Plate Choctonics

As well as the usual math, English and science workbooks and worksheets, we have been continuing with our USA unit study - going really well I have to say  (it always helps when you yourself have an interest in the subject).


American states - used this printable -

We looked at the climate in the US compared to the UK  and the various extreme weather areas of the USA, which included Earthquakes.

From this we looked at Power Points about tectonic plates and earthquakes.

Later we used a mars bar to observe converging and diverging tectonic plates (when two tectonic plates are pushed together or pulled apart).

Then we ate it of course.

Using a creme egg to show the earths structure - the crust, the mantle and the core

The egg-sternal and internal structure of the Earth 😀

We also, of course, ate this too.

(there are a few more chocolate geology examples I know of, which will follow soon)

Back to the USA

• 1492 Christopher Columbus -  Looking at the USA timeline of when he "discovered" America  (he did not discover the Americas, there were already millions of people living there). (also found a great book about him in the charity shop for 25p with some great images).
• 1500 Europeans bought disease to the native people and a lot of them died from yellow fever, typhoid, small pox, measles and influenza
• 1524 the first native child was kidnapped and taken to France
• 1540 Tiguex War
• 1539 Napituca massacre
• 1585 Sir Walter Raleigh establishes the Roanoke Colony

Back to Britain

We then looked at Great Britain's timeline for the same year (or thereabouts) and what was going on over here:

1485 to 1603

The Tudors - starting with King Henry VII.  He sent John Cabot, an Italian navigator, to find a route to Asia.  He set sail from Bristol in 1497 and ended up in North America.

Henry VIII follows next with all of his shenanigans and he wasn't so keen on sending men out to find new land as he did not want to upset the Spanish by interfering with their overseas exploration because his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, was a Spanish princess.

When Elizabeth I reigned, English merchants were keen to trade their goods around the world and they needed money from the Queen to fund their trips.

Sir John Hawkins,  Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh (all Devon boys) were all Elizabethan privateers (lawful pirates) around this time.

After we had looked at the timelines, James then completed a compass activity worksheet, this led on to discussing the magnetic poles.

Next we will look at the rest of the timelines, and also continue studying a bit more about earthquakes (which involves an experiment using sweets).