Name Jaely and Joely

Period ___________________

Battle of the Branches

In this research activity, you will be differentiating among the four branches of Earth
Science. You will then choose one branch that will be looked at in depth and create a
power point detailing the importance of this job to our lives. Earth Science has four
areas that are in competition for the coveted title of "Best of the Branches".  While
they all feel they deserve the number one spot, only one will prevail.  You will join a
team and dive into the struggle. Let's get started.  

Task
As students, you often wonder why you have to learn certain things in science.  By completing this
webquest, you will be able to see how important science is to your life, and how discoveries in
science have changed the way we live today.  You will be looking at the four branches of Earth
Science and discovering how each of them effects our lives. 

The four branches of Earth Science are Oceanography, Meteorology, Astronomy, and Geology. 
These branches will be studied in depth throughout this course.  Your task is to become familiar
with what people who work in each of these branches do, and how it effects our lives. You are
then to convince the rest of the class that your branch is the most important.  You are to do the
following:

     1.  Look up information using specific web sites to complete an information sheet.

      2.  Compare and contrast each branch of Earth Science by filling out a graphic organizer about
people who work in these fields.

     3.  Create a presentation (propose your product to your teacher before beginning) on the
branch of Earth Science selected for your team to describe the following.

          a.  What people who work in that branch study.

          b.  How studying the branch effects our lives.

          c.  The amount of education needed to become a scientist in that branch.

          d.  The salary that scientists make who work in that field.

          e.  Identify a scientist who works in the field and what he/she is famous for in that field.

          f. According to you, what is the most interesting aspect of this branch?
Process

 
You will be using the following websites to complete the information sheet
(See Below).
 
GEOLOGY WEBSITES:
 
http://geology.com
 
http://www.gl.rhbnc.ac.uk/schools/text/geo_do.htm
 
http://www.aapg.org/explorer/2005/06jun/salarysurvey.cfm
 
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/geology/geopeople_intro.html&edu=elem
 
 
OCEANOGRAPHY WEBSITES:
 
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/Giants/Revelle/
 
http://www.soc.soton.ac.uk/PR/schools2.html
 
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/oceanage/03reed/reed.html
 
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceanographer.html  
 
http://oceancareers.com/2.0/career_salary.php?career_id=68  
 
 

METEOROLOGY WEBSITES  
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos051.htm
 
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/?n=faq-employment
 
http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/mandias/careers.html
 
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/
 
http://www.theweatherchannelkids.com/
 
 
ASTRONOMY
http://www.schoolobservatory.org.uk/astro

http://www.noao.edu/education/astfaq.html - ques1

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos052.htm - earnings

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4838  

http://www.nasa.gov/about/career/index.html

 
Name: __________________________________________

Information Sheet

1. Name three things that a geologist studies.

2. How does geology affect our lives?

3. Name a famous geologist and a discovery that they made.

4. Name three things that an oceanographer studies.

5. How does oceanography affect our lives?

6. Name a famous oceanographer and a discovery that they made.

7. Name three things that an astronomer studies.

8. How does astronomy affect our lives?

9. Name a famous astronomer and a discovery that they made.

10. Name three things that a meteorologist studies.

11. How does meteorology affect our lives?

12. Name a famous meteorologist and a discovery that they made.

Task #2- Complete the Following Graphic Organizer

BRANCHES GEOLOGISTS OCEANOGRAPHER ASTRONOMER METEOROLOGIST

What do they
study?

What type of
education is
required?

How much is
the average
salary?

How does their

work affect out
lives?

The most
interesting
aspect of this
job is………
Your final task is to create a presentation in which you will convey the following
information: Remember, you must have your presentation type/product okayed before
you start!!!!!!!
 
1. What people who work in that branch study.
2.  How studying the branch effects our lives.
3.  The amount of education needed to become a scientist in that branch.
4.  The salary that scientists make who work in that field.
5.  Identify a scientist who works in the field and what he/she is famous for in
that field.
6. According to you, what is the most interesting aspect of this branch?

  Beginning Developing Accomplished Exemplary Scor

e
 1 2 3 4

Information All answers

All answers
sheet is are complete
are All answers
completed. Some answers and complete
completed are
are left sentences are
  but completed an
blank, complet used. 
complete d complete
e sentences are Students
sentences sentences
not used.  include extra
are not are used. 
information to
used.
their answers.
Graphic Graphic Graphic
Graphic
organizer is organizer organizer is
Graphic organizer is
complete complete complete and
organizer is complete and
but some information is
missing all
information correct and
information. information is
is not neatly
correct.
correct. written.
Power point Power point
presentation Power point Power point includes all
. Power point is is mnissing includes all information
missing two one piece information and slides are
pieces of of and slides are neatly
information. information neatly designed with
. designed. graphics and
animations.

Adapted from http://questgarden.com/120/54/2/110826151727/index.htm