Drill and Driver Magazine 2013 by Innovation Academy

Drill and Driver a magazine for STEM-minded individuals Innovation Academy of Northeast Tennessee

JOURNEY

INTO THE EARTH date

SPRING 2013

location

KINGSPORT, TN

students

7TH GRADE

Innovation Academy is a Platform School of the TN STEM Innovation Network (TSIN). ÂŠ 2012-2013

INNOVATION ACADEMY OF NORTHEAST TENNESSEE !

About Innovation Academy Innovation Academy is a Platform School of the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN), a unique public-private collaboration between the Tennessee Department of Education and Battelle Memorial Institute designed to promote and expand the teaching and learning of STEM education in K-12 public schools across Tennessee.

About the TSIN Established by an Executive Order of the Governor, the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (the TSIN or Network) is a unique public-private collaboration between the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and Battelle Memorial Institute (Battelle) designed to promote and expand the teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in K-12 public schools across Tennessee. Battelle was chosen as the managing partner because of its success creating the Ohio STEM Learning Network in its home state, an effort that inspired the creation of the TSIN. The TSIN is funded through Race to the Top and serves as the state's primary vehicle for aligning and coordinating STEM education policies, practices, and partners. Tennessee is rich in STEM resources, from heavy industry and agriculture to a robust automotive sector, deep healthcare experience, logistics genius, music entrepreneurship, and internationally recognized research institutions. The goal of the TSIN is to leverage these resources – the knowledge, skill, and acumen of Tennessee's K-12, Higher Education, Business, and Community partners – to amplify opportunities for all students.

KINGSPORT, TENNESSEE

CONTENTS 3-4 DRILL TO THE CENTER by Connor Chase, Sam Goddard, Mia Waugh, and Eli Waycaster 5-6 JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH? by Claire Kiser, Emily Mears, Simon Shockley, Grant Wilmoth, and Ananda Woods 7-8 THE LONG JOURNEY by Chris Lane, Hari Pushkas, Heath Quillin, and Mia Rigsby 9-10 JOURNEY TO THE UNKNOWN by Ben Christian, Matthew Fuchs, Austin Mullins, Jonathan Oaks, and Isaac Whitehead 11-12 UNDER THE EARTH’S SURFACE by Katie Beyersdorf, Noah Jordi, Alexander Thomas, and Gabe Wilson 13-14 THE MANTLE MACHINE by Myra Meade, Leona Range, Rainna Stallard, and Vincent VanHuet 15-16 BEYOND OUR WILDEST IMAGINATION by Makenzie Bolton, Kelsey Carter, Carter Holt, and Adrienne Yarber 17-18 THERE AND BACK by Jacob Cox, MaryBrooks Friant, Ryan Le, and Callie Stone

“Journey to the Center of the Earth” student vehicle scale models. 1

ISSUE NO. 1.2

STEM STUDENT NEWS!

SPRING 2013

Drill and Driver Letter from the Editor

Taking STEM to New Depths

CONTENTS 19-20 TO THE CENTER by Zebulyn Dougherty, Ty Franzus, Daniel Lagunas, and Peyton Robinson 21-22 DEEPER AND DEEPER by Andrew Counts, Christian Edwards, Edwin Stults, and William Welsh 23-24 JOURNEY TO THE END by Philip Bateman, Jeremiah Ball, Evan Manis, and Dawson Pierson 25-26 THERE AND BACK AGAIN by Phoenix Bridwell, Allison Johns, Kendalyn Peters, and Christian Ryans

The students and I have affectionately coined the name “Drill and Driver Magazine” as the title for this spring’s installment of STEM Student News, in the style of so many car magazines that gave inspiration to our recent unit of study. The idea came, as so many do, from science class, when Mrs. Carr asked the students to wrap-up the day’s lesson by brainstorming vehicle features for a car that could travel to the center of the earth. The students’ imaginations ignited like wildfire. We decided to tap into our students’ excitement by adopting the vehicle-design project as the centerpiece of our Fossil Fuels Unit. Student teams were presented with an extended problem-based learning scenario challenging them to research, design, and construct scale models of vehicles capable of traversing Earth’s multiple layers. During the

investigation, students studied scientific notation and scale drawings in math, the engineering design process in science, relationships between human activities and physical environments in social studies, and informational text features and patterns of logic in English language arts. This magazine is the product of their efforts. As a central tenet of Innovation Academy’s vision statement is that we “stimulate the growth of STEM throughout our region,” I sincerely hope that all who read these pages will find herein something of value for STEM eduction. Imagination is a wonderful thing. Happy teaching and learning, Vanessa R. Greenlee 7th Grade STEM Language Arts

27-28 A LIFE-CHANGING JOURNEY

Michael Goforth, Carson Lane, Kaylee Street, Madeleine Van Huet 29-30 A LIFE-CHANGING JOURNEY

by Shawn Gilman, Santana Lane, Sarah Peters, and Mitchell Starke 31 OBTAINING FUNDING FOR STUDENT VEHICLE DESIGNS by Vanessa Greenlee 32 TEACHER’S CORNER by IA 7th Grade Teachers

(Above-left) Innovation Academy seventh-grade students Simon Shockley, Emily Mears, and Claire Kiser collaborate on design improvements for their vehicle. (Above) Team members Matthew Fuchs and Isaac Whitehead experiment with special effects for the visual aids in their Drill and Driver article. To take a look at their finished product, see page 18.

A Drill to the Center of the Earth By Eli Waycaster, Sam Goddard, Connor Chase, & Mia Waugh

Scale drawing by Eli Waycaster. Scale: 1 in. = 100 ft.

Geology of the Earth by Connor Chase

Have you ever thought about the center of the Earth or what it would be like to journey there? I have and I am finally able to go. I am excited about going, but need to do some research on the layers and how it is going to affect my group's vehicle. This is all my research about the layers of the Earth and the information about our vehicle. The crust is the outermost layer of the Earth. It ranges from three to 44 miles thick. It represents less than 1% of the Earth's total volume. Oxygen and silicon account for nearly 75% of Earth's crust. Other important elements in the crust include aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium. This will be the easiest layer to get through. The mantle is beneath the crust and above the inner core. It ranges from four to 43 miles. The entire mantle is about 84% of the Earth's volume. It is 67% of the Earth's mass. The lithosphere is the crust and the upper mantle. It is about 100km thick. The asthenosphere is the part of the Earth just below the lithosphere. It is 180km thick. The inner core is primarily a solid ball with a radius of about 1220 km according to seismological studies. The pressure is so great that the metals are squeezed together and not able to move about like a liquid. The inner core begins about 4000 miles beneath the crust and is about 800 miles thick. The temperatures may reach 9000 degrees Fahrenheit, and the pressure is about 45,000,000 pounds per square inch. This is 3,000,000 times the air pressure on you at sea level. This is important information because traveling through these layers without the right protection, you can damage your vehicle and be trapped and you could be in danger. It is very important to think of the temperatures because your vehicle could melt because of extreme temperatures. The vehicle could also compress because of the pressure. It's important to have something to help resist pressure. We have to have enough food and water; therefore, extra storage space will be needed. We will also need storage space for tools and out power source. All these challenges are important to solve. In conclusion, we need to know all of this information to construct our vehicle in the best way possible. All of the things The Prototype, which simulates the materials about the layers of the earth are things to take into iron, carbon, diamond, and coal. consideration. One simple mistake, or something that's forgotten can result in the destruction of our vehicle. 3

Challenges by Mia Waugh

Connor Chase, Eli Waycaster, Samuel Goddard and I are all going on a Journey to the Center of the Earth! How will we do that? We will make a prototype of the vehicle out of aluminum foil and cardboard. The only things standing in our way are eight challenges we will face. Heat Our group has to brainstorm and do research about challenges that may happen on the way down or back. How will the vehicle withstand the heat? The vehicle will need to be insulated. Using carbon would be a great source. For it to turn liquid, the temperature would have to be over 6,312 degrees Fahrenheit, which is higher than the temperature that we are going back to the surface. Fuel What if we run out of fuel? We would have to make sure we supply enough fuel. We need to make sure it is not something that can explode if the pressure gets too high. If that happened, then all of us would explode with it. Pressure How will we handle the pressure? We can have a pressure-proof vehicle. That way the oxygen and pressure levels stay around the same. If it gets too high, then there is a possibility that all of us could easily get harmed. Material What type of material will not melt at high temperatures? There are very few materials or substances that can handle high temperatures. We could use solid carbon. A very good material we could use would be diamond. The last substance, solid iron, could be used very easily because solid iron is what the inner core is made of. Vehicle issues What would happen if our vehicle broke down? If we get there and our vehicle breaks down, and we didn't have preparation, we would be doomed! So you could put in an escape pod, that is just as durable, if not more, than the vehicle itself. You could also change the wheel type. Instead of wheels, we could use treads. That way the treads will not get a hole in them, because the are not made of rubber. Food What if we run out of food? If that happened, we would not live. You can't make it a week without food and water. So instead of taking so much food that it slows the vehicle down, then we could pack freeze-dried food. It's smaller, lighter, and more compact. That way it won't slow us down. We can pack hundreds of gallons of water. That way we can carry more, so the food won't make it weigh more. Oxygen What if we run out of oxygen? We will have to keep oxygen tanks in the vehicle, in a safe place. That way we will not run out. We will need a lot of gas tanks. That way we will not run out. Tools What if we don't have enough tools? If we don't have enough tools, the something can break, and allow cool air to escape and we will burn up. That would not be good! We will have to get more than three of each tool. We also would have to get everything we need, or even things we don't need! So now, Connor Chase, Eli Waycaster, Samuel Goddard, and I are ready to go, almost. First we have to build the real thing! Luckily those eight challenges are out of the way!

