Vocabulary
What is a long, narrow groove that forms where water, lava, or other liquid flows?
channel
What is a system?
a set of interacting parts forming a complex whole
Why do we want to know what formed the channel on Mars?
We want to know if it was ever habitable.
What is the first step of the scientific method?
observation/question
What is the purpose of a model?
to help us understand something by making it simpler or easier to see
What are the 4 rocky planets of our solar system?
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
How is basalt formed on Earth?
It is cooled lava.
A scientific journal or publication is what step of the scientific method?
report conclusions
What are the 4 spheres of the Earth system?
Atmosphere, Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere
What does a planetary geologist study?
a scientist who studies the geospheres of planets in our solar system
How is conglomerate formed on Earth?
sediment is washed down stream by water and then compacted together
Leo was wondering why his cat food tastes so good. He decides to eat two types: one with chicken and one without chicken, to see which one tastes better. What step of the scientific experiment is this?
test with experiment
Give an example of something in the biosphere of Earth.
any living thing
What two things does a planet need to be considered habitable?
Liquid water and an energy source
Why do images of channels formed by water on Earth support the claim that the channel on Mars was formed by water?
if landforms look similar, it is evidence that they were formed by the same geologic process
A hypothesis (in our class) always starts with the same word, and follows the same pattern. What is this pattern?
"If... then..."
What are two examples of landforms on Earth?
channel, mountain, hill, valley, desert, etc.
How does a volcanic eruption affect all 4 spheres of the Earth system?
The volcano spews lava which cools, affecting the geosphere. It also puts gases into the atmosphere. These gases make it rain, affecting the hydrosphere, and the rain makes plants grow, affecting the biosphere.
Does the picture of the rock found on Mars support the claim that the channel was formed by water or lava? Why?
water, because the rock looks like a conglomerate rock which are formed by water on Earth
In Leo’s class, they found a river that flows very straight. He thinks that this is because the ground is made of sediment instead of fine sand. How could he use the flowing water model to test her idea?
He could create two models, one that has sediment and one that has fine sand, and see how the water flows.