Mr. Danville's Earth Science Page (with Project Ideas and Guidelines)
Briarcliff Project Ideas (below)
You may work individually, or in pairs. If you work with a partner, choose someone you can work with on an equal effort basis. Both of you will receive the same score. No more than two students may work on a single project. Also, two person projects (duets) will require 14 points, instead of the 10 for a single person project. (See the Briarcliff scoring rubric section near the bottom of this page.) If adults help you, they must be credited for their contributions.
Most projects should include a bibliography of literature sources. Parenthetical references may be used in place of footnotes, referenced to your bibliography by author and date. Due Date: First Monday in May
II. It will be easier for you if you choose a topic of interest to you. If possible, don't just write something, change something for the better, and document it.
III. The project will be judged on your own work and ideas, so you will need to do something original.
IV. Use sources that give some depth of treatment. Encyclopedias should not be your principal sources because they are not likely to have the kind of specialized information needed for this project.
1. Make a collection and a display of local rocks and/or minerals. Supply information about their properties and origin. The following link can take you to a variety of New York geology resources; Westchester Geology
2. Set up a rock and/or mineral swap with a friend in a different geological area. Classify your samples and tell about how they formed. Your teacher can help you in identifying the samples.
3. Document the erosion of a stream bank or a road cut. You'll need to choose one that will change over a period of a few weeks. Document the change with measurements and/or images.
4. Investigate locations and depths of earthquakes by plotting them on a world map. How is this data useful?
5. Photograph and make a display of local geological features.
6. Measure and map radioactivity in the local bedrock.
7. Report on a unique geological location you have visited.
8. Make a video or a power point computer presentation on the basics of mineral or rock identification.
9. Report on seismic risks in your community..
1. Construct and use your own weather instruments. Test them by comparing your readings with professional readings. Explain why each kind of measure is important.
2. Relate cloud types to weather conditions. Look for patterns and useful observations.
3. Investigate weather patterns. You may record some of your own weather data or obtain data from the newspapers. Try to obtain about 6 to 8 weeks of information useful for making weather predictions. What patterns can you find? How can these patterns be used?
4. Investigate how rainfall affects the amount of water flowing in a stream. You will base your report on measurements of rainfall and stream discharge. This investigation will require about 6-8 weeks of data. Plan to make measurements more frequently in rainy weather.
5. Use a thermometer to record the air and water temperatures in pond or stream. Investigate the relationships between these temperatures on a daily cycle, as well long term data for about 8 weeks.
6. Relate the temperature of the air to the temperature 1 meter underground. You will need to dig a hole 1 meter deep and bury a plastic tube in the hole. Be sure to keep the tube plugged so that air cannot circulate in when you are not taking measurements. (You'll need about 6-8 weeks of data.)
1. Show the movement of the moon or planets through the stars over a period of several months.
2. Construct a variety of sun dials and test them with standardized clocks.
3. Make a list of things you can see with binoculars that are not visible to the naked eye. Describe and explain the importance of each kind of feature or object you observe.
4. Construct and test your own telescope using basic materials, not a kit.
5. Make a time lapse video of shadows as they change from sunrise to sunset.
1. Organize a campaign help to alleviate a local pollution problem. You may wish to make original video to do this. Your report should tell about what you did, and how it helped to solve this problem.
2. Prepare a display to show one specific local pollution problem. Your display could include photographs, newspaper reports, and samples of pollution. The display should be presented in a display area in school. Be sure to suggest ways of dealing with this problem. (Please note that a poster is not enough for a display.)
3. Make a video about one person's work to help the environment. It should be someone whose work or special interest has a beneficial effect on the environment.
4. Monitor water quality in one or more local streams. Special pollution testing equipment is needed. Click on the link that follows to take you to a rather extensive stream quality/web page project done by two Westchester Community College students; Pocantico River Home Page
5. Construct a solar energy collector. Demonstrate how much energy you can collect or use the energy for some useful purpose, such as heating water. You must plan a live demonstration for your teacher.
6. Formulate and justify your own opinion about a controversial current issue, such as the safety of nuclear power, or methods of waste disposal. Be sure to look at both sides of the issue. You need not agree with arguments on the other side, but you should consider their merit.