Journey to the Center of the Earth?

By#Emily#Mears,#Claire#Kiser,#Ananda#Woods,#Simon#Shockley,#and#Grant#Wilmoth#

!!!!!!!!!Have!you!ever!thought!of!going!to!the!center!of!the!Earth,!or!read!the!book!Journey(to(the(Center(of( Earth?!!We!are!trying!just!that,!using!our!vehicle.!!It!has!been!specially!designed!to!travel!to!the!center! of!the!Earth!using!the!most!innovative!technology!of!today.!Here's!how!we!did!it!and!how!it!works.

The Rover By Simon Shockley

Our mechanical device is called "The Rover". It is named after the definition, "A thing that spends its time wandering". It's going to be doing exactly that, wandering the bowels of the very Earth we stand on, and finding a safe way down to the center of this planet. One might think that our vehicle would be completely crushed by the massive amount of pressure, but with our mechanical explorer being in a cylinder fashion the pressure is reduced. Another challenge is the necessary fuel required for this journey. We've got that covered with an Atomic battery that will serve us faithfully for 25 years! Every one knows the song "Ring of Fire" written and sung by Johnny Cash, but what would you think of it being a real thing under the crust? How can we get through hot fiery magma that incinerates everything it touches? Well, we will take two of the strongest and most durable materialstungsten and diamonds. This will protect our Rover as we "fall into a burning ring of fire." The flippers and rudder will help keep us on course through the mantle. Most people will ask,"How will you control your Rover?" The truth is, we won't. It will be controlled using certain programs very similar to the Mars rover like sonar and GPS. Of course we'll need to collect data. We will also take samples from different layers of the earth. Hopefully we will get funding and/or grants from the Government, NASA, or from outside of our borders. Where will we launch? The Mariana Trench, which is the deepest trench. Wish us luck!

Scale model of The Rover

“Most people will ask, ‘How will you control your Rover?’ The truth is, we won't."

Materials! By#Claire#Kiser

Engine:!The!engine!in!our! vehicle!is!an!atomic!battery! capable!of!lasting!for!25!years! and!is!currently!being!used!as!a! motor!on!the!Mars!Rover. Metal:!The!outer!shell!of!our! vehicle!is!made!out!of!tungsten! and!diamonds,!the!most!heat! resistant!materials!in!the!world. ! Shape:!The!vehicle!will!be!in!a! cylindrical!shape!like!a! submarine!so!the!pressure!will! be!less!intense!on!any!one! point. ! Fins0and0Tail:!There!are!fins! and!a!tail!on!the!machine!for! going!through!the!mantel,! which!is!in!a!liquid!state,!so!the! tail!and!fins!can!just!swim! through!to!the!core.!They!are! located!on!the!sides!and!back!of! the!body. Bionic0Arm:0The!bionic!arm!!is! to!make!repairs!to!the!drill!if!it! were!to!get!damaged.!It!also!is! retractable!and!located!in!close! proximity!to!the!drill.

"It's going to be... wandering the bowels of the very thing we stand on, and finding a safe way down to the center of this planet."

Diagram of the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Structure (above) and Blueprint for the Rover (below), both drawn by drawn by Emily Mears.

Tank0Treads:0These!treads!are! to!help!the!vehicle!move! through!the!crust!and!core.! They!are!also!retractable!and! are!located!on!the!bottom!of!the! body. Size:!The!drill!will!be!24!feet! long!and!the!base!will!be!9!1/2! feet!wide.!The!body!will!be!11! 3/4!feet!tall,!!14!feet!wide!with! fins!included,!and!17!1/2!feet! wide.

The Long Journey to the Center of the Earth By Heath Quillin, Mia Rigsby, Chris Lane, and Hari Pushkas

Here is a picture of our drill we will use to go to the center of the Earth.

GEOLOGIST BY HARI PUSHKAS Have you ever dreamed of traveling through the mantle to the very center of the planet? No one has ever been there. They say that due to the intense pressure, it is composed of solid iron and nickel. In fact, no man has ever gone beneath the crust. But there is a mission that plans to change that and make history. A drill is about to be sent to the mantle of planet Earth. What was stated in the previous paragraph is without question true. There is a Japanese mission that will send a robot in a drill to the mantle of the planet. They plan on using a material for the drill strong and indestructible enough to pierce through the earth's crust. The layers of earth from innermost to outermost is the inner core, outer core, the mantle and the crust. Based on their physical properties, they are the inner core, outer core, mesosphere, asthenosphere and lithosphere. The lithosphere contains the crust and upper mantle. The asthenosphere contains the middle section of the mantle and the mesosphere, the lower section of the mantle. The crust contains water, silica and carbon. The mantle contains large amounts of magma and hot, flowing rock. The outer core contains liquid, melted iron and nickel, where as the inner core is composed of solid iron and nickel. The crust has two portions-continental and oceanic crust. The oceanic crust is where sea floor spreading(when magma arises to the surface, becoming lava and then cools to forms new crust, due to the old crust being pushed aside)occurs, so the oceanic crust is the thinnest crust. Even though the crust makes up less than 1% of the earth's surface, it is too thick for humans to dig through. Digging through the oceanic crust would be the best solution for this dilemma. Even though drilling through the oceanic crust may seem simple enough, there is a big problem. It is the water pressure. Pressure in the ocean is very high. There are rather expensive and costly materials to use for this type of drill. You would need a barometer(a device that measures These are the layers of the Earth. pressure)and materials that would overcome this difficulty, like Platinum, Titanium and Tungsten. The mantle is perhaps the thickest and heaviest layer on earth. It makes up about 66% of Earth's mass. It is composed of magma and convection currents which cause it to move constantly. You will need an indestructible material like silica or diamond. You could make a drill out of diamonds and carve them into the shape of a drill with another diamond. With this diamond drill, you could drill to the center of the earth. The temperature in the mantle is much warmer than the temperature on the crust. It ranges from 500 to 1400 degrees Celsius. Platinum and Titanium are materials used to overcome this temperature difference. I could use these materials in the construction of the drill. The pressure difference is also a huge problem and challenge for engineers. As you descend deeper into the earth, the pressure increases. The increased pressure is the exact result of why the inner core is made of solid iron and nickel.

