Middle School Earth Science-Semester 1
In this semester-long course, middle school students (appropriate for grades 6th-8th) will study Earth Science including Geology, Meteorology, Oceanography, Astronomy, and Environmental Science.
Mysti Chisholm, RPSGT, MBA-HM
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(879)
Popular
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What's included
15 live meetings
12 hrs 30 mins in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. Homework is assigned each week at the end of class. Homework will be posted in the classroom. Please allow 1-2 hours for homework each week. All work is optional and not mandatory.Letter Grade
A letter grade may be given for each homework assignment if students choose to upload them. The parent will receive a teacher feedback report on the student's progress at the end of the course.Grading
Paper/assignments will be graded if student turns any in. Semester total grade can be given at parent request.Class Experience
US Grade 6 - 8
Studying the Earth, the rocks, the weather, it's oceans and stars....this is Earth Science! In this 15-week class for the fall semester, students will meet once a week and will also be expected to complete homework at home. This class will focus on five aspects of Earth Science including geology, astronomy, oceanography, meteorology, and environmental science. Simple equations as well as multiplication and division are used during some lessons. Students are allowed to use calculators if needed. Paper and pencil will need to be available for each class. After the first week, each class will begin with any questions the students have about the homework or material covered the week before. Then the new material for that week will be presented; slides, videos, pictures, and actual demonstrations or labs will be used throughout the course. Messages in the classroom will be utilized if students have any questions on homework throughout the week. Some homework assigned will be worksheets and others will be at-home experiments using household items. Please view the supply list for supplies. I will make sure to keep parents updated via classroom posts on what will be needed for the upcoming week. Homework assignments will be graded but grades are used at the parent's discretion. All work is optional and never mandatory. Please note, fewer numbers of students may result in a shortened class time. There will be no refunds issued for a student(s) missing class.
Learning Goals
Students will be able to explore through lecture, experiments, demonstrations, homework, and discussion the five fields of Earth Science....astronomy, geology, environmental science, meteorology, and oceanography.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum15 Lessons
over 15 WeeksLesson 1:
What is Earth Science?
Beginning with minerals, students will learn their properties, how they are formed, and use a simple equation to determine the density of mineral.
-Homework this week includes an evaporation lab at home. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Rocks and the Rock Cycle
We will classify the three types of rocks and learn their properties along with viewing examples of each. Students will also be introduced to the rock cycle.
-Homework this week includes an at-home rock scavenger hunt. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Plate Tectonics
Students will journey through each layer of the Earth and learn the difference between convection and conduction. Seafloor spreading and continental drift will be modeled.
-Homework this week includes modeling convection currents at home. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Earthquakes and Fault Lines
Students will learn about the different kinds of fault lines as well as the different patterns of seismic waves. We will use common household objects to demonstrate this during class.
-Homework this week includes an at-home experiment with Jell-O to see seismic waves. 50 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Learning Needs
Activities are not mandatory and can be adapted to fit the needs of each individual learner. Notes and homework can be digitally manipulated if student prefers, graded or not, no reading out loud in class.
Parental Guidance
All experiments utilize household materials. Some experiments may be messy. Please read homework beforehand to determine if experiments need to be performed outside to save the house from a mess :-)
Supply List
-Index cards -Scissors -Markers -Ruler -Jello -Sugar cubes -Sand -Bar of soap (any brand or kind) -Eggs -Salt -Plastic straws -Newspaper -Yard stick
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined March, 2020
5.0
879reviews
Popular
Rising Star
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Master's Degree from Western Governors University
Bachelor's Degree in Science from Missouri Southern State University
I was a middle school science teacher for 10 years. I have also homeschooled and graduated my daughter for 10 years and she is currently a sophomore in college. As a public school teacher, I taught Earth Science, Chemistry, Physical Science, Zoology, Biology, and more to hundreds of students. Science is a passion of mine and I find performing experiments both fascinating and illuminating when learning new scientific facts! In this class, students will have ample opportunity to perform their own experiments to reiterate the information they learn in class. I have my Bachelor's degree in Biology/Pre-Med and a Master's in Healthcare Administration.Reviews
Live Group Course
$18
weekly1x per week, 15 weeks
50 min
Completed by 223 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-14
3-12 learners per class
