Shake It Up and Power It On

The World--how it changes and how it provides. That's the essence of expedition the last few days.  We wrapped up our case study examining changes in the Earth's crust. Then we began a new case study--"Gonna' Give Ya the Power"--which looks at how everything we do requires resources from the Earth, and ultimately, from the sun. 

Gunning for the Target

Each lesson ("learning experience") targets specific ways students will increase their comprehension/manipulation/extension of ideas and skills.  For our Earth study, all the learning experiences reinforced two overarching ideas: 1) The Earth is undergoing constant change 2) These changes directly impact people.

Ch...Ch...Ch...Ch...Changes to Face the Strange

Here students are studying a stratigraphic chart (chart of layers of Earth) as they think about one baffling change that occurred to the Earth's surface: oceanic fossils wound up near the top of Mount Everest.

Letting Others In On It

When we share what we learn, it benefits us as well as those we're sharing with. To wrap up "Hunka' Hunka' Burnin' Earth," students worked in small groups to investigate a particular large-scale event that impacted humans.  Students learned about the basic facts, the geological causes, the effects on people, and their responses.  The small groups then shared with the rest of the crew.

Here are groups researching their events:

After their research, groups shared with the crew.  Some presented with posters, others with PowerPoint; some with both:

The Electric Company

Our next learning adventure began when we learned another truth about the Earth: we depend on it for the variety of resources needed for all that life entails.  We began with a gallery walk in which we learned about the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources:

To Renew or Not Renew, That is the Question

Our week culminated with a trip to NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory). We began to see how complex the job is to balance the demand for energy with the supply of various resources. We also began to see how each energy resource has both advantages and disadvantages.