ENGINEERING, BY MIA RIGSBY How can we make a vehicle that can withstand very high temperatures? We can use tungsten, titanium, and platinum. Tungsten has a very high melting point which is 6,191 degrees Fahrenheit, and the boiling point is 10,030 degrees Fahrenheit. Titanium is also one of the strongest metals. It isn't as strong as tungsten, but its melting point is 3,034 degrees Fahrenheit and the boiling point is about 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Platinum is stronger than titanium, but weaker than tungsten. It's melting point is 3,300 degrees Fahrenheit, It's boiling point is about 6,900-7,000. So with all the boiling and melting points we can make the main part of the vehicle tungsten and extras made of titanium and Platinum. How will we make the robot withstand high temperatures? First off, we can make the robot of Titanium and Platinum parts, then have copper and gold wires inside it. The only problem is the insulation. We can use rubber to insulate, but the wires and the rubber will melt and you will have a mess. So we can use the Fire Wraps 3000! "Constructed#of#a#glass#fiber#sleeve,#Fire#Wrap#3000# features#a#heavily#coated#outer#sleeve#with#a#proprietary#compound#consisting#of#iron#silicone# rubber#capable#of#withstanding#repeated#exposure#up#to#3000#degrees#F#(1650#degrees#C)#and# direct#temperatures#up#to#500#degrees#(260#degrees#C)." This information came from http:// www.contingencyconnection.com. How will we power all the machines? Since we are mining we don't have time to go back and forth getting fuel and going back up again, so why don't we use the materials down here? That's why we are using a geothermal generator. We can mine the rocks then heat them up to get energy just like that! We will suck the rock up with a super strong vacuum that will transport them into the geothermal generator. Since it is very efficient we can go down pretty far until we have to repair something. How will we repair the drill if it were to break? If the drill were to break we will open in a hatch behind the drill, then start pulling it into the main part of the vehicle. Since it is inside the vehicle the robot will stay safe from any harmful temperatures. Once that happens the robot can then take off the broken drills and repair them with new ones. We will have a set off five for each size drills, so we will be safe for five break downs. Then one they are repaired the robot can then send them back out and continue drilling. Can our vehicle withstand high pressure? Tungsten, Titanium, and Platinum are all very strong metals. Even though we don't actually know if there is any pressure in the earth we still need to be prepared. I mean if there is water pressure is there land pressure? Or is it possible that there is no pressure in the earth? We need to test these theories by putting in a barometer, so we can see the pressure go up or go down. Will the thickness of the continental crust affect our mission? Even though the continental crust is part of the thinnest layer of earth, it is too thick for the crust to dig through with a regular drill. Since we can't use a regular drill we might use explosives to give a head start or just use the Titanium and Platinum drill. I would prefer to use explosives first then start drill from that, because will be quick and we don't have a risk of the drill breaking. We might also carry extra explosives in the vehicle if we ever get stuck. The thickness of the crust will affect our mission, but we have two main ways of getting by it! We have the explosive and the old fashion way of just drilling from the surface. How will our vehicle move? We are going to use tank treads. Tank treads are easy to use because if there are lots of bumps and rocks in the way we can go right over them. Tank treads also are much stronger with heat than regular tires. Regular tires will either melt or just not work. We will also put an extra set on top so if there was a tight space we could easily get through. We can also pull them back inside if it was too tight. Will water pressure affect our mission? The only thing thin enough to dig to the center of the earth is the oceanic crust. However, that it is very expensive and the water pressure is very high. The materials needed to get success in the mission are a barometer, a drill, and perhaps a laser. So yes, water pressure will affect our mission, but we will succeed in the mission! So the answer is yes, yes, we can do it. We will respond to many challenges like water pressure, heat, or the drill breaking. At least if anything happens we will be prepared. It's gonna be a tough journey to explore the center of the Earth, but we at least have a chance to change history. Grab the keys, it's time to go! Below: The front of our huge drill

SPECIFICATIONS

Vehicle0type:0 FrontPDrill, BackP!Nothing!, SidesP!6!Wheels!, Right!Side!P!Window,!6! Wheels Dimensions:!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LengthP!10!ft.!, WidthP!11" HeightP!5" DrillP!1!ft.!x!1!ft.!x!2!ft. WheelsP!1!ft. !Drill:!Go!through! the!hard!rock. Robots:!Fix!the! drill!if!it!breaks! and!drive!the!drill. Wheels:!Help!drive! through!the!crust! and!rocks!to!get! to!mantle Window:!Robots !can!see!where! they're!Going. Power0Source:0 Geothermal Converter!powers !the!drill,!wheels,! and!everything!else! in!the!vehicle. Treads:!Make!the! wheels! more!durable!like! Tanks.

Journey To

The Unknown The time when 5 people went to a mystical place by Isaac, Jonathan, Matthew, Austin, and Ben

CHALLENGES by Ben Christian

Features

Hot, molten, dark, scary. There are many challenges associated with traveling to the center of the Earth. For example, how will we penetrate solid rock? How will we power a ship inside the earth? How will the vehicle go though magma? How will the vehicle travel through the Earth? How will the ship withstand so much heat and pressure? How will the vehicle keep traction if it is excavating downwards? How will the drill repair or replace itself? Finally, how will we know what is inside of the earth?

by Isaac whitehead and Jonathan Oaks

1. To penetrate solid rock, we have a mining laser. 2. A giant geothermal generator will power our beast of a machine. 3. To travel through magma, the vehicle has propellors. 4. A diamond encrusted drill will travel through the crust and mantle and penetrate the inner and outer core. 5. A NASA heat and pressure shield will allow the vehicle to withstand intense conditions. 6. Military grade tank treads will keep the vehicle upright while excavating vertically. 7. Self replicating nano machines will repair the drill without needing to stop the drilling process. 8. A coke oven, similar to one on most rovers, is included on the back of the ship to electronically send us back information. You might be thinking, " How will we retrieve the machine from the center of the Earth? " The ship is disposable; therefore, we do not need to retrieve it back to the surface. 9

Rocket!"!makes!the! rocket!move!to!drill!into!the! ground Tank treads"!!!!last!

longer!than!normal!tires Lasers"!destroy!rocks!that!

are!too!hard!to!drill Camera"takes!images!of!

the!inner!core Heat and pressure shield"!protects!the!

rocket!from!intense!heat! Geothermal pump-

powers!the!rocket!so!it!can! move

Coke oven-transmits the

Mechanical engineering by Matthew Fuchs Have you ever wondered about what is beneath your feet? The crust is the thinnest part of the earth. The mantle is the thickest. This team of scientists are taking a journey to the center of the earth! On the way this team might find problems. They might find anything from air to power the vehicle. This team of explores has made a vehicle designed to go to the center of the earth. One of the problems that they have faced is how they would get through the rocks. A challenge on top of that is the drill. How would the drill not break because of the durability of the drill. Also the minerals you might have to drill through. For the temperature of the core and mantle we used a heat shield that withstands 3000 degrees Celsius. This would be a problem because the core is around 3000 degrees Celsius .The shield would protect the vehicle and make sure the inside doesn't burn and the gears and mechanisms don't melt of break apart. If the gears break apart then the inside would melt and then the vehicle will wont work and they would have to stop the mission or journey to the center of the earth. The team also discovered a way to get power from the Earth's rocks and heat so they could operate the drill and the whole vehicle. Geothermal energy is made from using the heat of rocks or the earth and filtering it to energy and using it for a power source. This a a challenge because the team of researchers need a way to power the machine. If the team doesn't have any power they can not get the information or progress they need.

Another problem they have or might encounter is how durable is the drill. The drill is made of diamond so it will not break. Diamond is hard enough to get through the lava and not melt. However, it is also able to be bought and cheap enough to be not over priced.

How will we get traction to move in the mantle? We will use tank treads to grab traction so we will not slide and fall and / or damage the vehicle. This would be a big problem if we fell and damaged the vehicle and it wouldn't work. So we used tank treads that have special rubber to not melt in the heat. Also the treads could be used in the lava to move out of the way if there was a molten rock on the way.

How will we get the information from the vehicle back to the surface? We will use a camera and a flashlight to take pictures and send them back to the surface using the geothermal energy. Using a coke oven to determine what the mantle and core is made out of, we can find the density, average temperature, and the minerals are in the magma in the asthenosphere.

This is a scale drawing of our model, illustrated by Jonathan Oaks and Isaac Whitehead. It has all the design features and how big they are. The scale is one inch to ten inches.

Under the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Surface By Alexander Thomas, Katie Beyersdorf, Noah Jordi, and Gabe Wilson Materials Needed by Alexander Thomas We used many resources on the Borealus, such as bucky paper, diamond, tungsten, and wurtzite boron nitrate. Bucky Paper: What is this stuff? Bucky paper is a very strong material that is very thin. It is a little bit stronger than diamond, so we will line our drill with it. Diamonds: These will be put on our drill in large sharp chunks. Tungsten: Tungsten is a metal that has a melting point of 6192Â°F. We will use it so our vehicle doesn't melt. Wurtzite Boron Nitrate: This is a very strong, pressure resistant metal. It will be used to keep our vehicle from imploding. Control system: We will use the control system of a M1B2 Abrams tank.

GEOLOGICAL FEATURES by Noah Jordi Do#you#know#what#you#are#standing#on?#Maybe#you#are#standing# on#grass#or#sidewalk#or#tile.##Who#knows?#All#we#know#is#that#you#are# here#on#Earth#and#ready#to#learn#about#anything. # Scientist#have#found#out#that#the#Earth#has#many#layers.#They#also# know#what#makes#those#layers#of#the#Earth#up.#But#do#you#know#what# they#are#made#of? # Most#of#the#Earth#is#made#of#granite#or#basalt.#Granite#is#what#we# walk#on#most#of#everyday.#Basalt#is#the#rock#of#the#ocean.#(What#fish# swim#over.)#But#the#inside#of#the#Earth#is#very#different. # There#are#different#layers#of#the#Earth.#The#first#layer#is#the#crust,# the#second#layer#is#the#mantle,#the#third#layer#is#the#outer#core,#the#last# layer#is#inner#core.#The#crust#is#made#of#basalt#and#granite.#The#mantle#is# made#of##hard#rocks.#The#outer#core#is#made#of##liquid#metals.#And#the# inner#core#is#made#of##pure#metal. # My#group#and#I#are#planning#to#overcome#all#these#things#and#go# to#the#center#of#the#Earth.#We#are#building#a#highRtech#machine#that#will# overcome#these#things.#I#will#be#the#the#one#who#does#the#challenges#on# going#up#and#down,#and#how#we#will#get#through#the#bedrock.# # But#there#are##other#problems#such#as#bedrock.#Bedrock#is#a#sheet# of#pure#rock.##This#rock#is#like#a#barrier#between#the#mantle#and#the#core.# Also#how#will#our#machine#get#back#up?#We#think#we#should#use#treads# and#we#will#go#down#in#a#slant.#The#slant#will#help#us#get#back#up. # So,#we#are#scientists#who#are#planing#to#go#to#the#center#of#the# Earth.#We#will#do#it#if#is#the#last#thing#we#do.#Remember#there#is#more# under#our#feet#than#we#know.

