Back to the Big Question

5.1 Understand the 5.4 Question Explore Learning Set 5 Back to the Big Question What processes within Earth cause geologic activity? You now know a lot about patterns of volcanoes in your region and around the world. You have inferred directions the plates might be moving in, though you are probably still unsure about how accurate your inferences are. You have seen that volcano and earthquake patterns are related to each other, but you are still wondering exactly why. In the next section, you will learn more that will help you answer that question. But before moving on, you will add to your Picture Map and use what you have been learning to revise your explanation of the processes within Earth that are shaping Earth s crust in your region. Add to Your Picture Map The goal of this Learning Set was to understand more about how Earth s plates move. To do that, you studied volcanoes what they are, the ways they form, and the Earth structures they create. You learned many geologic terms in this Learning Set: volcano, volcanic eruption, magma, lava, active volcano, dormant volcano, extinct volcano, magma chamber, vent, summit crater, caldera, shield volcano, stratovolcano, cinder cone volcano, volcanic ash, and hot spot. As you have done in previous Learning Sets, you will create pictures to show what the words mean. Then, you will build a map to show how they relate to each other. Write each term on a separate index card using large text so others will be able to read it from far away. Next to the term, or on the back of the card, draw a picture to show what the geologic term means. Make your picture as accurate as possible. Be sure to include features that would help someone else understand the geologic term. Go back to the cards you made previously, and see if there is anything you want to add to or change on any of those. EE 207 EVER-CHANGING EARTH

Learning Set 5 What Can Volcanoes Tell You About Plate Interactions? When you have completed your cards, share them with a group of classmates. Your teacher will tell you which group. Listen carefully as someone in your group describes each geologic term. For each card, notice if there is additional information or if there are changes you need to make to your drawing or definition. Now, work with your group to create a map that shows how the geologic terms go together. Lay the new cards you made and old cards that you think connect to them on the table to show how each idea connects with another. For example, vent connects to volcano, which connects to volcanic eruption. Record connections on all cards. Discuss the connections with your group. If you cannot come to an agreement now, record your disagreement. As you learn more about the geologic terms, you will be better able to connect the ideas together. Then you can revise your cards and connections. Record the connections you made on the back of each card. Project-Based Inquiry Science EE 208

Back to the Big Question Revise Your Explanation Now it is time to revise your explanation of the geologic activity in your region. Working with your partner, review the explanation of geologic activity in your region that you made at the end of Learning Set 3. Use what you now know about volcanoes and their causes to check the accuracy of what is in your old explanation and to decide how to update it. You have learned a lot more since you made that explanation, so you will probably want to revise it. Use a new Create Your Explanation page for your revised explanation. Remember that a good explanation has several parts to it: your claim: a statement of what you understand or a conclusion you ve reached your evidence: data collected from investigations that support your claim Name: Create Your Explanation Use this page to explain the lesson of your recent investigations. 2.BBQ.1/ 3.BBQ.1/ 4.BBQ.1 5.BBQ.1/ 6.BBQ.1/ ABQ.1 Date: Write a brief summary of the results from your investigation. You will use this summary to help you write your Explanation. your science knowledge: knowledge about how things work that supports your claim Claim a statement of what you understand or a conclusion that you have reached from an investigation or a set of investigations. your explanation itself: a logical statement connecting your evidence and science knowledge to your claim in a way that can convince someone that your claim is valid. Good explanations tell what is happening that makes the claim valid. Your claim will be your best statement about the processes beneath Earth s surface that are causing the geologic activity in your region. Your evidence comes from the drawings you have made and the data you have collected about volcanoes in your region. Your science knowledge comes from your reading. It s About Time Evidence data collected during investigations and trends in that data. Science knowledge knowledge about how things work. You may have learned this through reading, talking to an expert, discussion, or other experiences. Write your Explanation using the Claim, Evidence, and Science knowledge. Work with your partner to create the best explanation you can. You will have one more chance later in the Unit to revise your explanation. For now, do the best you can based on what you have learned so far. It may be easier to express your explanation by attaching phrases to sketches than to simply use words. Feel free to combine sketches and words in your explanation. EE 209 EVER-CHANGING EARTH

Learning Set 5 What Can Volcanoes Tell You About Plate Interactions? Conference At the end of Learning Set 3, you met with other pairs who where also assigned your region. Meet with this group again to share the explanations you have developed about the geologic activity in your region. Listen and watch for ways others have explained the data patterns. Look for different ways other teams expressed their explanations. Think about ways you can improve your explanation. Revise your explanation based on what you learn from your peers. As a group, develop an explanation you think best explains the geologic activity in your region. You will share this explanation with the rest of the class. Project-Based Inquiry Science EE 210

