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    Rocks and Minerals: Get the Dirt on Geology
    Rocks and Minerals: Get the Dirt on Geology
    Rocks and Minerals: Get the Dirt on Geology
    Ebook222 pages1 hour

    Rocks and Minerals: Get the Dirt on Geology

    By M.M. Eboch and Alexis Cornell

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    About this ebook

    A fun and informative introduction to the earth science happening beneath our feet, packed with hands-on science experiments and STEM research projects that help readers ages 12 to 15 discover the amazing world of geology!

    Did you know that minerals were necessary for the beginning of life? Or that geothermal power could provide all the energy the world needs? Planet Earth is our home, but how much do you really know about the world beneath your feet? Rocks and Minerals: Get the Dirt on Geology offers a glimpse under the surface of the earth and explores the forces that have shaped—and continue to shape—our world.

    • Make career connections and learn all that geologists do, including help communities find water and plan how to use it, find the safest places to construct buildings and roads, help oil and gas companies find resources to keep our homes and schools powered, help the environment by investigating climate change in the past, predicting the future, and exploring ways to trap poisonous carbon deep underground.

    • Middle schoolers dive deep into earth science with a discussion of plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, and erosion, while exploring the earth as an energy resource and looking ahead toward what the future might bring in terms of the planet.

    • Science-minded STEM activities such as constructing a model turbine, making a geologic timescale with a roll of toilet paper, and comparing energy sources encourage young readers to think like geologists, while critical thinking exercises, essential questions related to geology, fascinating facts, links to online resources, and brief sidebars encourage readers to explore their incredible planet.

    About the Inquire & Investigate Earth Science set and Nomad Press

    Rocks and Minerals is part of a set of three Inquire & Investigate Earth Science books that explore the earth, the atmosphere, and everything in between. The other titles in this series are The Science of Natural Disasters: When Nature and Humans Collide and The Science of Weather and Climate: Rain, Sleet, and the Rising Tide.

    Nomad Press books in the Inquire & Investigate series integrate content with participation, encouraging readers to engage in student-directed learning. Combining content with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad’s unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers.

    All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. All titles are available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNomad Press
    Release dateJan 15, 2020
    ISBN9781619308527
    Rocks and Minerals: Get the Dirt on Geology
    Author

    M.M. Eboch

    M.M. Eboch is a pen name for Chris Eboch, a prolific middle grade author who has contributed to the Childhood of Famous Americans series and wrote the Haunted series.

    Read more from M.M. Eboch

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      Book preview

      Rocks and Minerals - M.M. Eboch

      Titles in the Inquire & Investigate

      Earth Science set

      Check out more titles at www.nomadpress.net

      Nomad Press

      A division of Nomad Communications

      10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

      Copyright © 2020 by Nomad Press. All rights reserved.

      No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review or for limited educational use. The trademark Nomad Press and the Nomad Press logo are trademarks of Nomad Communications, Inc.

      Educational Consultant, Marla Conn

      Questions regarding the ordering of this book should be addressed to

      Nomad Press

      2456 Christian St., White River Junction, VT 05001

      www.nomadpress.net

      Printed in the United States.

      Interested in primary sources?

      Look for this icon.

      You can use a smartphone or tablet app to scan the QR codes and explore more! Cover up neighboring QR codes to make sure you’re scanning the right one. You can find a list of URLs on the Resources page.

      If the QR code doesn’t work, try searching the internet with the Keyword Prompts to find other helpful sources.

      rocks and minerals

      What are source notes?

      In this book, you’ll find small numbers at the end of some paragraphs. These numbers indicate that you can find source notes for that section in the back of the book. Source notes tell readers where the writer got their information. This might be a news article, a book, or another kind of media. Source notes are a way to know that what you are reading is information that other people have verified. They can also lead you to more places where you can explore a topic that you’re curious about!

      Timeline

      Introduction

      Understanding the Earth

      Chapter 1

      Earth on the Move: Plate Tectonics

      Chapter 2

      Volcanoes Ooze, Sputter, and Blow

      Chapter 3

      Earthquakes Shake Us Up

      Chapter 4

      Erosion: The Power of Water and Air

      Chapter 5

      Surface Water and Groundwater

      Chapter 6

      Feeding Our Energy Needs

      Chapter 7

      The Changing Science of Geology

      Index

      TIMELINE

      The timeline of Earth’s lifespan is shown in a geologic timescale that is broken up into chunks of time called eras. Each era is made up of different periods. Some of the more recent periods are also divided into epochs. Check out the visual timeline on page 16.

      Understanding the Earth

      What do geologists do?

      Geologists study the materials that make up the planet. They examine how those materials behave and what processes affect them.

      Walk through a town or city, and you may notice the buildings, parks, sidewalks, and streets. Walk in the woods, and you might admire the trees and plants. But have you thought about what’s happening under your feet? Geology is the study of the earth. Geologists study the earth to understand the history of our planet. They explore how the planet has changed through time.

      If geologists understand the earth’s past, they can better predict the future. That helps them improve our communities and even save lives!

      Geologists work like detectives. They look for clues in the landscape on the surface of the earth. They look for clues under the earth’s surface as well. It’s not always easy to interpret these clues—rocks can’t speak, though they can provide information. Geologists study the shapes of the land and examine evidence of erosion from water and air. They look for rocks, minerals, and the fossil remains of plants and animals.

      Geologists working near Mount Etna in Italy, 2017

      credit: Nikola Rogic (CC BY 3.0)

      VOCAB LAB

      There is a lot of new vocabulary in this book. Turn to the glossary in the back when you come to a word you don’t understand. Practice your new vocabulary in the VOCAB LAB activities in each chapter.

      They may drill down to get samples from underground. Plus, geologists use special technology to make images of what’s below the ground’s surface.

      Put together, the clues they find help scientists interpret what the land was like millions of years ago. In this way, geologists are better able to understand what is happening now and what may happen in the future.

      PRIMARY SOURCES

      One reason geologists put so much effort into understanding how and why the earth behaves the way it does is because this knowledge can help save lives. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, and landslides are all geologic processes. These natural disasters can be hazardous—even deadly—to people and other living things.

      Geologists work to better understand these processes so they can offer advice to city planners. They can identify the areas most at risk of flooding or other hazards and can suggest avoiding building in the most dangerous areas. They can identify where special precautions should be taken to keep people safer.

      Geologists are also working to predict natural disasters. If they can give people even a few minutes warning before an earthquake, thousands of lives could be saved. If they can accurately judge that a volcano is going to start spewing lava and ash, people will know when to evacuate.

      Have you heard news reports about climate change? This is a global issue that is attracting more and more attention from scientists, the public, politicians, and businesses as the earth continues to warm.

      Geologists are on the frontlines of the effort to understand climate change and figure out solutions to this problem.

      They study how the climate of the earth has changed as eons have passed. Knowing the geological history of the planet helps us understand how our current climate is changing and what the future may hold.

      TREASURES FROM THE EARTH

      Geology helps people in many different ways. Have you ever heard the saying, If it’s not grown, it’s mined? That means if we can’t grow a resource, we must extract it from the earth. Geologists find many of those resources.

      How many of the earth’s materials can you see from wherever you’re sitting? Can you spot water, metal, and fabrics? Chances are good that you’ve got lots of the earth’s resources in your sight.

      Bingham Canyon copper mine southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1942. This mine is considered to have produced more copper than any other mine in history.

      SCIENTIFIC METHOD

      The scientific method is the process scientists use to ask questions and find answers. Keep a science journal to record your methods and observations during all the activities in this book. You can use a scientific method worksheet to keep your ideas and observations organized.

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