WORKS CITED by Alexander Thomas Bentor, Yinon. "Chemical Elements.com - Tungsten (W)." Chemical. Elements.com - Tungsten (W). Yinon Bentor, 1996. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. <http://www.chemicalelements.com/elements/ ! w.html>. Benson, John. "Phys.org : FAQ | Contact Us | Suggest a Story Idea." Phys.org : FAQ | Contact Us | Suggest a Story Idea. ! <http://phys.org/help/about-us/>. 13

Six Design Challenges We Will Face by Katie Beyersdorf 1. Fuel- What are the types of fuel and power we will be

using on this vessel? We will use diesel fuel to power the drill and wheels until we hit bedrock. Afterwards, we will use an electromagnetic generator in order the continue the journey. 2. Tracks- For traction and mobility, we will be using T-34 tank treads. These will be constructed out of a mixture of titanium and carbon steel. 3. Heat and Pressure- For the outer shell of the vehicle, we will be using tungsten, which has a very high melting point and should be able to withstand heat. We will be using wurtzite boron nitrate for the inside because it is tolerant to high pressure. 4. Vertical Drilling- Using the tank tread for mobility, we will mine at a 45 degree angle. We will do this to drive more easily up and down the slope on the mine from surface to core. 5. Bedrock- We will use buckypaper to line the drill, and diamond shanks to strengthen the drill to be able to mine though the bedrock. Buckypaper is a thin metal that is a little bit stronger than diamond, making it an ideal lining. 6. Technology- We will use an M1B2 Abrams tank system for vehicle control.

Top Left: Close-up side view. Top Middle: Side view. Top Right: Arial view.

"Softpedia News Center." Latest News. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. <http://news.softpedia.com/>. Wang, Ben. "FSU Researcher's "buckypaper" Is Stronger than Steel at a Fraction of the Weight." FSU Researcher's "buckypaper" Is ! Stronger than Steel at a Fraction of the Weight. Barry Ray, 2012. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. <http://www.fsu.edu/news/ ! 2005/10/20/steel.paper/>. "How Deep Is The Earth's Crust Under Europe?" ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 01 May 2008. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. ! <http://! www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430112530.htm>.

The Mantle Machine

by Myra Meade, Leona Range, Rainna Stallard, and Vincent VanHuet

LAYERS OF THE EARTH by Myra Meade Crust: top layer of the earth, made of loose and rocky material Mantle: Made of thick, solid, rocky, substances. Outer Core: Made of molten lava. Inner Core: Made of iron and

nickel â&#x20AC;&#x153;Journey to the Center of the Earthâ&#x20AC;? by Leona Range, Geologist Did you ever think about what is under the cities and ocean floors? Well then this article is for you. Many scientists and geologist spend their whole life's thinking about what's under the Earth's crust. No one so far has made to the Earth's core, but there's always room for improvement. Although it would be very interesting to go the the centre of the Earth, there are many dangers as well. I'm not just talking about temperature, there's the pressure, food and water sources, fuel, etc. Also how would you get back up to the surface? These dangers are reasons no one so far has made it to the core. Seeing all the dangers, why would someone want to go to the centre of the Earth? The people who attempt to go to the centre of the Earth are usually either scientists or geologist of some kind. They want to know what is under the crust and discover what the rest of the other layers are made of and look like. The first layer that we would need to get through to get to the centre of the Earth would be the crust. The crust is the thinnest layer of the Earth. The crust is made up of plates called tectonic plates. These tectonic plates are made of rock, soil, and other hard minerals. To get through the crust we would have to have a sharp and sturdy drill of some sort. Many people already dig through the crust in search of oil, gold, and other valuable minerals. Next would be the lithosphere. The lithosphere is relatively cool, so temperature will not be a problem. It's about 100 km thick. The lithosphere is made of solid rock and minerals like the crust. The lithosphere floats on molten material and lava, so we would know when we reach the asthenosphere. After the lithosphere we would reach the asthenosphere. The asthenosphere is made up of molten materials. It is a critical role in the movement of plates across the face of Earth's surface. Convection currents occur in this part of the mantle, so we could ride the currents to the core. Following the asthenosphere is the outer core. The outer layer of the core is 3,700 degrees Celsius. This could melt the car if not built accordingly. The outer core is what creates the magnetic field around Earth. The convection currents and the rotation of the Earth create this magnetic field. There is a lot of pressure this far down in the Earth. If not built accordingly, the car could collapse under the pressure. The last and final layer we would find would be the inner core. The inner core is completely solid nickel and other metals. The drill on the car would have to be strong enough to not break when going through the inner core. Once you have reached this layer you are basically at the centre of the Earth! Nobody really knows what is at the centre of our Earth. Scientists and Geologists can give educated guesses, but I say that to really know what is down there we need to make a journey to the centre of the Earth.

Design Challenges by Vincent Van Huet, Mechanical Engineer Have you ever thought about what the Earth’s interior looked like? In the past scientists use seismic waves to map the Earth’s interior. There are four layers of the Earth: crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. Until today, we have learned about these layers from studying earthquakes and volcanoes. Today, thanks to the mantle machine, you can actually journey to the center of the Earth!

How Hot Are the Layers of Earth? by Leona Range Crust: 1,598 degrees Fahrenheit Mantle: 6,692 degrees Fahrenheit Outer Core: 7,772 degrees Fahrenheit Inner Core: 12,992 degrees Fahrenheit

In designing the Mantle Machine, many challenges were conquered. First, engineers had to consider the heat of the Earth’s core. We used a type of metal called titanium because it can withstand up to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Secondly, engineers designed a vehicle that could drill if the drill had mechanical problem. Thirdly, cameras were designed and built to allow scientist to see where the Mantle Machine was going. Wireless communicators were installed to allow scientists to give instructions to the machine and receive information. If you are a scientist or civilian and you want to take a journey to the center of the Earth, this is the vehicle for you.

Scale Drawing of our Mantle Machine. 2 inches : 3 feet

Works Cited by Rainna Stallard "The Magazine Os Science, Technology, and the Future." Discover Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. "National Aeronautics and Space Administration." NASA. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. Rose, Greg. "Richard Branson Launches Journeys to the Centre of the Earth through Virgin Volcanic." Virgin. N.p., 31 Mar. 2012. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. "Flame Control Coatings: Flame Retardant, Fire Retardant, Fire Resistant, Heat Resistant Paint and Coatings." Flamecontrol. N.p., n.d.

Going Beyond Our Wildest Imagination by Makenzie Bolton, Kelsey Carter, Carter Holt, and Adrienne Yarber Vehicle Challenges by Adrienne Yarber ## Have you ever wondered if anyone has been to the center of the Earth? Would you like to take a journey there? I really want to go on a journey through Earth. Well, now I can, because we have built a car that can go to the center of Earth. I am so excited to go to the center of the Earth. First off, we are drilling in the crust. The crust is the first layer of the Earth, and it is very thin. The temperature of the crust is 1600 degrees Fahrenheit. The crust is made out of rock and soil. The composition of the Earth's crust is mineral and rock. Therefore, the crust is will be a very easy job. Next, we are going through the crust and into the mantle. The mantle is the second layer of the Earth, and it is the thickest. The mantle is made out of three parts: the lithosphere, asthenosphere, and the mesosphere. The temperature of the mantle is 932 degrees to 1,652 degrees Fahrenheit. The composition of the mantle is rock that have higher concentrations of manic materials, which contain iron and magnesium. Therefore, we have learned about the mantle. Then, after we visit the mantle, we are drilling towards the outer core. This is the third layer of Earth. The outer cores temperature is 4,400 degrees Fahrenheit. The outer core is made out of iron and nickel. The outer core is a magma like liquid layer that surrounds the inner core. There is very few rocks, iron, and nickel ore left in the outer core because the inner core is melting all the metal into liquid magma. Therefore, the outer core will be harder to go through. After we leave the outer core, we are heading straight towards the inner core. The inner core is the fourth layer of Earth and the last layer of Earth. Scientists think that the temperature of the inner core is 13,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The inner core is made up of a solid metal core, mostly iron and nickel. No one has ever been to the inner core. The core forms a solid mass because of the extreme pressure. Obviously, the inner core is extremely warm. During the trip we have some challenges. One of our challenges is tires. How are the tires going to withstand the heat? We thought that we could use diamond and titanium for our tires because they have a high melting point. Tracks for our vehicle was another challenge. How are the tracks going to be helpful on our journey? We thought that we could use materials that could help us move faster like metal. Obviously, our trip will have ease with these materials. Another challenge is a sonar system. The sonar system will help us with how much pressure is in our vehicle. We thought that if we had the sonar system with us we will know how much pressure we are under and if it will be damageable. Another challenge is that we need pressure tanks. Pressure tanks will help us with the pressure on us. Therefore, we have help that will save us from danger on our journey. We have some more challenges on our trip. One of our challenges are our propeller. The propeller will help us to get through magma and other materials. We will use carbon steel for our propeller to get through the magma and other materials. We will need food, of course. What kind of food will we need? We will need freeze-dried food because regular food will just melt, but freeze dried food will not. Anyways, we can ease through our trip without any problems. Some other challenges we have are water and medical supplies. Water can be a big issue because we will not survive without water. We will store our water in tanks and take them with us. We will need medical supplies because if someone gets hurt or burned. We will conceal the medical supplies in a box wrapped in diamond, so they won't melt. Obliviously, we can survive our journey to the center of the Earth.

