Earth and Space Sciences
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Chemistry
A nuclear whodunit
These questions, based on the Science News article “Radioactive cloud traced to Russia,” ask students to identify a series of events and list and evaluate evidence.
- Agriculture
Step into the shoes of an insect farmer
These discussion prompts ask students to design solutions to problems insect farmers might face and think through the implementation and potential consequences of those solutions.
- Environment
Exploring insect farming
Students will answer questions based on the Science News article "Down on the (cricket) farm."
- Space
Measure the universe
These discussion prompts help students think about the scale of the solar system and universe, and how scientists study phenomena that are hard to reach in space or very distant in time.
- Space
Rethinking space dust origins
Students will answer questions based on the Science News article "Kuiper belt dust may be sprinkled in our atmosphere."
- Ecosystems
Web of changes
Students will think through and diagram an Arctic and local food web and will explore how ecosystem disruptions can impact the food webs.
- Climate
Tracking Arctic sea ice
Students will answer questions based on the Science News article "The case of the Arctic's missing ice."
- Physics
Journey to the center of the Earth
After thinking through concepts related to processes in the Earth's core, students will use these prompts to create a diagram of the geodynamo.
- Earth
Assessing the age of Earth’s core
Students will answer questions based on the Science News article "Earth's inner core is relatively young."
- Earth
Volcanoes, erupting now?
Students will review volcano monitoring data and learn how to use it to predict possible volcano behavior.
- Earth
Explore volcanic eruptions, and their devastating aftermath
These discussion prompts explore volcanic explosivity and collapse, the ecosystem and health effects of eruptions and how to keep people safe during natural disasters.
- Earth
Zooming in on the Kilauea volcano
Students will answer questions based on the Science News article "Kilauea curiosities."
