It’s a Landslide!

Girlstart girls are shaking things up for Week 3 of After School! Students built a tiny town and examined the effects of landslides, mudslides, and earthquakes. The lesson began with a quick overview of seismographs and the Richter Scale before the girls began assembling their cities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each group’s “town” was located at the foot of a slope. Girls observed the effects of their landslides – made of sand, rocks, and water – on the town’s unfortunate residents. A little shaking mimicked the effects of an earthquake, which students could measure using their adapted Richter Scale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week’s lesson ended with a discussion about scientific experimentation and the impact that landslides can have on a city. Girls answered the questions, “What other materials could we test in our landslide? What are other causes of landslides? Where is the safest location to build a house in a hilly area?” At Girlstart, we’re asking the rocky questions to prepare future seismologists to build a better future!

Engineering the Earth

This week at After School To-Go, Girlstart students learned about nonrenewable fossil fuels, core drilling, and natural resources. After discussing where and how fossil fuels are used, the girls were ready to explore fossil fuel formation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students created Earth models, using clay and sand to represent layers of the earth. Each group switched models with another table and “drilled for oil” using straws. Students used critical thinking to determine where the oil, or clay, was located.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The lesson ended with a discussion about the financial and environmental costs of oil drilling. At Girlstart, we’re encouraging future petroleum engineers and equipping them with the skills they need to make a difference!

This week the girls explored the Earth as they created sedimentary layer models with colored sand. Each color of sand represented a different layer of the Earth. Once the sand was poured, the girls took turns pouring cups of water on the sedimentary layers. As more water was added to the container, the canyon started to deepen and widen.