staar need to know 1 staar reporting category 3 earth and space middle school science science staar...

STAAR Need to KnowSTAAR Need to Know 11

STAAR Reporting Category 3STAAR Reporting Category 3Earth and Space Earth and Space

Middle School ScienceMiddle School Science

Science STAAR Need to KnowScience STAAR Need to Know


Changes in the Earth over timeChanges in the Earth over time

Weathering- the process of rocks being broken down into smaller pieces.


Two types of WeatheringTwo types of Weathering

MechanicalMechanical

Rocks break into Rocks break into smaller pieces by smaller pieces by physical means –physical means –

Water, ice, wind, Water, ice, wind, gravity, organisms gravity, organisms & changing & changing temperaturestemperatures

Chemical Chemical

Rocks break into Rocks break into smaller pieces by smaller pieces by chemical reactions – chemical reactions – Air, water, acid & Air, water, acid & salts react with salts react with minerals in rocks to minerals in rocks to form new form new substancessubstances


ErosionErosion

The movement of The movement of particles from one particles from one location to another is location to another is erosionerosion

Weathered particles of Weathered particles of rock are transported by rock are transported by gravity, living organisms, gravity, living organisms, water, glaciers & wind.water, glaciers & wind.

Destructive


DepositionDeposition The settling (depositing) of eroded The settling (depositing) of eroded

particles as sediments wherever they particles as sediments wherever they are transported by wind or water.are transported by wind or water.

Constructive

LAND & EROSIONAL LAND & EROSIONAL FEATURESFEATURES



Rock CycleRock Cycle


Plate TectonicsPlate TectonicsPlate tectonics explains the movement of large

sections of Earth’s crust called tectonic plates. The force behind tectonic plate movement is thought to

be currents of magma flowing in Earth’s mantle.

PLATE TECTONICSPLATE TECTONICS



Plate boundariesPlate boundariesTectonic plates slowly collide against one another Tectonic plates slowly collide against one another

along plate boundaries. Sections of the plates along plate boundaries. Sections of the plates may break off and be pushed down, up, or to the may break off and be pushed down, up, or to the

side. Mountain ranges, ocean trenches, side. Mountain ranges, ocean trenches, earthquakes & volcanic activity are all common earthquakes & volcanic activity are all common

along plate boundaries.along plate boundaries.

Pacific Plate Pacific Plate is the largest is the largest


All the land that All the land that drains into a drains into a specific body of specific body of water. water.

Groundwater and Groundwater and surface water surface water both contribute both contribute to the water in to the water in a watershed. a watershed.

Surface water Surface water becomes becomes groundwater by groundwater by soaking into soaking into the sand and the sand and soil or by soil or by traveling traveling through cracks through cracks in rock.in rock.


Two important ways that oceans affect climate on landTwo important ways that oceans affect climate on land1. Land heats up faster than water because land has a lower specific

heat than water does. This causes the air over land to heat faster than the air over water. The warm air rises, starting a convection current that pulls air toward land from the ocean. This keeps air over the land from getting too hot and brings moist ocean air inland.

2. Warm air holds more water vapor than cold air does. When warm, moist air is cooled, clouds form and can produce precipitation. This warm air can be cooled by rising into the colder upper atmosphere, by moving over cold ocean or lakes, or by mixing with colder air. (Ex. Front boundary- the edge where cool, dry air meets warm, moist air. Often causes stormy weather)

WEATHER SYSTEMWEATHER SYSTEM


WEATHER SYSTEMSWEATHER SYSTEMS


WEATHER & CLIMATEWEATHER & CLIMATE



Nitrogen Nitrogen CycleCycle

Nitrogen changes back &

forth from nitrogen gas to the nitrogen

compounds used by plants & animals.

Nitrogen is passed from plants to other organisms through food webs in the ecosystem. Once plants & animals use the nitrogen it returns to the atmosphere as a gas, completing the cycle.

Some fertilizers contain nitrogen compounds because plants need nitrogen to grow. Though there is plenty of nitrogen gas in the atmosphere, plants can’t use this form. In nature nitrogen can be changed from a gas to a form that plants can use by lightning or by soil bacteria and fungi in a process called nitrogen fixation.


Problems if too much Nitrogen in Problems if too much Nitrogen in environmentenvironment


Carbon CycleCarbon Cycle


Effects of carbon on environmentEffects of carbon on environmentOne of the biggest ways

humans affect the carbon cycle is by burning fossil

fuels.

Burning fossil fuels transforms carbon into

carbon dioxide.

Higher levels of carbon dioxide cause the atmosphere to hold more heat energy. This may be the cause of warmer temperatures measured in recent years on Earth. (Called “The Greenhouse Effect”)

This could affect the climate in many places. The kinds of plants and animals in these climates may change if the warming continues.


Without the carbon and nitrogen cycles, there would be no life on earth!


Catastrophic events affect the earthCatastrophic events affect the earth


Ways humans affect the earthWays humans affect the earth

Two common forms of pollution:

1. Gases released into the atmosphere

2. Chemicals that are carried by water into a watershed


Humans can cause extinctionsHumans can cause extinctionsHuman can change:

•The quality of the air, water & soil we use

•Ecosystems by removing plants & animals & by introducing new species, such as invasive plants & pets

•Invasive species don’t naturally live in the ecosystem where they are introduced.

•Invasive species compete with/or drive out native species (species that live naturally in an ecosystem)

FIRE ANTS- invasive species- accidentally introduced to North America from South America. They have few predators in NA & aggressively attack & kill many kinds of native plants & animals. They have upset the balance of ecosystems in many southern states.


