Name: _______________________________

NOVA Origins Series: Earth is Born

The tumultuous first billion years of Planet Earth, was a time of continuous catastrophe. The traumatic birth of the moon came from a titanic collision between Earth and an object believed to have been the size of Mars. Bombarded by meteors and comets, rocked by massive volcanic eruptions, and scoured by hot acid rain, the early Earth seems a highly improbable place for life to have taken root. Despite such violent beginnings, scientists have found new clues that life-giving water and oxygen appeared on our planet much earlier than previously thought.

In this YouTube video, " Earth is Born" with Neil DeGrasse Tyson (Nova)(53.19 min.) you will learn that the formation of Earth was a violent one. You will also discover that the manner in which the Earth cooled determined whether it would eventually support life or become a lifeless rock. Please answer the questions below in the space provided and develop your answers carefully.

Key Terms

mineral volcanization meteorite planetesimalmagma ocean supernova radioactivity solar nebulamagnetic field magnetic North stromatolite geographic Northgreenhouse gases solar wind Bill Hartmann

Video Assessment Worksheet

1) What exactly is a meteorite? How is it different from a meteor?

2) What is a mineral?

3) Describe a "solar nebula".

4) Describe the formation of the very first planets.

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5) These planets were the first to be formed in our solar system.a. Mercury, Neptune, mars and Earthb. Pluto, Mars, Earth and Venusc. Mercury, Mars, Venus and Kryptond. Earth, Mars, Venus and Mercury

6) The gravitational pull of an object increases with its ________________.

7) Scientists believe that Earth is ______________ years old?1. 3.5 million 2. 10,000 3. 4.5 million 4. 4.5 billion 5. older than my parents

8) Surface rock's that were formed early in Earth's history cannot be found today. Explain why this is true.

9) The first meteorites brought minerals and radioactive elements to Earth. Where did they originate?

1) Home Depot2) Outside the solar system in deep space 3) The asteroid belt4) Orbiting Uranus

10) Most meteorites are of the same age. True or False?

11. Early Earth was a planet covered in a sea of molten rock. The energy to melt rock came from two sources. They are:

1) 2)

12. Mars and Earth began in a very similar fashion and yet Mars is a barren, dry and lifeless planet. What happened to Mars that caused this?

13. What did scientists discover about moon rocks collected during the first Apollo missions?

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14. Scientist Bill Hartmann developed a revolutionary new theory on how the moon was formed. Describe his theory.

15. According to Hartmann, how soon after Earth was formed that the moon appeared?

16. What geologic evidence supports Hartmann's theory?

17. Earth is surrounded by magnetic fields. What exactly causes this phenomenon?

18. What is the difference between the magnetic and geographic north pole?

19) How are the magnetic fields that surround Earth essential to the survival of all living things?

20) Early Earth was covered by a magma ocean. Describe how the inner core was formed when Earth finally began to cool.

21) Scientists believe that water initially came from two possible sources. What were they?

1) 2)

22) The moon is gradually moving closer to the surface of the Earth. True or False?

23) The Earth rotates at an angle on its axis as it orbits the Sun. Why is the Earth tilted on its axis?

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Critical Thinking Essay

The video introduces us to the idea that rocks may hold the key to every living thing on Earth. It is hard to imagine that this is true since rocks are made of inorganic minerals that are not alive. However, Robert Hazen makes the case that the evolution of Earth occurred in six stages or phases whereby each phase features a significant event. During each phase, minerals provide important pieces to a larger puzzle that may very well have resulted in the first living, single celled organism.

Students, your assignment is to prepare an insightful and carefully researched essay describing the relationship between life and rocks. You may wish to describe how rocks provided essential ingredients for the first living cell. In addition, you may chose to describe how living things contributed to the formation of hundreds, perhaps thousands of new minerals. Finally, students may wish to describe how the quality of our lives depend on minerals while providing examples of how this might be true. Successful essays will include carefully worded, supportive arguments and factual data. Your teacher will provide you with the guidelines on length, font size, assignment deadline etc.

Volcanic Worksheet4

Name: _______________________________

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Answer the questions in the space provided.

1) What causes a volcano to form?

2) What is a pyroclastic flow?

3) Name all four (4) types of volcano.

1) 2) 3) 4)

5) What is the lava dome?

6) What is the difference between lava and magma?

7) Where does the name "volcano" come from?

8) What is a volcanic bomb?

9) Where are we most likely to find a volcano?

Name: _________________________________

Solar System Drawing Activity6

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