Earth Science

2013-2014 School Year

Course: 6th Grade Earth Science
Instructor:
Jessica Tamburro
tamburro.jessica@newton.k12.ga.us
jtamburro84@hotmail.com
770-784-2959 (Call this number first)
404-425-3181 (Emergency only)
Call between hours of 8am-3pm Monday-Friday. Text or email on weekends
Office Hours:
I will be available through virtual classroom or Skype during these times:
Monday-Friday 10am-11am EST
Required Texts: This course does not require a textbook
Communication: Communication is a vital part of online learning. Here are the ways to get in
touch with the instructor:
1. Email: This is a preferably method. Please write your full name in the subject, then a
dash and the subject at which you are emailing about. I will respond within 24 hours.
2. Phone: Use only in case of emergency. Texting is best.
3. Skype: I will be available for live chat during office hours
Course Description:
This one year course explores the foundations of Earth Science in the following related topics /
fields: Earths place in the universe, dynamic Earth processes, Energy in the Earth system,
biochemical cycles, structure and composition of the atmosphere, with relation to Georgia
geology. Students will have the opportunity for self-assessment as well as for teacher guidance
and assessment throughout the course including the preparation and finalization of two semester
Problem Solving Projects, which focus on research, organization, and drafting strategies. The
course covers scientific terminology, historical and cultural advances in science, vocabulary
building, test taking strategies, and several simulated labs, the essay, workplace documents, and
science projects using the scientific method.
Learning Outcomes:
Outcomes are related to the Georgia Performance Standards
S6E1. Students will explore current scientific views of the universe and how those views
evolved.
a. Relate the Nature of Science to the progression of basic historical scientific models(geocentric,
heliocentric) as they describe our solar system, and the Big Bang as it describes the formation of
the universe.
b. Describe the position of the solar system in the Milky Way galaxy and the universe.
c. Compare and contrast the planets in terms of
Size relative to the earth
Surface and atmospheric features
Relative distance from the sun
Ability to support life
d. Explain the motion of objects in the day/night sky in terms of relative position.
e. Explain that gravity is the force that governs the motion in the solar system.
f. Describe the characteristics of comets, asteroids, and meteors.
S6E2. Students will understand the effects of the relative positions of the earth, moon and
sun.
a. Demonstrate the phases of the moon by showing the alignment of the earth, moon, and sun.
b. Explain the alignment of the earth, moon, and sun during solar and lunar eclipses.
c. Relate the tilt of the earth to the distribution of sunlight throughout the year and its effect on
climate.
S6E3. Students will recognize the significant role of water in earth processes.
a. Explain that a large portion of the Earths surface is water, consisting of oceans, rivers, lakes,
underground water, and ice.
b. Relate various atmospheric conditions to stages of the water cycle.
c. Describe the composition, location, and subsurface topography of the worlds oceans.
d. Explain the causes of waves, currents, and tides.
S6E4. Students will understand how the distribution of land and oceans affects climate and
weather.
a. Demonstrate that land and water absorb and lose heat at different rates and explain the
resulting effects on weather patterns.
b. Relate unequal heating of land and water surfaces to form large global wind systems and
weather events such as tornados and thunderstorms.
c. Relate how moisture evaporating from the oceans affects the weather patterns and weather
events such as hurricanes.
S6E5. Students will investigate the scientific view of how the earths surface is formed.
a. Compare and contrast the Earths crust, mantle, and core including temperature, density, and
composition.
b. Investigate the contribution of minerals to rock composition.
c. Classify rocks by their process of formation.
d. Describe processes that change rocks and the surface of the earth.
e. Recognize that lithospheric plates constantly move and cause major geological events on the
earths surface.
f. Explain the effects of physical processes (plate tectonics, erosion, deposition, volcanic
eruption, gravity) on geological features including oceans (composition, currents, and tides).
g. Describe how fossils show evidence of the changing surface and climate of the Earth.
h. Describe soil as consisting of weathered rocks and decomposed organic material.
i. Explain the effects of human activity on the erosion of the earths surface.
j. Describe methods for conserving natural resources such as water, soil, and air.
S6E6. Students will describe various sources of energy and with their uses and
conservation.
a. Explain the role of the sun as the major source of energy and its relationship to wind and water
energy.
b. Identify renewable and nonrenewable resources.
Course Schedule:
1
st
Semester:
1
st
9 weeks Astronomy Unit and Earth, Moon and Sun system
2
nd
9 weeks Meteorology and Earths Energy

