrenewable Resources
  11. Project: Nuclear Energy (You have learned that renewable resources can be replenished in a short time. Nonrenewable resources cannot. The sun, water, wind, and biomass are common sources of renewable energy. Coal, oil, and natural gas are sources of nonrenewable energy. Another source of energy is nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is the energy in the nucleus of an atom. We can release this energy and use it to make electricity. In this project, you will research nuclear energy. Use the library, internet, and other educational resources to research nuclear energy. Write a 250-word report on what you have learned. Be sure to include the uses of nuclear power, how it is generated, and the impact it has on the environment. Also, answer the question, “Is nuclear energy renewable?”)
  12. Quiz 3
  13. Review
  14. Special Project:  Experiment: Smart Science Virtual Labs: (Basic Rock Identification – Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic identification.  Complete the entire experiment including all questions.)
  15. Test
  16. Alternate Test
  17. Glossary and Credits
Unit 4 – SHAPING EARTH’S CRUST
  1. Weathering
  2. Erosion
  3. Soil Formation
  4. Quiz 1: Shaping the Surface
  5. Rivers and Waves
  6. Gravity and Glaciers
  7. Project: Experiment:  This Smart Science Virtual Lab takes the place of the listed home experiment for Ice Erosions.(Erosion and Flow – Effect of flow rate on rate of water erosion.  Complete all parts to the experiment including answers to all questions)
  8. Wind
  9. Quiz 2: Weathering and Erosion
  10. Destructive Forces
  11. Constructive Forces
  12. Quiz 3: Destructive and Constructive Forces
  13. Review
  14. Special Project: Experiment: Smart Science Virtual Labs  (Soil Permeability – Rate water percolates through sand, potting soil, etc. Complete all parts to the experiment including answering all questions)
  15. Test
  16. Alternate Test
  17. Glossary and Credits
Unit 5 – SEMESTER REVIEW AND EXAM
  1. Review (1)
  2. Review (2)
  3. Exam
  4. Alternate Exam
Unit 6 – EARTH’S WATER
  1. The Water Cycle
  2. Project: Water Purification (Imagine being stranded in the desert without any clean water. How would you survive without becoming dehydrated? As long as you have a piece of plastic, some rocks, and a cup, you can purify dirty water using the water cycle. The purification process uses the “greenhouse effect” to cause evaporation and condensation. The setup used to purify the water is called a solar still. In this experiment, you will purify water using a solar still. Follow the directions given to you and give the results of your experiment.  Answers these questions:  Is the water in the cup dirty? Why or why not? What happened to the water in the bowl?  This project simulates a real-world process. What does the plastic wrap represent? What does the water in the cup represent?  Which two parts of the water cycle are at work?)
  3. Water Basics
  4. Water Distribution
  5. Quiz 1
  6. Groundwater
  7. Lakes and Rivers
  8. Glaciers and Ice Caps
  9. Quiz 2
  10. Ocean Water
  11. Waves and Tides
  12. Currents
  13. Quiz 3
  14. Review
  15. Special Project: Smart Science Virtual Lab – Daily Tides  (Follow daily tides and analyze. Complete all parts to the lab including answering all questions.)
  16. Test
  17. Alternate Test
  18. Glossary and Credits
Unit 7 – EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE
  1. Importance of the Atmosphere
  2. Structure of the Atmosphere
  3. Project: Layers of the Atmosphere (The atmosphere is made of different layers. Each layer has distinguishing characteristics. For example, long flights in a plane usually remain in the stratosphere. When you see a falling star, it is a meteorite burning up in the mesosphere. This project will test your knowledge of each layer and its characteristics. You can review the layers of the atmosphere in Lesson 3 of this unit. Create a model of the atmosphere above the earth. Use a different color to indicate each layer of the atmosphere. Provide a legend telling what each color represents. Note a special feature of each layer. Some ideas of special features could be special functions or activities that occur in each layer, like weather or ionization. Or, you can include objects you might see in each layer, like planes, falling stars, northern lights, satellites, etc. Note the average temperature or temperature range of each layer and how many miles from Earth each layer extends)
  4. Quiz 1: The Atmosphere
  5. Atmospheric Cycles
  6. Solar Interaction
  7. Air Pressure and Winds
  8. Project: Air Circulation (The earth is a sphere. The spherical shape causes the Sun’s rays to hit the earth unevenly. The uneven heat distribution causes convection currents in the atmosphere that we call wind. In the atmosphere, many convection cells at different latitudes are produced by the Coriolis effect, which is caused by the earth’s rotation. For instance, winds in the Northern hemisphere tend to flow clockwise while in the Southern hemisphere winds flow counterclockwise. Conduct the Air Circulation activity. Then, respond to the questions that follow. Does warm air rise or sink? Does cold air rise or sink? Air pressure can be high or low. Does air flow from low to high pressure or from high to low pressure? Which is heavier—warm air or cold air? Which has higher air pressure—warm air or cold air? How do you know? Global circulation cells occur because of uneven heat distribution and the earth’s rotation. What do we call the effect of the earth’s rotation on air circulation?)