7. Measure air pollution around town by coating one inch squares cut from plastic milk bottles with petroleum jelly and leaving them at various locations to collect particles. Count pollution particles to obtasin data. Then use your data to make an isoline map.
8. Prepare a report about the possibility of a natural hazard in your community, such as a flood, earthquake, volcanic eruption, etc. How likely is such an event? What should we do? Does our community have a plan to deal with it? Can you help your community to devise and implement an emergency plan?
9. Investigate the chemical and/or physical properties of a stream. You could measure the speed, discharge, drainage area and ground cover. Or, you could investigate changes in these characteristics. Chemical properties include dissolved oxygen and other diagnostic substances. (Don't try to measure too many factors. Do just a few, but analyze them well.)
10. Report on the water quality of a major stream like the Hudson River. How and why it has changed. What steps are now being taken to preserve and benefit the river?
11. Make a detailed map of a portion of a stream that flows near your home or by the school grounds.
12. Graph the changing velocity of the stream above over a length of at least 100 yards.
13. Find the time lag between rainfall and maximum stream flow for a particular stream, or compare several streams.
14. Make a detailed map to show how the school grounds has been altered in landscaping.
15. Make a video a stream at different times from the same location to show changes in discharge (stream flow), erosion, ice conditions, etc.
16. Report on radon danger and measurements in homes in this area.
1. Create an Earth science web page. Ask your teacher for examples such as; http://members.aol.com/RgntsQuake/quake.html
2. Show how software such as a spreadsheet or computer programming can be used in Earth science.
3. Produce an educational video an an Earth science subject such as classifying rocks & minerals, predicting the weather, or how to learn the constellations.
Total Value: Individual Project-10 points = 100%, Duet-14 points =100% (No more than two students per project.) You must choose categories that total 10 or 14 (Duet) points
Required Categories:
A. 1 point for approved narrow Earth science content. (The Physical Environment)
B. 1 point for completed literature search - (Summaries must be attached at the back of your project.) Periodicles/Texts/Internet
C. 1 point for completed action plan. (It may be revised as you proceed.)
D. 1 point for a bibliography including at least 4-6 in-depth sources. (Encyclopedias and general reading will not qualify as "in depth.")
Optional Categories:
E. 2 points for a written report, oral report, home video, or display (Any one. A display must be more than a poster; most likely it will be a labeled display of relevant objects.)
F. 2 points for use of current technology. (Computer, video, etc. Specify what hardware and what software you used.)
G. 2 points for original research. (Collect, analyze and integrate your own data.)
H. 2 points for local relevance. (Must have special meaning for your local community.)
I. 2 points for use of current published information (This must be information, for example from periodicals, too recent to be in books.)
J. 2 points for working with a recognized "expert". An expert is someone who works in this field or who has published about it. (This means more than just communicating with someone; it's "working with." Indicate who you worked with, give her/his qualifications and explain what you did with the person.)
K. 2 points for a project that changes something for the better. (You need to document the changed conditions.)
L. Cooperative teamwork via telecommunications. (Be sure to explain what you did through the Internet. Again, you need to do more than just contact someone.)
Additional point categories are negotiable, but only before your report is submitted.
2. Try to do original research. Keep the emphasis on what you did, rather than reporting primarily about another person's writing or research.
3. Keep your focus narrow. Do something small, but do it very well! Quality is most important, not quantity.
4. Credit all sources (both persons and publications).
5. Late submissions will forfeit credit.
6. You will need to specify your rubric point categories when you submit your report.
7. If you need time to contact people or gather data, get an early start. (Get an early start anyway!)
8. If you submit a preliminary report two weeks ahead of time, you may use initial suggestions to revise your report for a better grade.
9. Will your idea make a good project? Does it fit the rubric? If in doubt, ask your teacher!
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Title Introduction/Background Hypothesis Procedure/Methods Data Analysis/Conclusions Applications | (What is the nature of your project?) (What does the work of others (literature) tell us?) (What are you trying to show/prove?) (How did you get your data?) (Could be measurements, photographs, case studies, etc.) (What does your project show?) (Of what use was your project?) |
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Last Modified 01/99.