2
nd
Semester:
3
rd
9 weeks Oceanography
4
th
9 weeks - Geology
Class Participation:
Students are expected to attend and participate in an online course as fully as they attend and
participate in a traditional classroom course. During the fall and spring terms, students are
required to login and perform work in the course at least 4 5 times a week, dispersed throughout
the week, for approximately 5 10 hours a week for a .5 unit course (.5 Unit course) and 10-15
hours a week for a 1.0 unit semester course during Fall and Spring terms. During the shortened
summer term, students should participate productively in the course daily. Summer term courses
require 15-20 hours a week for a .5 unit course and 30-40 hours a week for a 1.0 unit course.
Class participation is measured by contributions made through communication such as
discussion forums, emails, Skype sessions, and submission of assignments, projects, and tests.
Participation will be considered when determining grades for discussion forums, Skype sessions,
and group projects. Each time you enter the course, participation will be automatically recorded
and the length of time in each area is noted.
Late Work Policy:
Late work will be accepted one week after its due date with a grade of no higher than 80%.
Grading Policy and Assessments:

Grading Scale
Letter Grade Percentage Earned
A 90% - 100%
B 80% - 89%
C 70% - 79%
D 60% - 69%
F 59% and lower
This is an inquiry-based course. Students will generate knowledge through online readings,
synchronous chats, asynchronous discussions with students and their instructor, interactions with
online tutorials, and online and hands-on simulations.
A semester project developed by each student will be used to demonstrate knowledge and
understanding of the material in the course.
The instructor will act as a guide, a facilitator, an events planner, and a resource advisor.
He/she will always be available through e-mail.
The student must actively construct and acquire knowledge by being intrinsically motivated to
succeed. To succeed, students must participate and complete all readings and activities. This
course requires the students active participation.
Both formal and informal assessment methods will be used in the course. Informal assessment
will include an evaluation of the quality and timeliness of participation in class activities. Formal
assessment may include multiple-choice quizzes, tests, discussion board participation, and
written assignments. A final exam will be given at the end of the course.
Conduct and Academic Honesty:
Students must not engage in any form of cheating or plagiarism. Students must complete their
own work and write their essays and assignments in their own words. To avoid plagiarism,
students who use an idea or passage from another author must acknowledge their debt both by
using quotation marks where appropriate and by proper referencing such as footnotes or
citations. Students may want to reference websites that demonstrate proper citation such as
http://citationmachine.net/.
Cheating and plagiarism are major academic offenses. All assignments will be screened with
plagiarism detection software to check student work for authenticity. In order to maintain the
integrity of all grades, instructors may choose to facilitate random oral assessments and/or face
to face exams. If a student has cheated or plagiarized work in any manner, the student will be
subject to consequences determined by the administration and may be removed from the course
with a failing grade.
Assessments in this course may be randomized, timed or project-based in order to discourage
academic dishonesty.
Acceptable Use Policy:
Students are expected to be aware of and comply with the requirements of the Acceptable
Use Policy (AUP) when participating in this course. Inappropriate use of electronically accessed
data or information may lead to a students removal from the course and other appropriate
academic discipline.
Student Right to Privacy:
Personally identifiable information from student educational records will not be disclosed
without a written release from the appropriate parties, except as allowed in FERPA or other
applicable law.
Online Communication Guidelines:
Below are some guidelines for you to follow when communicating with your teacher and peers
online:
When sending e-mails:
-Please place your name and the course in which you are enrolled in the subject line (ex: Jane
Doe - Astronomy 101).
-Configure your email signature to reflect your full name and contact information.
-Please allow at least a 24 hour response time from your instructor before sending another e-mail
on the same topic, unless its an emergency.
When asking a question:
-Please be as descriptive as possible. If your question is unclear, I may need to get more
information from you which will lengthen the time before you get your answer.
When responding to classmates posts:
-Add something pertinent to the discussion.
-Praise new ideas, ask clarifying questions, share new ideas and experiences, offer affirming
statements, ask new questions, make an oppositional statement supported by personal
experience, facts or related research, contribute thoughts, ideas, insight and analysis.
-Stay on topic.
-Check assignment for length of posts and number of posts required.
Use Standard English at all times, on all communications and assignments.
Abbreviations such as those used in text messaging are not acceptable.
ALL CAPS indicates yelling, please avoid use of all caps, this makes communications difficult
to read.
Proofread and spell-check all assignments and communications prior to submission.
It is very important to be aware of the many ways that a statement may be taken.
Be careful with humor and sarcasm. Avoid using statements that may be inflammatory.
Refrain from lashing back at poorly behaving students, and do not engage in a flame war!
Vulgar, obscene, slang, racial, discriminatory or satirical language has no place in the online
classroom!
Technology Requirements:
Software
Student computers need to be capable of running the latest versions of plug-ins, recent software
and have the necessary tools to be kept free of viruses and spyware. The computer needs to run
the following software. Also, some courses require special software that students may have to
purchase.

