Middle School
Curious Scientists
Sixth grade Earth Science is sure to engage your child’s empirical instincts as she discovers the dramatic story of our Earth and universe, from past to present. Why are fossils of the extinct reptile Mesosaurus separated by thousands of kilometers of ocean? How was the black sand beach at Vieques, Puerto Rico formed? How can data from the rover Curiosity tell us whether features on the surface of Mars were shaped by lava or water?
Your child will explore the processes that have transformed the Earth and gain insight into the role he plays in caring for the planet. He will see how the plates and mantle interact at convergent and divergent plate boundaries, observe what geologic events occur when plates move, and investigate what types of landforms form due to different types of plate motion. Another highlight of the sixth-grade year is an ecological field trip to Galveston to study coastal wetlands. Working with marine biologists from Texas A&M and seining the salt marshes on a research boat will offer students unforgettable experiential learning about marine ecosystems and man’s impact on them. At the end of the year, your sixth grader will know that each majestic mountain range, volcanic island, windswept rift valley, and azure blue ocean was formed over millennia by Earth’s ceaseless motion, all created by God’s design. And one day, if your child decides to become a geologist or marine biologist, chances are the spark was lit here.