(Below left) A scale drawing of our vehicle. Scale: one inch = 1 foot

(Below right) A scale model of our vehicle

Our$Materials$##################

Our$Challenges$################

by0Kelsey0R.0Carter,0Materials0Engineer!

by0Makenzie0Bolton,0Mechanical0Engineer0!

If!you!could!go!beyond!your!wildest! imagination,!where!would!you!go?!Some!people! would!say!paradise,!while!others!are!quite! different.!Some!would!say,!"To!the!center!of!the! Earth."!A!lot!of!people!would!call!them!crazy.!! They!would!just!smile!and!say,!"I!love!Geology."! And!walk!away.!Today,!Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m!going!to!be!telling! you!about!the!materials!necessary!for!building! a!vehicle!to!travel!to!the!center!of!the!Earth.!!####

Heat How!will!the!vehicle!withstand!the!heat!and! keep!the!drivers!inside!safe?!Our!vehicle!will!be! able!to!withstand!the!heat!because!of!the! materials,!the!materials!have!very!high!melting! points!and!are!very!strong.

*The0Drill0Bit* ~GoldP!Gold!is!going!to!protect!the!diamonds.!It! will!be!a(n)!overcoat!on!the!vehicle.! ~DiamondsP!Diamonds!are!very!hard.!This!can! be!a!very!good!thing!for!a!drill.!You!want!the! drill!to!have!the!most!hardest!strangest,! material!possible. ~SilverP!Silver!is!what!the!drill!is!going!to!be! made!of.!Silver!is!a!very!strong/durable!metal.! Also!most!if!the!vehicle!is!going!to!be!made!out! of!titanium!and!silver.!You!want!your!vehicle!to! be!very!durable.! *External0Materials* ~TitaniumP!Titanium!helps!the!vehicle.! Titanium!has!very!light!weight,!this!helps!the! vehicle!because!if!you're!going!into!the!Earth,! you!want!the!lightest!weight!possible. ~Stainless!SteelP!Stainless!steel!is!very!durable! and!won't!tarnish.!I!will!use!this!as!an! overlayer!of!the!vehicle. ~The!wheelsP!The!wheels!would!not!be!made! out!of!rubber;!instead,!I!would!use!a!different! kind!of!material.!If!I!used!rubber,!it!would!melt.! Therefore,!I!think!I!would!have!to!use!stainless! steel!with!a!type!of!foam!(!to!cover!the!wheels,! so!they!can!move/roll!better)!that!won't!burn! up.

Pressure How!will!the!vehicle!withstand!the!amazing! amount!of!pressure!of!the!interior!of!Earth?! Since!our!materials!are!very!strong!and!since! we!have!many!thick!layers!of!these!materials! the!vehicle!will!not!collapse!because!of! pressure. Food/water What!would!the!people!on!the!inside!of!the! vehicle!live!off!of?!Food!and!water!of!course.! The!food!would!be!freeze!dried!because!freeze! dried!food!is!smaller!and!will!not!expire!like! other!food.!Water!will!be!kept!in!pouches!that! will!not!allow!it!to!evaporate!so!the!drivers! have!water!for!the!whole!trip!down. Medical!Supplies How!will!they!keep!well!in!the!inside!of!earth?! People!get!hurt!and!sick!so!how!are!we!going!to! care!for!them,!a!care!kit!of!medications,!basic! injury!supplies,!and!allergy!and!diabetic!related! problems.!There!are!medications!to!cure!the! colds,!migraines,!and!fevers!so!they!can!feel! better!and!don't!have!to!come!all!the!way!back! up. Lighting! How!will!the!drivers!be!able!to!see!in!the! vehicle?!Our!vehicle!will!have!batteryPpowered! lighting!so!the!people!going!down!will!be!able! to!see!inside!the!machine.!The!lights!are! batteryPpowered!because!we!need!all!the! energy!we!can!for!the!engine!to!get!us!down! there.

There and Back

By Callie Stone, MaryBrooks Friant, Ryan Le, and Jacob Cox

Have you ever thought what the center of the earth would look like? Well, now you will know! Expedition to the Center of the Earth will be a mission to answer the question once and for all. My team and I plan to build a vehicle that can handle all of the challenges that come upon us.

(Above) This vehicle is capable of journeying to the very center of the Earth. It contains many features that could be used to travel to the deep center of the Earth. As we thought and thought, we came up with an outstanding solution by improving our invention.

How our Vehicle Works Our vehicle is like a submarine-type car, except it doesn't have wheels. We would face many challenges on the way to the center. For example, we would have to have a drill that is bigger than our vehicle so the whole will be big enough for the vehicle to go through. Another challenge would be how to get the vehicle to run. It's simple, just put a robot in charge to operate it. The machine would go down to the bottom of the ocean and start drilling a hole. Once the hole was cut, then it would go through it. First, we would have installed a heat shield to protect it from the magma, so that would not be an issue. Next, it would travel down through the opening. The crucial thing is that the drill works. Then, if it does work, the machine would journey down until it gets to the core. Now at the core, it would take a photograph of what it saw. The picture will be displayed inside the vehicle. Also, another challenge is torpedoes. Torpedoes would be shot out at all the rocks. You would have to maintain stability with your vehicle when this get launched off. To be able to do that, the fins on our vehicle would help it underwater and to maintain stability. These are first degree challenges. They are crucial to this voyage. Another great design feature is the propeller. It helps the machine get through water. It is constantly turning and spinning. The automaton would benefit greatly from this. If the contraption that makes up the engine isn't turned on, then the propellers will not operate. For example, the automaton would reply to the propellers by advancing onward to the concourse of the adventure. The propeller would not be as meaningful to the journey. The engine could still run without it. I would list it as a second-degree challenge. Another challenge is having a good amount of graphene. This will protect the automaton significantly. Graphene is really durable and sturdy. The vehicle would like having a enduring outside jacket of agile hardware. Back to the challenge of how it works. We would have installed a geothermal heat pump that will help the machine operate. That is very valuable to the apparatus. This would be an additional third-degree challenge. Another additional challenge would be being able to fit the machine into the burrow that has been crushed by the drill. The enormity of the underwater craft is essential to the explorationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success. Even though we face some challenges, a solution is most of the time discovered and then met.

Our$ Materials

by$MaryBrooks$ Friant#

StructurePthe! ship!is!shaped! like!a!rocket/ submarine.!It!is! shaped!like!this! because,!it! reduces!drag.! The!shape!also! helps!withstand! the!pressure! differences.! MetalsP!the! outer!shell!is! made!out!of! graphene.!We! also!have! aluminum!fins,! graphene! torpedoes,!and! a!titanium!drill. Unique0 featuresP! titanium!drill,! aluminum!fins,! graphite! torpedo,! geothermal! pump,!and!a! high!tech! camera! attached!to!the! drill.

