Looking at Earth's Features examines the Earth from its core out to individual features found on its surface. Other topics include the water and air surrounding Earth, which provide resources to living things on the planet. Students understand how the Earth formed and the processes that change the Earth today and will continue to change the Earth in the future. Students also discover different ways that Earth's surface is represented on maps and how they can orient themselves in time and space using maps. Explore the interior of the Earth by comparing general patterns of density, temperature, and pressure in the core, mantle, and crust. Also, discover how movements inside the Earth cause the lithosphere on Earth's surface to shift through plate tectonics, and how the outer layers of Earth provide resources for all living things. Investigate the water, air, and life found on Earth's surface, as well as the constructive and destructive processes that shape our world. Students will explore the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere, along with landforms such as mountains, plateaus, and plains. Also introduced are landforms resulting from erosion and deposition. Investigate how people divide the Earth using lines of latitude and longitude, as well as time zones. Study the required map elements and how different types of maps affect the amount of distortion in the shape or size of Earth's features. Finally, use topographic maps to determine the elevation and contour of features on Earth's surface.
The Energetic Earth presents a complete picture of the numerous processes set into motion by the heat and convection currents within the Earth. Students will understand the theory of plate tectonics and the evidence that supports it. Earthquakes and volcanoes, two results of plate tectonics, allow students to gain a comprehensive understanding of how forces within Earth cause changes to occur on Earth's surface. Discover the theory of plate tectonics and how it accounts for the movements of Earth's crust. Students will learn why tectonic movement takes place and will explore the different types of boundaries that occur between plates. In addition, students will examine the theory of Pangaea as it relates to the movement of the continents over time. Discover the cause of earthquakes by studying stress and strain, types of faults, and primary, secondary, and surface earthquake waves. Explore how to detect earthquakes using seismographs and how the Richter and Mercalli Intensity Scales describe the strength of ground movement in different ways. Learn what to do before, during, and after an earthquake strikes. Blow the top off of your previous understanding of Earth's volcanoes. Examine how the silica and water content of magma affects the type of lava that flows from a volcano and whether volcanic eruptions are explosive or non-explosive. Learn the characteristics of different types and activities of volcanoes as well as how they can benefit the Earth, despite the destruction they often cause.
Rocks and Soil provides a fascinating overview of the dynamic processes of rock and soil formation. Explore the ways in which rocks form, as well as how one rock type can be converted into other rock types through the various pathways of the rock cycle. Students will also discover why rock weathers and is broken down during the process of soil formation, different characteristics of soil, as well as why erosion happens and ways to slow it. Students will explore minerals and rocks, learning about the characteristics all minerals share, as well as how to distinguish between different minerals. In addition, students examine different types of rocks and how rocks can change from one type to another through the action of the rock cycle Examine how mechanical and chemical weathering act on the surface of Earth, breaking rock down into sediment that eventually forms soil. Students will explore the different factors that affect weathering and soil formation, as well as characteristics of soil layers and factors that affect soil, such as color, texture, and fertility.
Water in Our World explores where Earth's water resources are located and how water moves and changes from a liquid to a gas and back again through the water cycle. Investigate the mysteries of the oceans, including the various ocean zones and the many resources our oceans provide. Coverage of fresh water illustrates how it moves across Earth's surface in streams and rivers, shaping the landscape through erosion and deposition. Students will discover properties that make water such a unique and interesting substance. An examination of where Earth's water resources are located provides a springboard into a study of how water moves from location to location through the action of the water cycle. Dive into the depths of the largest body of water on Earth by exploring how the oceans formed and general characteristics of ocean water. Discover the various zones of the ocean, the resources humans find in the oceans, and how these resources may be in danger. Sail through Earth's fresh water supply and differentiate between sources of fresh water on Earth's surface and below ground. Investigate networks of streams and rivers, the different stages of river development, and how rivers reshape Earth's surface through erosion and deposition. Students will soak up ways in which fresh water is used and polluted, and identify methods to conserve this vital resource.
Weather and Atmospheric Processes blasts students high into Earth's atmosphere where they learn how it protects us from the sun's harmful rays and how it is integral to many important processes on Earth. In their study of weather, students investigate the many causes of fair and stormy conditions, and even try their hand at predicting weather patterns. Understanding weather leads the way into an investigation of the wide range of climates on Earth, and how temperature and precipitation affect the diversity of plants and animals found around the world. Investigate the air surrounding Earth by studying the five layers of the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect, and how the atmosphere plays a role in the water cycle. Also explore how temperature differences in the atmosphere drive local and global winds and how pollution affects the air we breathe every day. Discover the reason for wind, rain, hurricanes, tornadoes, and every other type of weather that blows our way. Investigate what causes weather systems and fronts, distinguish different cloud types and know the weather they'll bring, and take your turn as a forecaster when you learn to read and interpret weather maps. Navigate different biomes while exploring how average temperatures and precipitation levels dictate the type of climate and the types of organisms found in them. Observe how factors such as elevation, bodies of water, and prevailing winds can affect average temperature and precipitation levels in a specific area. Investigate different factors that cause climate change, how climates have changed in the past, how they are currently changing, and what measures can be taken to slow climate change in the future.
Earth, Space, and the Universe examines the mysteries of outer space with a glimpse of the solar system including the nine planets and other objects held in orbit by the sun. A fascinating trip around the sun, Earth, and Earth's moon provides students with an understanding of night and day, the lunar cycle, seasonal change, and how important the sun and moon are to life on Earth. Students will also explore the far reaches of the universe, where they will learn about stars and galaxies, as well as techniques astronomers use to study the vast reaches of space. Blast off into a deeper awareness of the planets and other bodies that orbit our sun. Investigating how gravity affects objects in space explains how giant masses of rock or gas that are the inner and outer planets function as a system held in continual orbit. In addition to details of the planets, moons, comets, and asteroids, students will enhance their appreciation for how lucky we are to have just the right conditions on Earth to support life as we know it. Take a trip around the sun, Earth, and moon system to explore how they affect life on Earth. Discover the true causes of night and day, seasonal change, and even spectacular auroras and eclipses. Investigate the dynamic sun and how it produces enormous amounts of energy. Explore the mysterious moon by learning about its interior and terrain and why its appearance constantly changes in the night sky. Go beyond the everyday with an examination of times, speeds, and distances involved in the study of space, as well as the special tools astronomers use. Explore the many different characteristics of stars and how groups of stars form the galaxies scattered throughout the universe. Students will discover why astronomers believe our universe formed with an explosion by investigating the Big Bang theory and how red and blue shifts support ideas that the universe is expanding.
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