  9. Quiz 2: Earth-Sun Relationships
  10. Air Pollution
  11. Quiz 3: Human Relationship
  12. Review
  13. Special Project:  Experiment: Smart Science Virtual Labs  (From the section Heat and Temperature conduct the virtual lab “Specific Heat – Measure specific heat of liquids.”  Complete all parts of the experiment including answering all questions.)
  14. Test
  15. Alternate Test
  16. Glossary and Credits
Unit 8 – EARTH’S WEATHER AND CLIMATE
  1. Weather and Climate
  2. Project: Weather or Climate? (Weather is the short-term changes in the atmosphere. Weather includes changes in temperature, humidity, precipitation, and winds. Weather can be difficult to predict, and it changes daily. Climate is the long-term or average weather conditions for an area. Climate is predictable. It is established using data collected for at least 30 years for a location. Climate includes expected weather extremes, as well. For example, if you live in Florida and a hurricane hits, it is a weather extreme you can expect for that region. For each of the following statements, indicate if it describes weather or climate, and briefly explain why. If you think a statement could describe both weather or climate, explain why that could be. An example is provided for you.  Respond to the questions presented.)
  3. Clouds and Precipitation
  4. Project: Clouds and Weather (Sometimes, meteorologists can look at the clouds in the sky and predict the weather conditions that will occur. This is because different clouds produce different weather conditions. For this project, you’re going to be a meteorologist. Let’s see if you can identify the different types of clouds and predict the weather for your viewers, based strictly on cloud formation! Enter “The Cloud Caster” below. Select a city, identify the clouds for that city, and then select the weather you can expect for that type of cloud. Do this for each city. After completing “The Cloud Caster,” answer the questions at the end of this exercise. Which type of clouds can you always expect to signal fair weather: cirrus, stratus, or cumulus? Which type of clouds can you always expect to bring precipitation: alto, nimbus, or cumulus? List these clouds from highest to lowest: cirrus, stratus, fog, altocumulus. Which type of cloud occasionally produces precipitation: stratus, short cumulus, or cirrocumulus?  Did you make Prime Time television, or was your show cancelled?)
  5. Air Masses and Fronts
  6. Quiz 1: Weather Factors of the Sky
  7. Solar Power​
  8. ​Geographical Effects
  9. Climate Regulation and Change
  10. Quiz 2: Causes of Weather and Climate
  11. Weird Weather
  12. Measuring Weather
  13. Quiz 3: Predicting Weather
  14. Review
  15. Special Project: Experiment: Smart Science Virtual Labs – Clouds (Identify and understand cloud types.  Complete all parts to the experiment and answer all questions.)
  16. Test
  17. Alternate Test
  18. Glossary and Credits
Unit 9 – ASTRONOMY
  1. Earth’s Place in the Solar System
  2. Planetary Motion
  3. Ability To Orbit
  4. Project:  Project:  A Smart Science Virtual Lab Moon Phases   (This experiment takes the place of the home experiment listed in your assignment titled Newton’s Law.  This experiment should be completed after the next assignment – Earth’s Motion, Season, and Moon. Understand and name phases of Moon.  Comple67te all work related to the experiment including answering all questions.) 
  5. Earth’s Motion, Seasons, and Moon
  6. Quiz 1: Solar System
  7. Characteristics of Stars
  8. Structure of the Sun
  9. Galaxies
  10. Quiz 2: Stars and Galaxies
  11. Review
  12. Special Project: Smart Science Virtual Lab – Solar System  (Identify solar system bodies and some of their properties.  Complete all parts to the experiment and answer all questions.)
  13. Test
  14. Alternate Test
  15. Glossary and Credits
Unit 10 – SEMESTER REVIEW AND EXAM
  1. Review (1)
  2. Review (2)
  3. Exam
  4. Alternate Exam