How+to+Dig+a+Hole+to+the+Center+of+the+Earth

(this week was all about tuning in to natural disasters and figuring out what happens under our feet)
 * How to Dig a Hole to the Center of the Earth **

We designed a poster to dig a hole through the center of the Earth. To do this, we had to know what the layers of the Earth are made of, and we had to design our machine to get through those layers. We also had to calculate where our machine would come out on the other side, if it left from Christchurch New Zealand. This is called an Antipode. Here is a cool Calculator to find [|Antipodes]. The Antipode of Christchurch NZ, is A Curona, Spain.

Here is our work:



Next, we tried to understand the four layers of the Earth. We researched the layers, wrote a paragraph, and recorded in a Voicethreads on our new iPads!

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Next, we took this information and made a 3D cross sectional model of the Earth and its layers. As a medium, we used playdoh!



We found the percentages of each of the layers of the Earth compared to each other Crust 3% Mantle 44% Outer Layer 34% Inner Layer 19%
 * Earth:Me Math **

Next we found our individual heights then compared the percentages to our own bodies and found the point where they would be. Finally, we used the iPads to draw a picture. Look here:


 * Natural Disaster Discovery Teams **

We broke into our two discovery teams A - Emi, Isha, Naana B - Koichi, Satoki, Jiwon

We brainstormed a list of natural disasters, and then ranked them from 1 (most dangerous) to 5 (not as dangerous as 1, but still dangerous!). Here are the lists we came up with. 1 Tsunami 2 Earthquake 3 Avalanche 4 Sandstorm 5 Tornado 1 Volcano 2 Avalanche 3 Tsunami 4 Hurricane 5 Sandstorm
 * Team A**
 * Team B**

Next, we took our most dangerous disaster and made a poster telling people what is dangerous about it....


 * Tectonic Plates **

We saw a picture of Pangea, and we started to wonder how the Earth moved to the map we know. We brainstormed several ideas, and then we got the following picture. It had all the clues to the puzzle, we just had to put them together. After we explained the puzzle, we wrote our our paragraph and made pictures to make it more visual.

Then, Mr Dwyer told us a story about how the Earth was formed and life grew. It started after the sun was formed, and our planet was originally a giant ball of hotness! It was filled with Magma. The outside eventually began to cool (because space is cold) and when it was covered with a thick layer of volcanic rock (the inside was still hot though) it cracked like an egg in hot water. This created the tectonic plates. After many many years, the atmosphere changed, life started, water appeared, and the oceans were formed. The oceans led to the land to be covered with life. Around 600 million years ago, there was something called the Cambrian explosion, in which a lot of new life appeared on Earth. Then Pangea started shifting around and moving. The plates pulled away in some places and made deep valleys, and smashed together in other and made high mountains. It continues to move to this day.

After Mr Dwyer's story, we each wrote a poem about the story.

Next, we chose the poem that we thought was the easiest to dance to (Emiliano's), and then we turned it into a dance. This is based on a really interesting [|TEDtalk] we watched about dancing scientific concepts.

Sometime the earth was hot and rocky, gooey with magma earth became a rock ball cracked up. The Cambrian explosion came earth got animals. continents were formed mountains and volcanos the plates colliding and separating and so with that time that passed our earth became now those helpful plates. Awwww nice plates. by EMI
 * Sometime the earth was... **

Here is the Youtube video of our Earth Dance.... media type="youtube" key="f_Nm6d2MJKw" height="315" width="560"

How Far has the Earth Moved in your Lifetime?

If the earths plates move, on average, 2.5 to 15cm a year, how long have they moved in your lifetime? Now, we know.