Week questions 11/19/11
1. Imagine you are explaining our earth to a planetary visitor, who has never experienced tectonic activity. Explain the composition of the planet, the continents and the motion of the plates.
2. Same story, explain the magnetic stripes on the floor of the oceans.
3. How do andesitic volcanoes differ from basaltic volcanoes in composition, formation, explosion and evolution?
4. Who survived the mass extinction of 65 MY ago, and why did they differ from the others?
5. Give two examples each of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks
6. Explain four soil tests you could do to determine fertility
7. Using your "soil country" explain what challenges you would face and how you would alter the soils to be more fertile.
8. Explain the difference between silt, sand and clay, and why each is important to the ideal mix.
9. Explain the link between mining and toxic water. How does this relate to the recent "Fracking" controversy?
10. Look at recycling from the big picture: energy, water, resources, social and economic factors. Give a convincing argument for each side.
11. Why is the TVA so controversial even now? What is the history behind this?
12. Explain the timing and context of SMCRA
Lab format template:
Lab Format
Title
Purpose
Background
Materials
Procedure
Data
Observations
Analysis
Conclusions
Here’s a summary of each:
Title-what the lab is about, should be short and to the point
Purpose-what you hope to accomplish. Should be later addressed in conclusions
Background-any information that will make your lab easier to understand for the reader, a sense of context.
Materials-non-obvious things you will need to do the lab (you need not list oxygen, table, floor, etc.)
Procedure-detailed steps to follow to duplicate your lab. Think of it this way: could you follow these instructions and complete the lab if you were absent that day?
Data-anything you gather that is not in words: graphs, tables, results
Observations-any results not in numeric form, e.g. “My partner ran fastest when he was on fire”
Analysis-look at your data: does it make sense? Is your experiment a failure in what you were trying to find, but a success in finding something else?
Conclusions-address the purpose, and list ways you could improve the lab for the next person.
Sample lab grading template:
http://physics.hpa.edu/physics/apphysics/lab_grading_template.pdf
Please let me know if I can help.
aloha
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