Week 10: Layers of Earth, Convection Cells, and Plate Tectonics

 

  1. What did you do in lab today? In our lab, we talked about the layers of the Earth, such as the crust, mantle, and core, and learned that the iron core helps protect us from the sun’s radiation. We learned about convection cells and how heat and density make the Earth’s plates move, which can cause earthquakes and volcanoes. We shared our convection cell videos and talked about how convection is like what happens in ovens and ocean currents. We also talked about why earthquakes and volcanoes can happen away from plate boundaries. For our lab activity, we used graham crackers, rice cakes, and whipped cream to model the three types of plate boundaries: divergent, convergent, and transform.




  2. What was the big question? What is the Theory of Plate Tectonics​
  3. What did you learn in Thursday’s discussion? I learned that earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains all happen because Earth’s plates move. Earthquakes are caused by pressure building up and then breaking. Big ones can be felt around the world, and underwater ones can cause tsunamis. Volcanoes erupt when pressure from magma builds up, and some, like Yellowstone, are very powerful. I also learned that volcanic ash can cover and protect things underneath it.​Links to an external site
  4. What did you learn? I learned that Earth has four layers such as the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. The plates that make up the crust move because of heat and movement in the mantle called convection cells. These moving plates cause earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains to form. I also learned that the continents used to be joined together in one big land called Pangaea and slowly moved apart over time.
  5. What was most helpful? The most helpful part was learning how convection cells make the plates move. It helped me understand why we have earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains. Seeing how all the layers of Earth connect made everything make more sense.​
  6. What do you need more information on? I need more information on how scientists know what’s inside Earth if we can’t actually go there.
  7. What questions, concerns, and/or comments do you have? Nothing right now. 

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