Challenges and How We Met Them Have you ever wondered what is it like to go to the center of the Earth? You might think it sounds like a lot of fun, but really it's going to be the most challenging moment of your whole entire life. So today, I will be telling you what specific challenges that my teammates and I have come up with that is very important to trying to go through the lithosphere, mesosphere, and the asthenosphere which leads all the way to the center of the Earth. My first two challenges are "How can we use graphene to help us travel through the center of the earth?" and "How can we use torpedoes to get through the center of the earth?". So the first challenge is basically using graphene for our vehicle, because so far it is the strongest material known to man. The second challenge is talking about the use of torpedoes. The reason for the torpedoes is because we can at least blow up the rocks, so we can get down to Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s layers a lot faster. The next two challenges are from Jacob Cox, which are, "How can we use propellers to get through the center of the earth?" followed by "How will you maintain a stable vehicle when you drill through rock?". Of course the first challenge mainly talks about how using propellers could help us with our mission. The way it helps us is because it could be able to push the vehicle so it could move. Moving onto our next challenge which explains how can we maintain a stable vehicle, which can be answered by having fins that can be pointed at one direction so it can stay in a straight path so it couldn't move everywhere and not mess up our mission. Then there are Mary Brooksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s challenges, which are, "What can we use to get the vehicle through water?" and "How can we build a vehicle to withstand the pressure difference as we get deeper into the earth?" So the easiest answer to the first challenge is basically use fins. Once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the water with the propellers, how would you control the stability of your vehicle? Moving onto our next question, the possible answer to that challenge is using graphene and aluminum. The reason for these materials is because they can be able to withstand the pressure and the hardness of each rock, so the vehicle wouldn't break. We would need to build our vehicle with titanium and graphene so the temperature can't be able to do anything with our vehicle. Next we would need a drill made up of graphene, because like I said it is the strongest material known to man. So why not use this material to our advantage? It will help us a lot because nothing can withstand this, and it would be able to break the rocks and other materials as we journey down to the center of the Earth. The most difficult challenges I have noticed so far are going to be able to getting torpedoes and having our vehicle made out of graphene, because these both challenges would cost a lot of money. Finally, I hope these challenges have helped you to learn what to prepare for when you have the chance to go to the center of the Earth. Remember, who knows what you can encounter beneath the ground you walk and live on!

TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH AND BACK! by Ty Franzus, Peyton Robinson, Daniel Lagunas, and Zeb Daughtery

Vehicle Challenges by Ty Franzus

crush a normal human. So for this we have a metal that can withstand such pressure. Tantalum hafnium carbon. This material can withstand 400 GPa. With this As you have probably thought, going to the center of the implemented into our vehicle, the pressure standpoint Earth is not going to be easy. There will be many will not be a worry. challenges along the way that could possibly halt our A challenge I have neglected up to this point is very progression. The challenges we meet will be tackled with important to the movement and the help of many devices processes of the actual vehicle. that are made just for this The motor. There will be two kind of objective. We have motors that power the vehicle narrowed down the and the drill. The engine that challenges to the eight most runs the drill will be a very daunting. powerful yet primitive model. One of these challenges The Wankel Rotary Engine. is the fact at which the The engine itself is old, but we temperature at the center of took the same idea and the Earth is at most 7000 revamped it to a more state of degrees Celsius. At this the art engine. The one that temperature most devices will power the vehicle through will either collapse or, just magma and water (if we plain melt. So what we did encounter water) is a nuclear to make our vehicle engine powered by 500 watts withstand such a high of pure nuclear power. This temperature is to have the will provide a thruster which coating of the outside be will move the vehicle through made of Tantalum Hafnium liquid substances. Carbon. This material is the A challenge which will strongest material that can Scale Model of our Vehicle receive a lot of attention on the be synthetically made. We journey will most likely be the hope that this will help our device survive such harsh fact that at this high of temperatures will bring extreme conditions on our path to the center of the Earth. heat and friction on the drill bits. Therefore the drill bits Another major challenge is the fact that, although the will be extremely sturdy and have many replacements. human race is the most complex, our bodies are The materials used to make the drill bits will be a extremely fragile. For this we need protective clothing or Tantalum Hafnium Carbon mixture. The tip of the drill we will pop like popcorn. The protective clothing will be bit will be spread with diamond dust to cut rock quicker carbon fiber protective vests underneath, and silver flame and make drill bits last longer. The amount of drill bits and heat resistant full body suits on top. Our objective is needed will be a budget pusher but the ultimate goal is for a team of people to travel with the ship and be able to more then enough motivation. With these amounts of repair if necessary. materials we have full confidence that our vehicle can A more important challenge we will have to encounter succeed. is the fact that, 6500 miles under the Earth, the pressure is a phenomenal 360 GPa. This, if left unprotected, would 19

Materials To Help Us Make Our Model by Zeb Dougherty Nuclear engine -We have a stirling nuclear engine. However, we will need a uranium battery. Combined with the nuclear engine, it will produce 500 watts of power. This engine will propel us and power the lights, computers, etc. Drill Bits -We have tantalum#hafnium#carbide drills that are covered in wurtzite boron nitride, the hardest material know to man. Our machine will tunnel through the ground like a giant mole. Lasers -The lasers we have are LAL lasers. Their beams can cut through solid rock. The rocks won't stand a chance. Outer shell R The outer shell is made of tantalum hafnium carbine, which just so happens to have the highest melting point of all metals at 7,819 degrees Fahrenheit. Coolant -To cool the nuclear engine, we will use liquid nitrogen. Mechanical Engine -Our mechanical engine is called the Wenkel Rotary engine. It runs the drill bit at the top of the machine. Its output is over 1,000 horsepower. We estimate that we will travel at four miles an hour to the core. We will need a 2,000 gallon tank of fuel.

A scale model of our vehicle (left). Drill Bits (above) are made out of diamond so we can get through rock.

DEEPER AND DEEPER The 7th grade students at Innovation Academy have designed prototypes for a journey to the center of the Earth. Drill and Driver magazine has taken interest in this project and wants to show their readers the project. The group of Christian Edwards, William Welsh, Andrew Counts, and Edwin Stults have given Drill and Driver the information on their vehicle, so Drill and Driver can study it and become more informed. Did you know that we are 6,400 kilometers away from the center of the Earth? Well, I'll tell you, no one as ever travelled down there before. My group and I have planned to do what no man has done before--go to the center of the Earth. â&#x20AC;&#x153;How?â&#x20AC;? you might ask. We developed a vehicle that can operate successfully. A trip like this is adventurous and horrific. As a result, it will take a lot of courage. The Soviets set a goal of drilling the deepest hole, down to 15 km. In 1970 Russian geologists started drilling into the Kola Peninsula, near Finland. After 22 years of digging, work had to stop when the crust turned gooey under the drill bit; at 356 degrees Fahrenheit, the underground rock was much hotter than expected at that depth. They got 7 miles down (www.discovermagazine.com). In order for our group to be have more success than these previous attempts, we had to meet eight challenges. Every part of our vehicle meets at least one of these challenges. The heat of the Earth is the first challenge. The vehicle is completely immersed in onyx, diamond, and titanium. The heat of the Earth is a constant fire and can never be extinguished. Diamond has a melting point of 8720 degrees Fahrenheit. Titanium has melting point of 3034 degrees Fahrenheit. Onyx has a melting point of 2230 Celcius. These all are high enough to get through most of the mantle. Fuel capacity is a problem that is not so easily solved, so the vehicle runs off of heat from the molten magma. That heat runs turbines that turn the tracks. The vehicle stores a small amount of fuel for when the vehicle goes through the crust. A third challenge is the amount of pressure the vehicle can withstand. Onyx and diamond are made in 21

high pressure, making them able to withstand high pressure. These materials are also light and do not have a large weight, making then easier for travel. Rubber tires are frail like newborn babies and are not strong enough to withstand the heat of the Earth, but tank treads are. These tracks are made up of onyx, diamond, and titanium, making them extremely durable. The tracks are wider and longer so the vehicle has more traction and balance on the molten magma. Speed is a challenge that is not as simple as the temperature. The vehicle will not be able to go very fast, due to less traction and more weight. The tracks reduce speed because it takes more mechanical energy to turn them. The journey will be a long way, from here to the core of the Earth is 3,975 miles. The vehicle will be moving under 10 miles per hour, making the journey an extremely patient game. Additionally, the drill and vehicle have to be extremely durable. Since the vehicle is surrounded by onyx, diamond, and titanium, the vehicle has an extremely high melting point and can withstand massive pressure. These materials are very compact and light, making the vehicle lighter and faster. Overall the vehicle is slow and is driven by a drone. The vehicle would be very expensive and will need a lot of investing, but if this vehicle was made the mission would be completed and have successful information. There would be many challenges and/or problems that we will face when we journey to the center of the Earth. It isn't as easy as you think! -by Christian Edwards and William Welsh

Edwin Stults (left) and William Welsh (right) deliver the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Keynote presentation to a team of Army evaluators, Colonel Duncan and Sergeant Major Robinette.

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Andrew Counts

The vehicle uses gems made from pressure for armor. It is controlled by a robot to save space and possibly lives. The vehicle is powered by turbines turned by the lava. We will have fuel tanks in the saved space by the robot. By using a robot we won't have to specially train any animals or humans. Our vehicle is smaller, therefore uses less energy. This makes the vehicle cost less. We will have back-up drills in case the original breaks. The vehicle drill's will be coated in gems similar to our armor to take more damage and be more durable. Our vehicle has tank tread for traction. The vehicle will be able to withstand high pressure and high heat. Our vehicle will be able to drill through solid bedrock and gems. This is what our vehicle will be like.