Adobe Acrobat Reader
Apple iTunes Player
Apple QuickTime Player
Java Plugin Console
Adobe Flash Player
Adobe Shockwave Player
Microsoft DirectX End-Use Runtime
Mozilla Firefox Browser - recommended
Microsoft Internet Explorer note version 7.0 is NOT recommended
Microsoft Windows
Windows Media Player
Real Player
Skype
Browers:
Mozilla Firefox Browser 3.6
Microsoft Internet Explorer 8
Safari 5.0


Internet Service
Students are responsible to have Internet service. High speed Internet access is recommended as
dial-up may be slow and limited in downloading information and completing online tests. Some
courses may contain streaming audio and/or video content.

Use of Public Computers
If using a public library, or other public access computer, students should check to ensure they
will have access for the length of time required to complete their tasks and tests.
Tech Support:
If you are having technical problems (problems related to accessing course material, etc.) contact
your instructor immediately. To prevent problems, back up everything and back it up often.
There is heavy Internet usage in the evening between 8 and 10 PM. If you are having trouble
getting your work done during these hours, you may want to log in at different times. You are
responsible for submitting your work on time. You need to determine two backup places that
you will go if your Internet access fails.
For example, if you try to get on the Internet and you find your home access won't work, where
will you go? Can you go to the local library? Friend's house? If you don't have a backup place to
go, then you don't need to take this course. In other words, if your Internet fails, it may severely
hinder your progress in this class. You are required to login to the course 3-4 times per week to
check for announcements, e-mail messages, etc. My computer crashed is not an excuse for
missing an assignment, just like I missed my bus is not an excuse for missing school. In case
you experience technical difficulties or other emergencies, you must have another computer
option available to use (school, library, friend, or neighbor).
Copyright Statement:
All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, displayed, modified or distributed
without the express prior written permission of the copyright holder. For permission,contact
[insert e-mail or mailing address.] Materials used in this online course are developed by the
author unless relevant citation is included identifying the original source.
ADA Statement:
The instructor provides accommodations for students with a current IEP or 504 Plan. To have
accommodations implemented in an online class, the instructor must receive a current copy of
the student's Accommodations page (must include both Supportive Aids and Services and
Assessment Participation). As soon as this information is received, it will be reviewed and
modifications that are applicable to the online environment will beimplemented.