RenewableRenewable


Non renewableNon renewable


InexhaustibleInexhaustible


EclipsesEclipses


Solar eclipseSolar eclipse

When the moon is aligned so that its shadow falls on Earth’s surface, the sun’s light is blocked from reaching part of the Earth. Called solar eclipse because it’s the sun that is being blocked from our view.


A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the moon. This puts the moon in Earth’s shadow.

Lunar EclipseLunar Eclipse


4 main Phases of the Moon4 main Phases of the Moon


Moon phase diagramMoon phase diagram

LUNAR CYCLELUNAR CYCLE



Moon’s Revolution & RotationMoon’s Revolution & Rotation


SeasonsSeasonsHave you ever noticed that the sun travels lower across the sky in winter than in summer? This is because Earth is tilted on its axis at a 23.5o angle.

During winter part of Earth tilts away from the sun. This causes the sun’s rays to strike that part of Earth at a lower angle than in the summer.

EARTH’S REVOLUTIONEARTH’S REVOLUTIONIt takes 365 ¼ days for Earth to complete 1 revolution around the sunIt takes 365 ¼ days for Earth to complete 1 revolution around the sun



Seasons- Seasons- Remember it’s theRemember it’s the TILT TILT of the of the Earth that causes the seasonsEarth that causes the seasons


Winter Solstice- Winter Solstice- shortest day of the shortest day of the

yearyear Days are shorter & nights are longer during winter. This occurs in December in the Northern Hemisphere & in June in the Southern Hemisphere.

Each hemisphere receives less sunlight & therefore less heat energy during the winter. This is why temperatures are colder during winter.


Summer Summer Solstice- Solstice-

longest day of the longest day of the yearyear

This occurs in June in the Northern Hemisphere and in December in the Southern Hemisphere.

Earth’s revolution around the sun causes part of the Earth to tilt toward the sun at different times of the year. This causes that part of the Earth to receive more sunlight at a more direct angle. This is why days are longer and nights are shorter.


EquinoxEquinox Equinox- means “Equal Night”

Daytime lasts exactly as long as nighttime on the first day of autumn – the Autumnal Equinox (about September 21) and the first day of spring - the Vernal Equinox (about March 21).


8 Planets8 Planets


The Sun & GravityThe Sun & Gravity

THE BIG BANG THEORYTHE BIG BANG THEORY The most widely accepted theory for the The most widely accepted theory for the

formation of the universe.formation of the universe. It states that all matter & energy were It states that all matter & energy were

once packed into a tiny particles smaller once packed into a tiny particles smaller than speck of dust.than speck of dust.

This particle was incredibly hot & dense This particle was incredibly hot & dense which suddenly began to expand.which suddenly began to expand.

Overtime universe cooled & continued to Overtime universe cooled & continued to expand.expand.

Evidence suggest that big bang took place Evidence suggest that big bang took place about 13.7 billions years ago.about 13.7 billions years ago.



The Sun is a StarThe Sun is a StarOur sun is a medium-size yellow star. It is 4.6 billion years old.

In the sun, hydrogen undergoes nuclear fusion, a process that releases vast amounts of energy. During fusion hydrogen atoms join to form helium atoms.

Hydrogen fusion is the source of light, heat, and other radiation from the sun.


CometsCometsComets are made of various solids (like dirt & dust) and ice crystals. When their orbits take them close to the sun, dust and ice heat up to produce a “tail” behind the comet. Larger comets may even become visible without the aid of a telescope.


AsteroidsAsteroids

Asteroids are rocky and usually follow regular orbits around the sun.

Asteroid belt- the area between Mars and Jupiter that contains many asteroids orbiting the sun.


NebulaeNebulae

Nebulae are huge clouds of dust and gas. Some scientists think that our solar system was formed from nebula.

LIFE CYCLE OF A STARLIFE CYCLE OF A STAR NebulaNebula Nuclear FusionNuclear Fusion ProtostarProtostar Main SequenceMain Sequence Red GiantRed Giant White DwarfWhite Dwarf SupernovaSupernova Neutron StarNeutron Star Black DwarfBlack Dwarf Black HoleBlack Hole STAAR Need to KnowSTAAR Need to Know 5555


Galaxies are groups of millions or billions of stars.

The galaxy we live in is the Milky Way galaxy and has over 100 billion stars. It would take 100,000 light years to travel across it!


300,000,000 meters per second is the same as 300,000 kilometers per second.

That’s the

Speed of Light!


Closest star to Earth Closest star to Earth (besides the Sun)(besides the Sun)

Proxima Centauri is the nearest star to our Solar System.

Traveling at the speed of light, it would take about 4 years & 3 months to reach it from Earth. (That makes it about 280,000 times farther away from

Earth than our sun!)


H-R DiagramH-R DiagramIn the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram each star is represented by a dot. Stars are plotted by their luminosity (brightness) and surface temperature.

DISTANCES & PROPERTIES DISTANCES & PROPERTIES IN THE UNIVERSEIN THE UNIVERSE


DISTANCES & PROPERTIES DISTANCES & PROPERTIES IN THE UNIVERSEIN THE UNIVERSE


Red Shift: moving away & Blue Shift: coming closer

TYPES OF TELESCOPESTYPES OF TELESCOPESTelescopes Type of Radiation Sources of Radiation Some Uses

Optical Visible light Stars, planets, moons To study the size, composition, & movement of starts & galaxies

Radio Radio waves Galaxies, stars, black holes

To find black holes & map galaxies

Ultraviolet Ultraviolet light Distant stars, clouds of dust & gas

To map sources & analyze their composition

Infrared Infrared light Stars & galaxies To study planets around other stars

X-Ray X-Ray Hot gases & exploding stars

To study gas clouds between galaxies


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