Geology Stations

Station 1 Test rock samples in carbonated water vs. tap water. Label each container with tape and sharpie. Create a data table to record observations. Observations are taken initially, at 20 minutes, and after 48 hours. Fill with 25 mL of each liquid. Place one rock sample in each container. Record Observations. Explain the type of weathering is represented in this activity. Set off to the side to observe next class.

Hoodoos subject to chemical weathering by carbonic acid Hoodoos subject to chemical weathering by carbonic acid. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA.

Station 2 Test to show that water expands when it freezes. Label one container with tape and sharpie. Create a data table to record observations. Observations are taken initially and after 48 hours. Fill cup with 15 mL of water. Place in freezer. Observe the water level next class. Explain the type of weathering is represented in this activity Dispose of ice and stack up empty containers.

Station 3 Test the effects of acid rain (vinegar) on copper (pennies). Create a data table to record observations. Observations are taken initially and again after 5 minutes. Get 2 pennies from the new jar and place on a paper towel. Use the pipette to 5 drops of vinegar on the penny. Explain the type of weathering is represented in this activity. Dry off pennies and placed in used jar.

Effects of Acid Rain on a Statue

Station 4 Compare and record the reaction of antacid tablets in water. The comparison is a whole tablet vs. a crushed tablet. Place equal amounts of water in two containers. Break one tablet into small pieces. Place crushed tablet in cup A and the crushed tablet in cup B at the same time. Time for 3 minutes. Make initial observations and then again after 3 min. Explain how this activity relates to the rate of weathering. Explain why chemical weathering occurs faster in hot, wet climates than in cool, dry climates. Rinse and dry out containers.

Station 4 – cont. More surface area means more weathering. Suppose that the faces of the unbroken cube of rock in the picture are 10 m x 10 m and the rock is sitting at Earth’s surface. How many square meters of rock are exposed to the forces of chemical weathering? If the rock fractures into eight pieces as shown, how much surface area is now exposed?

Station 5 Compare and record the reactions of limestone (chalk) in water and vinegar. Place two pieces of chalk in the Petri dish. Drop 5 drops of water on one piece of chalk. Record your observations initially and after 5 minutes. Drop 5 drops of vinegar on one piece of chalk. Explain the type of weathering is represented in this activity. Throw chalk away and dry out Petri dish.

Station 6 Test and record the effect of water on steel wool. Label one container with tape and sharpie. Create a data table to record observations. Observations are taken initially, at 30 minutes, and after 48 hours. Cut off a small piece of steel wool and place in container. Drop 5 drops of water on steel wool using the pipette. Make observations. Explain the type of weathering is represented in this activity. After day 2 dispose of the steel wool and clean out the container. Stack up the containers when finished.

Oxidation

Station 7 Test and record the effects of sugar cubes and gravel shaken together in a jar. Make a quick sketch of the sugar cubes and the rock. Describe what you see. Place 2 sugar cubes and gravel in container. Close and shake vigorously 100 times. Place contents on paper plate and make observations. Explain the type of weathering is represented in this activity. Dispose of sugar cubes and put gravel back in the container.

Station 8 Test and record the effects of water on sugar cubes. Make a quick sketch of the sugar cube and describe what you see. Place 1 sugar cube in the Petri dish on top of the black paper. Carefully apply 10 drops of water to the sugar cube using the pipette. Record observations. Explain the type of weathering is represented in this activity. Rinse out Petri dish and dry off.

Station 9 Observe the effects of plants on rocks. List and describe the two different ways that plants can weather rock. Identify which picture goes with which type of weathering and sketch a picture of both.

Plant growth

Station 10 Work and Energy – again . . .really? Look at the pictures and answer the following questions. 1. Where is the stream eroding its bank? Explain why. 2. Where is the stream depositing sediment? Explain why. 3. What happens to the potential energy of the water in a river as gravity pulls the water downhill? 4. In what ways does a river carry its load? 5. How do slope, volume of flow, and streambed shape affect a river’s speed?

