NATS 183 Activity Review
NATS 183: Earth Science For Elementary Teachers

DISCLAIMER: This is a study guide ONLY! Some of these concepts may appear on the test, some may not, and some concepts may be on the test that are not included here. Please read the appropriate sections in your text/lab and review your notes.

Plate Tectonics

• Know the pieces of evidence Wegener used to propose the "Continental Drift" hypothesis
• Know what the "Continental Drift" hypothesis is
• Know how the continents "drift"
• Understand what we did in the activity and why
  

Mineral Identification

• Know the difference between a mineral and a rock
• Know the properties (hardness, # of cleavage planes, luster and reaction to HCl) used to identify minerals
• Know how to identify the minerals studied in the activity
• Understand what we did in the activity and why

Rock Identification

• Know the rock cycle
• Igneous Rocks
  • Know the properties (intrusive/extrusive, texture, and VISIBLE minerals) of igneous rocks and how to use them to identify an unknown rock
  • Know how to identify the igenous rocks studied in class.
  • Understand how these rocks form
• Sedimentary Rocks
  • Know the properties (clastic/chemical/bio, texture/grain size, and original sediment) of sedimentary rocks and how to use them to identify an unknown rock
  • Know how to identify the igenous rocks studied in class.
  • Understand how these rocks form
• Metamorphic Rocks
  • Know the properties (folliated/nonfolliated, texture, and VISIBLE minerals) of metamorphic rocks and how to use them to identify an unknown rock
  • Know how to identify the igenous rocks studied in class.
  • Understand how these rocks form
• Understand what we did in the activity and why

Earthquakes

• Know how to determine the epicenter of an earthquake
• Understand the relationship between the length of the P-S interval and the size of the S waves and the distance from the epicenter.
• Understand the difference between intensity and magnitude scales.
• Understand what an isoseismic map is and how it can be used.
• Understand what we did in the activity and why

Volcnoes

• Know the silica compositions, Magma Characteristics, Eruptive Characteristics, and Dominant Volcano Forms for each of the magmas as discussed in the Mystery of the Megavolcano activity
• The eruptive volume corresponds to the explosiveness of a volcano. Be able to discuss why this is so.
• Know how silica affects a magma's behaviour
• List the factors that determine the violence of volcanic eruptions
• Understand what we did in the activity and why

Weather and the Water Cycle

• Understand that the hydrologic cycle involves the continuous circulation of water in the Earth-Atmosphere system.
• Be able to draw the parts of the hydrologic cycle (similar to what is shown here: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/atmos/images/ll_whatacycle_worksheet.pdf)
• Of the many processes involved in the hydrologic cycle, the most important are:
  • evaporation
    
  • transpiration
    
  • condensation
    
  • precipitation
  • runoff
    
• During the What-A-Cycle game, understand why some of you should have traveled to several stations and have completed some sort of a cycle, and some may have traveled through most of the water cycle while others have moved very little.
• Understand what we did in the activity and why

Erosion

• Know the following terms: splash erosion, wind erosion, water erosion, rill, sedimentation, force
• What type of erosion is occuring here at CSULA?
• What is being done to combat this erosion?
• What is causing the erosion at CSULA?
• Understand what we did in the activity and why

Solar System

• Know the parts of the Solar System
• Understand what we did in the activity and why

Running and Groundwater

• Understand how water is used as a natural resource
• Know how water access and use varies with location around the world
• Understand what we did in the activity and why