ROCK-iNG TOWARD BREAK

As we get closer to break, the excitement is definitely in the air, but our students are still staying focused and engaged with some big geology topics. Even with the holiday season approaching, they continue to show curiosity and effort as we build toward the end of our Earth’s History and Processes unit.

Where We Were

Recently, students completed their Earth’s Structure quiz, which wrapped up our major focus on plate tectonics and Earth's layers. They used their understanding of plate boundaries, continental drift, and seismic activity to show what they have learned. This assessment marked the end of our tectonics work and helped set the stage for our shift into the rock cycle.

Where We Are

Last week, we shifted into rock types and the rock cycle. Students explored how rocks form, break apart, and transform through Earth’s processes. One of the highlights was a hands-on role-playing dice game where students moved through the rock cycle as sediments, magma, igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks, and more.

Below: Some photos from a mini-lab we were completing in Core Extension.

This week, students also used their knowledge of plate tectonics and the rock cycle to begin creating their "Changing Mountains" one-pager. They selected one of the mountains we studied earlier in the unit. They explained why that mountain is changing over time, how materials cycle through the geosphere, and how different geologic processes shape its past, present, and future.

Below: Some photos of completed one pagers.

We have now begun investigating index fossils and how they allow scientists to determine the age of rock layers or strata. Students are learning why certain fossils are so important and how they help us place geologic events in order.

Where We Are Going

We are heading deeper into Earth's past by exploring the Geologic Time Scale and how scientists organize 4.6 billion years of history. Students will also complete a stratigraphy lab to apply their understanding of rock layers and fossil evidence. We will wrap up the unit with our Analyzing Fossils project, where students will use everything they have learned about rocks, fossils, and geologic processes to interpret the story preserved in ancient remains.

If you have any questions or want to connect further, please feel free to reach out at curtis_catwood@conestogavalley.org. You can also follow our classroom adventures on Instagram at @classwithcatwood, where I share updates and snapshots of what we’re learning.

Stay Gold,

Mr. Catwood

Tectonic Times

Hey everyone!

Thanksgiving break is definitely on the minds of just about every student right now; you can practically feel the countdown energy buzzing through the hallways. However, we’re keeping things rolling and staying focused as we head into the holiday.

If families weren’t aware, I also run our On Wednesdays We Wear… campaign, and we’ve got a special one-day give coming up on Tuesday, December 3rd. Instead of wearing a color all month, we’ll be supporting CV SEEDS and wearing Red on that day, an incredible local organization that does so much for our district and the broader community. Students are not required to donate, but they’ll have the option to contribute during school lunches that day if they choose to participate.

Where We Were

We wrapped up our topics on continental drift and plate tectonics, tying together all the evidence students gathered over the past couple of weeks, from fossils to glacial markings to Wegener’s puzzle-piece continents. This all led to where we are.

Where We Are

This week, we shifted gears into volcanoes and seafloor spreading, digging deeper into how Earth’s interior moves and reshapes the surface. Students got hands-on with our Viscosity of Lava lab, always a favorite to play with the oatmeal and sugar, and we capped the week with our Earth’s Structure quiz, which covered plate boundary interactions, seismic waves, continental drift, and tectonics.

Below: Images from the Viscosity of Lava - Lab Activity

Logitech Crayons

I recently acquired Logitech Crayon styluses for our iPads. These styluses are going to allow us to keep a digital notebook using the Notes App on our iPads so that students never lose their notes, have their notes easily accessible, and reduce our printing. Hard copies will still be available for most items, but overall, students seem happy to have things in a place where nothing can go missing, and they get to use the styluses, which are pretty fun to use on the iPad. We'll mostly use them for notes at first and smaller assignments before using them a bit more heavily for other assignments once everyone has the hang of how to use them and the Notes App more proficiently. It'll be a learning curve, but it'll help students stay more organized, which is my goal. To keep organization a priority, reduce missing work, and help students be prepared for high school and beyond.

Where We’re Going

Next up, we’ll explore the Rock Cycle, and revisit Mount Everest and the other mountains we’ve mapped to understand how materials change within the geosphere over time. This will guide our conversations around the Geologic Time Scale, helping us wrap up our Earth’s History and Processes unit. From there, we’ll transition into our Natural Hazards unit in early December.

If you have any questions or want to connect further, please feel free to reach out at curtis_catwood@conestogavalley.org. You can also follow our classroom adventures on Instagram at @classwithcatwood, where I share updates and snapshots of what we’re learning.

Stay Gold,

Mr. Catwood

FROM CRUST TO CORE

Hello everyone,

It’s been another exciting couple of weeks in Earth Science! As we continue our journey from the “top of the world” down into the layers beneath our feet, students have been diving deep into the processes that shape our planet, from mountain building to earthquakes and everything in between.

WHERE WE WERE

We started our Earth's History & Processes unit, and explored Mount Everest and discussed how mountains like it are formed and continue to change over time. Students developed our Driving Question Board by sharing their own ideas about shrinking and growing mountains, along with other landforms that change. We looked at examples from around the world and began asking bigger questions about why Earth’s surface is always shifting.

WHERE WE ARE

Students analyzed evidence from an earthquake in Ridgecrest, CA, using Notice and Wonder routines to think through patterns in earthquake activity. This helped us build a foundation for how scientists use data to understand motion beneath Earth’s surface. We used the Seismic Explorer tool and a Mining Storymap to collect data on Earth’s materials. Students then discussed how this evidence connects to our growing questions about plate movement and mountain change. We've discussed the types of materials we'd find at and below the Earth's surface, and how these materials might change depending on location, and how they could be related to some earthquake activity.

Finally, we spent time rotating through our Earth's Structure stations. Students learned how scientists know what Earth is made of, even though we cannot dig to the center. These hands-on stations and discussions helped us build a shared understanding of Earth’s interior and set us up for our next steps in explaining mountain movement. Students were introduced to Earth's Layers and the three main types of rocks, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic, which we'll go into how these are significant in Earth's History later on.

Below: Photos from our Station Rotations

WHERE WE ARE GOING

Next week, we’ll launch into modeling tectonic plate motion and their interactions. Students will explore continental drift and investigate the clues scientists have used to piece together Earth’s moving past. They’ll engage in a CER (claim, evidence, reasoning) activity to model and explain how continents have shifted over millions of years.

We’ll also take a closer look at Earth’s structure, plate boundaries, rock types, and learn to recognize the patterns that help scientists predict where natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are most likely to occur. It’s going to be full of discovery, discussion, and hands-on learning as we continue rockin’ out to the core!

If you have any questions or want to connect further, please feel free to reach out at curtis_catwood@conestogavalley.org. You can also follow our classroom adventures on Instagram at @classwithcatwood, where I share updates and snapshots of what we’re learning.

Stay Gold,

Mr. Catwood