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Earth
Science Lessons
The
Earth Science lessons are incorporated into two units of the
PULSE curricula. The two units are Cultures
and Cycles: Arsenic and Human Health and From
Global to City Air: Air Quality, City Design and Disease. There
are earth science components to other units as well.
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The lessons
are organized to concentrate on important big ideas, which
are addressed by a learning cycle approach.
At the completion of each big idea’s learning cycle students
should be able to answer the corresponding driving question.
Typically,
each learning cycle contains four lessons. The lessons associated
with a specific learning cycle may take from a couple of days
to a few weeks to complete. The first lesson engages the students'
interest in the big idea, prompting them to demonstrate the
background they bring to the topic and to ask questions. In
the second lesson, students explore the big idea, searching
for answers to their questions and expanding their understanding
of the concept. The third lesson is an opportunity for students
to explain the big idea. In the fourth lesson the students
apply what they learned to a new situation.
The chemistry
learning cycles of "Cultures
and Cycles: Arsenic and Human Health" and "From
Global to City Air:
Air Quality, City Design and Disease",
address National Education Standards for earth sciences and
students explore how the concepts of
earth sciences and world geography are connecected. These
two units also address geography.
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In "Cultures
and Cycles: Arsenic and Human Health",
described below, students investigate arsenic exposure
via drinking water which is thought to affect thousands
every year. But how does arsenic get into the drinking
water?
How can we get it out of the water and what illnesses
does it cause? The answers to these questions help
people better understand how arsenic affects their
health.
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In "From Global
to City Air: Air Quality, City Design and Disease",
described below, students explore
the air impacts on human health and in turn how the
humans affect air quality. The relationship between
air quality and human health is pointedly clear in
this unit
as students explore the built community, buildings,
highways, and industrial parks, plus environmental
and human health.
At the
end of the unit, the students will be able to apply their
new scientific understanding to the Major Project where they
produce a product to demonstrate what they learned in the
unit.
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For "Cultures
and Cycles:
Arsenic and Human Health", The
major project is to organize and deliver a presentation
to an assigned community where
there is a large amount of arsenic present in the
drinking water. Students will formulate a persuasive
advisory to the public educating the community
not only about why arsenic is in the water and
its’ affects
in the ground water, but also the actions that
might be taken to reduce the arsenic in the water
they consume.
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For "From
Global to City Air:
Air Quality, City Design and Disease",
Students take on the role of city planners as they
design a city with health
at the top of their considerations. Using the actual
physical geographical location of major cities,
they develop a scaled model of a city including
the zones
within a city. Students focus on excellent air
quality as a feature of a healthy city and using
their understanding
of climate, weather, and air movement, design their
city accordingly.
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1 |
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How
do the earth’s
geochemical cycles impact the health of the people as regards
arsenic poisoning? |
Big
Idea |
The
earth’s geochemical cycles have a direct effect on
the environment that we live in. Sometimes this can be deleterious.
For example, arsenic is concentrated by hydrothermal systems
resulting in higher concentrations in certain areas which
in turn can mean higher concentrations in the drinking water
which can have an adverse effect on health. Being part of
the bedrock means that arsenic knows no country boundaries
in its impact. |
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2 |
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How
do we know the Earth has changed over time? |
Big
Idea |
Geologists,
like Alfred Wegener, have used evidence from a variety
of sources to describe what and how the earth’s plates
move. |
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3 |
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What
internal forces are responsible for shaping the Earth’s
surface? |
Big
Idea |
Geochemical
cycles, like mantle convection, drive plate tectonics
which in turn is responsible for the formation of many
surface features like volcanoes and mountains. |
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4 |
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Why
are there so many mountains and volcanoes away from plate
boundaries? |
Big
Idea |
Although
mountain and volcano formation appear straightforward,
there are a variety of ways and places volcanoes and
mountains may form. |
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5 |
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How
was the internal structure of the Earth discovered?Deductive
reasoning, and indirect observation allowed scientists
to discover the composition of the Earth’s interior. |
Big
Idea |
Although
mountain and volcano formation appear straightforward,
there are a variety of ways and places volcanoes and
mountains may form. |
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6 |
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How does Arsenic become
concentrated in certain parts of the world? |
Big
Idea |
Minerals
are not distributed evenly throughout the bedrock. Through
geochemical processes, ex. hydrothermal systems, minerals
can be concentrated in specific area. Understanding magma
intrusions and hydrothermal systems gives students insight
into the dynamic nature of earth and geochemical cycles. |
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What
external forces have helped shape the Earth’s surface? |
Big
Idea |
Weathering
is one of many external forces that have shaped the physical
features of the Earth. Weathering can change the chemical
composition of regions accounts and can account for the
accumulation of certain minerals in specific locations. |
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| 8 |
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Why
is there such variety among the rocks on the Earth’s
surface? |
Big
Idea |
The
three types of rocks are cycled through specific geochemical
processes that change them from one type to another. |
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1 |
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How
do global weather patterns affect pollution? |
Big Idea |
Water
and air pollution are transported from place to place via
global air and water patterns. |
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2 |
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What
causes the patterns of air motion on a global scale? |
Big
Idea |
Solar
radiation heats the Earth unevenly causing changes in
air pressure which drives global air circulation. As
high-pressure systems rush in to take the place of low-pressure
areas, heat and moisture are transferred resulting in
differing climates in different locations. |
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3 |
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What
causes the patterns of air motion on a global scale? |
Big
Idea |
Air
currents, salinity, and solar radiation drive ocean currents
around the world. |
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4 |
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How
do natural and manmade landforms affect climate and weather? |
Big
Idea |
Proximity
to water and elevation can dramatically affect the climate
in a location. |
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5 |
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How
do humans affects microclimates? |
Big
Idea |
Micorclimates
are zones where the climate differs from the surrounding
area (such a large building or near cities.) Building
height and placement and manmade pollutants can alter
microclimates. |
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