In this lab we used starbursts to simulate the changes of rock forms throughout the rock cycle.  One of the things that we did with the starbursts is that we would melt them in boiling water so they cooled into "Igneous rock' which is a rock that forms when magma or lava cools. Lava forms smaller crystals because it cools quickly, whereas magma cools slowly and forms larger crystals.  This lab helped me understand the rock cycle because it was a fun, interactive assignment that so I remembered it well.

Plate Tectonics Virtual Lab

In this lab we worked on figuring out different forms of plate tectonics and explored what happened when different tectonic plates converge, diverge, and transform. I learned about how that continental crust is lighter than oceanic crust, and oceanic crust is thinner than continental crust. One thing I learned is that when oceanic and  continental crusts converge, the oceanic dips below the continental, and the section below it is considered a subduction zone. The plate tectonics lab helped me understand plate tectonics because there were 14 slides that made me really remember everything. 

This was our third and last project for our first science unit. The learning target was  that “I can construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize earth’s 4.6-billion-year-old history”. I met this learning target. To complete this project, I had to do research, plan a build, and execute the plan.  Working on this project in a group helped improve my collaboration skills, which are essential for any team-based work in the future. The planning process, including setting goals, deadlines, and dividing tasks, taught me valuable project management skills that can be applied to future projects.