5.1 Understand Back to the Big the Question Communicate Share your Explanation Present your explanation to the class. As you listen to the explanations of others, notice how well each explanation connects what is happening in Earth s layers to the geologic activity in each region. As you are listening, watch for ways others have explained patterns similar to yours. Reflect With your partner, answer the following questions. 1. Did you revise your explanation after group discussion? If so, how and why? 2. How trustworthy and complete do you think your explanation is? To figure that out, think about how well it explains the volcano activity in your region, as well as in other similar regions. 3. What else do you need to investigate to make a better explanation of the processes causing geologic activity in your region? Update the Project Board You have collected a lot of information about the geologic activity in your region and around your Earth structure. You have discovered differences and similarities in earthquake and volcano data patterns. This is all important for addressing the Big Question for this Unit, What processes within Earth cause geologic activity? You may want to add more to the Project Board about the geologic activity that causes volcanoes. Remember that any information added to the What are we learning? column should be supported with evidence in the What is our evidence? column. After filling in the What are we learning? and What is our evidence? columns, add any new questions you have identified to the What do we need to investigate? column. Add questions you need answered to help you better explain how processes within Earth affect geologic activity and questions you need answered to better explain the geologic activity in your region. EE 211 EVER-CHANGING EARTH

Learning Set 5 What Can Volcanoes Tell You About Plate Interactions? More to Learn The Rock Cycle sediment: particles of solid material that have been moved from their place of origin by wind, moving water, or glacier ice and deposited on a surface. sedimentary rock: rock formed from small particles of rock or pieces of once-living things. Since long before humans found that they could take their castaway aluminum cans and melt them to make other products, the Earth has recycled materials. The Earth recycles many different materials, but for now you will focus on rocks. You have learned about different Earth structures and the movements and changes happening in the surrounding area. There are also other types of changes occurring that may not be as visible. As soon as great mountain ranges are built by the collision of continents or volcanic eruptions, other forces of nature take over. Almost immediately, wind, water, and other agents of erosion begin to wear away these Earth structures. The particles, or sediments, that are worn away are carried away and deposited. Often, these sediments are carried away by water, into streams or rivers, and eventually into the oceans. Over time, many layers are deposited. The weight of the newer layers on top presses down on the lower layers, pushing them together or compacting them. Eventually, these layers of sediment become cemented together, forming sedimentary rock. Sedimentary rocks are formed from particles worn away from other rocks. Sedimentary rocks are made up of particles of other rocks that have been worn away, deposited, and cemented together by temperature and pressure. This sandstone is made of sand grains cemented together. Project-Based Inquiry Science EE 212

5.1 Understand More the Question to Learn As layers of sediment are deposited, evidence of once-living things often get covered with mud, sand, or other particles. The remains or any evidence of living things are called fossils. For example, although the soft tissue of a worm may decay, a hole that it burrowed may be preserved in a layer of sediment. The hole is a fossil since it provides evidence that the worm existed. Fossils found in sedimentary rock give scientists many clues to Earth s history. When you squeeze your hands together very hard, you feel heat and pressure. When sedimentary rocks are squeezed together very hard, such as when the crust moves and collides, there is tremendous heat and pressure. This can change the sedimentary rock into metamorphic rock. Other types of rock can be changed into metamorphic rocks as well. When rocks that were originally another type are changed due to tremendous heat, pressure, or chemical reactions, they are classified as metamorphic. Even metamorphic rocks can be changed into a other kinds of metamorphic rock. Marble is a metamorphic rock formed from limestone. Limestone is originally a sedimentary rock. fossils: the remains or traces of onceliving things. metamorphic rock: rock formed by heat and pressure from another kind of rock. Sedimentary rocks can also take another path. If, for example, they are part of a plate that is pulled under another when two plates collide, they will end up in the magma that makes up the mantle. Eventually, they may find their way through a crack in the Earth s crust and erupt to the surface, cooling down in the process. This new rock would be classified as igneous rock. EE 213 EVER-CHANGING EARTH

Learning Set 5 What Can Volcanoes Tell You About Plate Interactions? rock cycle: the way in which rocks are continuously recycled over time. Pumice, one kind of igneous rock, can float on water. It is formed when gasses trapped in the lava escape as the lava quickly cools. great pressure high temperature, metamorphic rocks sedimentary rocks melting compacting cementation sediment erupting at surface and dep wearing osition igneous rocks The way in which rocks are continuously recycled over time is described as the rock cycle. The important thing to remember about any cycle is that it has no definite beginning or end. However, unlike many other cycles in nature, the rock cycle also has no definite sequence. As you read, sedimentary rocks may take several different paths, either becoming igneous or metamorphic rocks. All types of rocks may be worn away and their particles compacted into sedimentary rocks. You can use a diagram to visualize the possibilities that exist within the rock cycle. magma Project-Based Inquiry Science EE 214