SCIENCE REVIEW

SOIL PROFILE TOP SOIL SUB SOIL PARENT MATERIAL BED ROCK

Good top soil is very important when you are trying to grow plants. Top soil contains the most organic matter. Organic matter and minerals are what gives the plants the nutrients they need in order to grow.

ROCKS AND MINERALS Rocks are made of many different minerals. The combination of the minerals make rocks different colors and shapes.

Minerals, like diamonds, are made of only one type of material.

This arch was formed by weathering and erosion. Weathering is when water gets into cracks in the rock and then freezes. This causes the rock to crack and break even more. Erosion is when running water carries away some of the broken off particles of rock.

ENVIRONMENTS

Utah is a desert environment. We get very little precipitation.

This is a picture of a wetland environment. We can tell this because of the duck, the water, and the bulrush and cattail plants. Even though Utah is a desert, we have some wetland areas around our lakes.

Even though Utah is a desert environment, we do have areas of forest. Conifer forests are made up of pines, firs, spruces, and junipers. There are also forests of deciduous trees, like aspen and oak.

How can we tell the difference? Deserts receive the least amount of precipitation. Wetlands have the most standing water. Forests are higher in the mountains.

FOSSILS

Fossils are formed when minerals in the rock replace the bone.

Shells, fish, and other sea fossils are sometimes found in the mountains of Utah. This is because most of Utah used to be covered by water.

Scientists look at the body structure of the animal fossils they find. They can then classify it and find out what kind of animal it was.

WEATHER

Which would be the best way to describe the weather conditions of this picture: 1. 98°F, partly cloudy 2. 45°F, partly cloudy 3. 25°F, no cloud cover 4. 50°F, no cloud cover

1. 98°F, partly cloudy 2. 45°F, partly cloudy 3. 25°F, no cloud cover 4. 50°F, no cloud cover The best answer would be 2. She has long sleeves, so 98° would be too warm. There are clouds, so 3 and 4 can’t be correct.

What would be the best description of the weather in this picture: 1. 50°F, mostly cloudy 2. 75°F, mostly cloudy 3. 95°F, high clouds 4. 60°F, high clouds

1. 50°F, mostly cloudy 2. 75°F, mostly cloudy 3. 95°F, high clouds 4. 60°F, high clouds # 3 is the best answer. 1 and 2 say mostly cloudy, that is not what the picture shows. #4 says 60°F, that is too cold for kids to be in swimsuits outside.

About what temperature is shown in the picture? What type of precipitation could we expect on this day?

WATER CYCLE

The sun causes the water to evaporate. Evaporate means that the water turns into water vapor.

When the water vapor moves up high into the sky where it is cold it condenses and forms clouds.

Condensation also happens in other ways. When water vapor in the air touches a cold can of pop, it condenses and makes water drops form on the can. When water vapor from your warm shower touches the cool mirror, it condenses and fogs up your mirror.

The type of precipitation we get depends on the temperature. If it is around 45°F to 75°F, it will most likely be rain. If it is around 15°F to 35°F, it will most likely be snow.

BUGS AND THINGS

Insects have 6 legs and 3 body parts. Which bugs are insects? A B CD