Journey to the End of the Earth Vehicle Challenges by Jeremiah Ball

Have you ever thought about going to the center of the Earth? Did you know it's possible to get there? Now we have people trying day and night to find a way down there. Japan has already begun a project to drill past the crust. Since Japan announced they were going to try and drill beyond the crust, people have been going crazy. People have been studying off the hook about the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s layers. We've just gotten so curious we are at our breaking point. We are trying to go down to the center of the Earth. We have designed a vehicle, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ready for all the challenges! We have put a lot of things on this vehicle to withstand the heat and pressure. We have used a mineral called boron nitrite. We are using boron nitrite because it can withstand all the heat and pressure. We are also using silicate, iron, and titanium to make the walls thick and keep the inside of our vehicle cool. We want the vehicle to stay cool so the cameras don't burn out while taking pictures. I really want those pictures! We might have some problems going down with all the rock and dirt. So we are going to use a drill. The thing is that if our vehicle burns out, we need a backup plan. So we will have another machine to help us dig down. It's a laser. We need all these machines to help us find our way down to see the amazing views and take samples. I really want to see pictures of those views! We will next take a wireless radio. We will try our best to communicate with our machine. But eventually when the machine gets down so deep we will lose all communication signals with our machine. So we will try our best to keep our signal with the machine. Our power source we will be geothermal energy. We think this is best for the situation because we will never run out of heat in the center of the Earth. This will be lot easier than having to use gallon after gallon of gasoline. This can definitely help us on our journey down to the center of the Earth. It'll be a lot cheaper and easier. The reason we are using a Rover-type machine is that it is a lot simpler and easier to send a smaller machine down than a bigger machine. We aren't risking anyone's life in this experiment. The reason we don't send humans is because it is way too dangerous to send humans and risk their lives. Do you believe this is a good or bad idea? Geologists believe this is a great idea. Of course, we would say this because we want to see the pictures and examine the samples that our vehicle brings back for us. We just want to find more out about our Earth and its inner layers.

Ever wanted to know what's inside the earth? We are about to find that out for you! We are developing a safe way to get to the mantle. This way will be cheap and energy efficient. This way we can find out the history of the earth. Support us and be on the Discovery Team!

#####How#will#my#groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s# vehicle#get#to#the#center#of# the#Earth?##First,#the#vehicle# will#have#to#have#metal#bars# that#push#the#back#of#the# vehicle#upward#so#that#the# drill#can#start#to#dig# through#the#crust.##So#when# the#vehicle#gets#started,#the# metal#bars#will#go#down## and#continue#digging#at#that# angle.##This#will#also#make#it# easier#for#the#vehicle#to# come#back#up!

Our model is constructed of aluminum foil ( metal ), styrofoam ( drill ), and foam discs ( hovercraft wheels ).

#####What#minerals#will#we# have#to#drill#through?#When# we#drill#down#into#the# Earth#we#will#be#facing# things#like#dirt,#sand,#rock,# stone,#bedrock,#water,#lava,# etc.#We#will#need#a#few# drills#that#can#handle#all# these#elements.#We#would# also#have#to#have#more#than# one#drill#because#eventually# the#drill#will#run#out#and#we# will#have#to#replace#it.# What#metal#can#stand#up#to# the#heat?#The#answer#is# titanium#with#silicate.#This# metal#will#stand#up#to#the# heat#of#the#middle#of#the# Earth#because#that#is#we're# we#are#going.##We#need#to# have#a#metal#that#can#stand# up#to#the#heat. Our scale drawing of what our vehicle would look like.

There and Back Again by Phoenix Bridwell, Allison Johns, Kendalyn Peters, and Christian Ryans Scorching temperatures. High pressures. These are all important challenges to consider when making a car to go to the center of the Earth. Making a car to go to the center of the earth will have multiple challenges such as food, water, oxygen,and heat.

Side view (black light form). The drill is in the front and the lasers are on the side of the car.

To make our car we will use titanium, drills,and tungsten. We are using these materials because they can stand high temperatures and pressure. We are also using drills and lasers to break the rocks down. We also are using CO2 converter to convert CO2 in to oxygen. Our car also has a heat converter that converts heat into fuel, which will be helpful if we run out of fuel. For food we would use dehydrated food because that takes up less space and weight. That extra space and weight can be used for water tanks. We need a lot of water because a human needs to have water to live. Finally, we have titanium wheels which will provide traction, which will make gravity push down on it less. These are just some of the features and materials that we are using on our car. - Allison Johns

The "Charger:" What Can't It Withstand? by Phoenix Bridwell

The "Charger" has amazing design features that were provided by the best team of workers in Innovation Academy of Northeast TN: Kendalyn Peters, Phoenix Bridwell, Christian Ryans, and Allison Johns. We have multiple challenges and answers. HEAT-One of the Charger's amazing design features is the heat-resistant covering on the outside of the machine. The covering is made up of tungsten (a polymer that can withstand up to 3500 degrees Celsius) and titanium (which can withstand up to 3000 degrees Celsius). This covering will allow the Charger to withstand a great amount of heat while on its journey to the center of the Earth. This can take care of the challenge of heat resistance. DRILL- Another great design feature is the drill. The drill is covered in a titanium wrap that protects the drill and allows it have the long span of time before its razor sharp drill bits are worn down. The drill can drill up to one kilometer per hour, depending of the composition of the rock that is being drilled through. We predict that the drill will last up to about 36 hours of continuous use. The drill bit can break through almost any surface known to mankind, but if it can't, then we have another design feature that can. LASER- That's right, I said a laser! The laser can be used for a variety of things. The laser can break down the composition of the few materials that the drill bit can't break, and it can even sharpen the drill bit itself! Astoundingly, there are only a few thing that can power a machine such as the laser. We will power our laser with heat. We plan to concentrate the heat and turn that heat into electricity.

How hot are the different layers of the earth? by Christian Ryans

The mantle is 1,000 degrees Celsius and that is pretty hot. The core is 3,700 degrees Celsius and that is 2,700 hotter than the mantle. The lithosphere is 600 degrees Celsius and that's not as hot as the rest. Finally, the estosphere is 1,300 degrees Celsius and that's second to last in the Celsius category. (from “The Charger: What Can’t It Withstand?” p. 26) OXYGEN - Another challenge that we face is the oxygen source for the humans that are going down to control the Charger. We have onboard a CO2 converter. As the name suggests, the CO2 converter changes CO2

into oxygen for the humans to breathe. What it does is change the co2 to a form where the carbon monoxide has been taken out of its molecules and by ventilation puts it back in the machine.

DURABILITY - The massive machine has to have a great amount of durability to withstand the components

of the inside parts of the Earth. It has be able to do this for a long time. (If the distance from the crust to the core is 6,395 kilometers, then we estimate that our trip will last about 266 days. Now that is a pretty long time, if you think about it!)

FOOD AND WATER - Another feature that will contribute to the success of this mission is food and water

sources. What are the operators going to eat? What are they going to drink? Well, there are plenty of things that can be taken along thanks to hydrated foods and astronaut food. And to drink--get ready for this-- we’ll

collect it from our vehicle! (When water evaporates into the air, it condenses and comes down to the earth as

rain. Well, just like that, when the water evaporates from our machine, we will collect it and place it into buckets in our storage compartments.)

GRAVITY - Gravity is a big challenge that cause the failure of this mission. What if we are so close to the

center of Earth that it is too much for the machine, as we are at an upward slope? So we have ultra-traction

wheels that provide a string and firm grip for the machine to use at any slope. If the traction runs out, we have eight spares and also titanium spikes that are propelled out of the tires to give extra grip.

FUEL - As we are going into the Earth, we are going to need to be able to power the Charger through this

great expedition. We are going to be using heat energy and geothermal energy from the heat of the mantle and the inner core. (Yes, it will get really hot inside, so that is why we have A/C. Thank you, Willis Haviland Carrier!) So as soon as we get to a certain depth, we start to feel the heat energy very soon.

WHEELS - The wheels have titanium covers and can make spikes come out of the tires for more friction.

This will allow better traction, which will give our vehicle a chance of going up an inclined plane.

PRESSURE - As I had said earlier in the text (and you don't have to look-- just trust me on this), the

covering of the Charger is titanium and tungsten. Tungsten can withstand pressure up to 400,000 pounds per square inch, and titanium can withstand up to 15,000 pounds per square inch. With the combined strength of

both of these materials, our machine can practically do anything, break anything, or survive anything you throw its way.

As you can see by the materials that were used and the features that were added just for this particular

assignment, the Charger is a crown jewel in the life of science. This will not be its only mission because after this

mission, it is going to be known as the greatest invention of its time .

