Gems and Minerals (SC-1b)

• 1/2: Introduction to the course, pass out syllabus, overview of policies and procedures, review on Earth formation and layers, read "Inside the Earth" handout, Label the Earth Diagrams, begin lecture and reading on "The Dawning of Curiosity"


• 1/5: Lecture and reading on "The Dawning of Curiosity", Intro to Geology homework (DUE Mon. 1/9 if not completed in class):

1. List and describe 2 prescientific beliefs about the nature of fossils

2. Describe the major discoveries and contributions to our understanding of Geology by each of the following people: William Smith, James Hutton, Charles Lyell, Alfred Wegener

3. What did Smith, Hutton, and Lyell's theories collectively say about the Earth?

4. What is "uniformitarianism"? What does it say about the Earth?

5. What's the difference between dating a rock or fossil by relative time or absolute time?

The following is part 1 of a multi-part series on geology from the History Channel, the formation of the Earth, and other epic videos and topics on geology. Part 1 talks about the birth of geology, these early geologists, and their discoveries: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1kTIZeq1Ck

• 1/9: Lecture and reading on "Geologic Time", Geologic Time homework (DUE Thurs. 1/12 in class):

1. Define the terms "hiatus" and "unconformity"
2. What causes a hiatus or unconformity to occur in rock layers (strata)?
3. Define the term "half-life". Also, if 20 grams of a radioactive substance decays over time, and 2 half-lives have passed, how many grams would be left?
4. What kinds of things is Carbon 14 dating good for? Why can't it be used to date the age of very old rocks?
5. How can we say with any certainty that the Earth is 4.6 billion years old?

• 1/12: Lecture and reading on "The Timeline", Geologic Time Chart, Geologic Timeline Activity
• 1/16: NO SCHOOL- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• 1/19: Geologic Timeline Activity continued

Here are a couple of websites with interactive time lines and information as well as visuals on the geologic time scale: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/help/timeform.html

http://www.fieldmuseum.org/evolvingplanet/post/ep_v8.swf http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/prehistoric-world/prehistoric-time-line/ http://geology.com/time.htm

This one is my favorite:

http://paleobiology.si.edu/geotime/main/

• 1/23: Watch "Amazing Earth" with film questions
• 1/26: Finish "Amazing Earth", begin watching "Inside Planet Earth" with film questions
• 1/30: Unit Quiz One and Binder Check, continue "Inside Planet Earth"
• 2/2: "Inside Planet Earth" continued
• 2/6: Finish "Inside Planet Earth", begin lecture and reading on "Geologic History of Arizona"

Here's an incredible animation showing the drift of the Earth's continents from 400 million years ago all the way up to another 250 million years from now-when another Pangea will form!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSdlQ8x7cuk

• 2/9: Field Trip to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show (please hand permission slips in by Wednesday, and don't forget to bring your admission fee, coupon, and a lunch or spending money!) plus Gem and Mineral Scavenger Hunt Activity
• 2/13: Finish "Geologic History of Arizona", Geologic History of Arizona homework (DUE Thurs. 2/16 in class):

1. What is a craton?

2. What was responsible for causing the 30 million-year ice age in the Archaean Eon, and how?

3. According to the article, what is coal made of?

4. What do we think caused the mass extinction at the end of the Permian Period?

5. Define the term "orogeny", and describe how the Rocky Mountains formed

6. List the 3 geologic provinces of Arizona, and describe how the "Basin and Range" landscape formed

7. What do we think is responsible for causing the PETM?

Here's a cool video on the early Earth, its composition, and some nice images and explanations of tectonic processes, as well as some good geologic time stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDqskltCixA&feature=related

Here's a couple videos showing continental drift animations, which are much clearer than the pictures you had in your handouts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mQUkhMrRLY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYbTNFN3NBo&feature=related

• 2/16: Lecture and reading on "Dynamic Earth", Dynamic Earth homework (DUE Mon. 2/20 in class):

1. What is basalt?

2. What are convection cells, and what do they do to the crust?

3. Describe the differences between convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries, with examples of each

4. Describe 2 ways that tectonic forces and rising magma can create and bring gems and minerals to the surface

• 2/20: Lecture and reading on "Atoms and Elements", Receive blank periodic tables, periodic table classwork

Here's a nice video on atoms and the history of the Periodic Table, with physicist Brian Cox (cool guy). NOTE: This is part 1 in a series of 15. If you want to keep cruising, just click on each new part in the sequence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw5TE5o7JtE&NR=1

Here is a fantastic resource for learning more about the Periodic Table. This interactive periodic table lets you click on each chemical element and get information on all of its characteristics (melting/boiling point, mass, color, uses, etc).: http://www.chemicalelements.com/

This one is also fantastic, and has a wealth of information on each element, as well as pictures and videos (check out the video of Cesium reacting with water!):

http://www.chemicool.com/

This one's kinda cool, too. Not as informative but it has pictures of the elements:

http://periodictable.com/

• 2/23: No School- Rodeo Break
• 2/27: "Atoms and Elements" continued, Periodic Table classwork, Periodic Table HW I (DUE Thurs. 3/1 in class):

1. List and describe the three parts of an atom

2. What separates the atoms of different elements?

3. Niobium (Nb) has an atomic mass of 93. State the number of protons and neutrons in its nucleus

4. What are "valence electrons"? What do they do?

5. What does the periodic table tell you about the elements in a group?

• 3/1: Lecture and reading on "Metals", Periodic Table classwork, Periodic Table HW II (DUE Mon. 3/5 in class):

1. List and describe four properties of most metals

2. Compare the reactivity of metals on the left and right sides of the periodic table

• 3/5: Midterm Exam and Binder Check,