Factors that Affect a River’s Speed Station 10 Factors that Affect a River’s Speed Read the information given and answer the following questions. Use a piece of graph paper to make a line graph of the data in the table above. Make a graph that represents the relationship between the angel of slope and stream speed. Draw one line for a stream with a high volume of flow and a second line for low flow. When the angle of slope is 10° and the volume of flow is high, what is the speed of the stream? When the angle of slope is 20° and the volume of flow is high, what is the speed of the stream? What is the relationship between the angle of slope and the speed of the stream? When the angle of slope is 5°, how does increasing the volume of flow affect the stream's speed? When the angle of slope is 15°, how does increasing the volume of flow affect the stream's speed? What is the relationship between the volume of flow and the speed of the stream? When a river floods, would its water flow faster or slower than its normal speed explain.

Station 11 Discover how particle size effects settling rates. Do not take the cover off of the bottle until directed to do so. The water bottle is filled with water and sand, soil, clay, and gravel. Hypothesize in your journal the order in which you think the particles will settle. Gently shake the bottle for 30 seconds and remove the cover. Set the bottle down and observe for 10 minutes. Record your observations in your journal every 2 minutes. Why did the particles settle in that order. Place the cover back over the bottle.

Station 12 Stream table

Station 13 It’s Creepy – determine the effects of gravity Earth’s surface. Read the information and answer the following questions. What type of mass movement makes the most changes in Earth’s surface? What property of water is partly responsible for creep? What causes soil and rock particles to rise? Describe the direction in which soil and rock particles rise. What causes the soil and rock particles to fall? Describe the direction in which the soil and rock particles fall.

Station 14 Observe the effects of movement and water on Earth’s surface. Fill the container with a mix of soil, sand, and gravel. Turn the cup over and make a ‘mountain’. Gently shake the tray. Rebuild the mountain and use the pipette to ‘rain’ on the model. Continue adding drops of water until some movement occurs. Place the soil mixture in the used bucket and clean off the tray. Answer the following questions.

Station 14 questions What does the shaking model? What type of mass movement occurred when you shook the model? What did the ‘rainfall’ cause? What did the water do to the mountain that caused mass movement to occur? What force is responsible for all these types of mass movement?

Station 15 Observe the effects of glaciers on Earth’s surface. How do glaciers change the land? Ask Ms. Lauger if you can get a block of ice from the freezer. Holding the ice with the paper towel, rub the ice, sand side down, over a bar of soap. Observe what happened to the surface of the soap. Put the ice back in the freezer. Questions – What type of glacial erosion did this represent? Use the diagram to the right and describe what is happening and the type of erosion. 3. Describe the two main types of glaciers and how they move.

Station 15 Profile of a Glacier Read the information given about Mendenhall Glacier and answer the following questions. Where is Mendenhall Glacier located? What type of glacier is it and how big is it? If you visited Glacier Bay National Park, what would you see? What is the largest glacier in North America and how large is it? What does it mean when a glacier calves?

Station 16 & 17 Observe the effects of wind and waves on the Earth’s surface. Copy the following data table into your journal. Look through the microscopes at the sand collect from the four different locations and make observations. Location of sand Particle shapes Size Color Texture Sketch

Station 16 Kinds of Sand Dunes Read the information about sand dunes and answer the following questions in your journal. If the wind is constant and there is a great amount of sand, what kind of sand dunes form? Suppose you were going to an area where sand was in limited supply and the wind generally blew form the same direction. What kind of sand dunes would you expect to see? Describe the conditions in which star dunes form. In a desert area where the wind shifts to a slightly different direction, what kind of sand dune would result? What kind of sand dunes would you expect to see at the sea shore?

Station 17 Explore the effects of beach erosion on coastlines. Read the information on the Land that the Mississippi River Built. – the whole thing Answer the 4 research questions found at the beginning of the reading in your own words. Complete Activity 1.1 and answer the observation and conclusion questions.