A Life Changing Journey

Front view of our vehicle (left), angled front view (top left), side view (upper right), aerial view (lower right)

MATERIALS by Kaylee Street, Materials Engineer

OUR WORKFORCE Michael Goforth Drafter Madeline Van Huet Geologist Carson Lane Mechanical Engineer Kaylee Street Materials Acquisition

• Our metal case will be made out of carbon and tungsten. • Our probe attached to the case will also be made of carbon and tungsten. • Also we will have four metal wheels. • All in all, our vehicle in all will be about 180 feet long and 90 feet wide.

Madeline Van Huet, Geologist #######We have all been wondering, “Why has no one ever been to the center of the Earth?” Well, I'm here to help answer that. I will soon reveal the answers to this unknown mystery. #####Until we get to the mantle, the box will not collapse. We will not have to drill through the volcano because it will have already erupted. This is also where we are going to start. The electronics will stay cool because they are going to be insulated. ####We will get the money by fundraising, then returning the favor by giving our funders samples from the mantle. We are probably not going on any farther than the mantle on our journey. The temperature can get up to 5400 degrees in the mantle.

Our Biggest Challenges

1) Pressure of the Earth 2) Keeping electronics cooled 3) Withstanding the heat of the Earth 4) Reaching the mantle without causing a volcanic eruption

#####One of the advantages that we have is that we have better technological advances that we did not have the first time we tried. We also have stronger materials that withstand higher and more intense heat. We will be remote controlling our vehicle, so we do not need a robot. #####However these are some disadvantages. One would be the need to keep the electricity cool. We plan to use a dielectric material, which helps the camera not to melt. Also, we must prevent the drill from breaking. We do not want to be unable to drill through granite, basalt or any other hard rock. It is up to us to make sure that our vehicle has all the proper materials and can withstand extreme heat. ##### If the volcano has not erupted in a long time and then it erupts, the vehicle will know how to protect the probe that sends us the information and samples. #####Our vehicle will have to go through many types of rock. Basalt, granite, and rhyolite are just some of the few rocks that we will encounter. If our drill breaks, we will electronically fix it. We will take along an extra drill for that. ######This is why no one has ever been past the mantle. It is very difficult just getting to the crust. I have reviewed the answers. I told you the solved mystery. Now there are no questions!

Q&A with Carson Lane, Mechanical Engineer How will we withstand the pressure? We will face the intense pressure with a mixture of carbon and tungsten alloy. That together can withstand almost any amount of pressure. Speaking of which, the pressure is about 3900 metric tons. How high will the temperature get? The earth’s core is about 3000-5000 degrees Celsius. Carbon and tungsten can withstand over 3000 degrees Celsius. Our vehicle is not designed to return. The probe will gather the information, send it, and slowly be destroyed by the extreme pressure and temperature. How will our vehicle get through the crust and mantle? To surpass the crust and mantle, we will simply go through a volcano that is not very active. That way, we don’t harm anyone in the process. Also, this way we will not have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a drill to get through the crust. How will we keep electronics cool? We will keep them cool by using an “antifreeze on steroids”. It can be made of liquid nitrogen, dry ice, or even water. Another possibility would be to have a super fan that can cool the electronics just as easily as an antifreeze coolant could.

Our journey to the deep, dark, and unknown... Four extravagant people take a trip of a lifetime to the center of the Earth. Here is their story. by Shawn Gilman, Santana Lane, Sarah Peters, and Mitchell Starke

Specifications by Sarah Peters Materials List: We will use titanium beams on the inside to support the vehicle from pressure. For the drill we will use titanium alloy and diamond bits. Also, for the wheels we will use titanium. The wheels will glide over the lava like tires on a road. Cost: The expected cost of our vehicle is 28,000,000 dollars. This is for the materials, actually drilling into Earth, and paying people to build the machine. We will get the funding from this from the government. Fuel: We will use three petroleum cells to fuel our engine, and they will last 200 years. What's special about our vehicle: We have drills on both sides so our vehicle doesn't have to turn around when we come back up to the surface. Dimensions: Our vehicle is 12 feet long and 6 feet wide. It is 6 feet in height. In addition, we made it a rectangular shape so that it will be stronger. 29

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Sarah Peters and Mitchell Starke

Have you ever wondered if there is anything more to what's under our feet? Well, we might just find out really soon. We have been thinking of drilling to the center of the earth. We may have many challenges to face, but we can do it. For quite a while we have been thinking there is something more than just rock in the center of the earth, so we have decided to drill straight down to the core. Even though you may not think about it, there are many problems without solutions. So we have to find the solutions ourselves. The problems presented at this time could be the extreme heat below the surface, the insurmountable amount of pressure the deeper we go, how we may power a machine for a very long time, the cost of the project itself, the design that is able to withstand all of the problems under the surface, and communication with anyone on the surface of earth. As a matter of fact, it may be easier to put the problems in related categories such as geological problems and machine-related problems. So now let's insert each problem into one of the two categories. I believe that heat and pressure would be in the first category. The problems that would go into the machine-related problems category are the communication issues, how we will power our machine, the design reasoning, and the cost of the machine and the entire project. Here we will focus on a specific category. In this situation we will start with the geological problems. So with the heat the things that would contribute are the immense amount of magma in the asthenosphere as well as just getting deeper the earth. With the pressure problem, getting

further and further into the earth would increase the pressure of the area around you. At the core the pressure is enough to crush a human when exposed, like a crusher crushes cars. In this paragraph we will begin the machine-related problems. For the design problem, we will need to make a machine that can literally drive through super heated magma. This magma can melt anything like plastic melts in a fire. We will need to withstand pressures that could destroy almost anything instantly. With the problem of cost, we would need a very large amount of money just to obtain the materials. Then, separate from that, we would need to fund the workers to develop the machine as well. With the power problem we would need a power supply that is strong enough to power a very large machine as well as a large drill. We will also need a way to control the vehicle from a long distance away. Next we will focus on geological problems. These are physical problems like magma in the asthenosphere, all of the types of rocks in the earth, and an anticipated amount of time to drill down to the center of the earth. Magmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s average temperature is 6,000 Fahrenheit. We would also be traveling through granite, marble, rock, liquid and solid iron, and basalt. An estimated time of travel would be

three years if we move an average of 14 miles per hour. So to summarize even though we would need many things, I believe we could do it. If we are able to obtain the right materials and have the right mindset, then maybe with a little bit of luck we could drill to the center of the Earth.

WORKS!CITED!by!Sarah!Peters Brinton,!Turner.!"Scientists!Use!GPS!Signals!to!Measure!Earth's!Atmosphere."!Space.com.!Fox!News,! !

2013.!Web.!05!Feb.!2013.!

Calder,!Vince.!"Lava!Impenetrability."!Lava!Impenetrability.!Argonne!Natural!Laboratory,!Apr.PMay! !

2006.!Web.!05!Feb.!2013.

Garzon,!Fernando.!"Welcome!to!ECS:!The!Electrochemical!Society."!Welcome!to!ECS:!The! !

Electrochemical!Society.!Electrochemical!Society,!2013.!Web.!05!Feb.!2013.

Raloff,!Janet.!"Science!News."!Science!News.!Society!for!Science!and!the!Public,!28!Jan.!2012.!Web.!05! !

Feb.!2013.

Skipor,!Andrew.!"NEWTON!Ask!a!Scientist!at!Argonne!National!Labs!"!NEWTON!Ask!a!Scientist!at! !

Argonne!National!Labs!!Argonne!Educational!Program,!June!2012.!Web.!05!Feb.!2013.

Watkins,!Kenneth!L.!"The!National!Board!of!Boiler!and!Pressure!Vessel!Inspectors."!The!National!Board! !

of!Boiler!and!Pressure!Vessel!Inspectors.!Manufacture!and!Repair!Directory,!2013.!Web.!05!Feb.!

2013.!

Yirka,!Bob.!"Scientists!Plan!to!Drill!All!the!Way!down!to!the!Earth's!Mantle."!Scientists!Plan!to!Drill!All! !

the!Way!down!to!the!Earth's!Mantle.!Scientific!American,!2003.!Web.!05!Feb.!2013. 30

INDUSTRY CORNER!

DOMTAR - EASTMAN - WELLMONT

OBTAINING FUNDING FOR STUDENT VEHICLE DESIGNS EASTMAN’S JERRY DUNCAN TEACHES INNOVATION ACADEMY STUDENTS ABOUT MILITARY CONTRACTING

Which of the following has been the most successful product built by the Army? A) The Jeep B) Velcro C) Aircraft Carriers D) Cargo Pants (Read on to find out. The answer may surprise you!) As every inventor knows, even the best laid schemes cannot transcend beyond the realm of imagination into physical reality without adequate funding. Enter Eastman engineer and retired Army Colonel Jerry Duncan.

Communications and Contracting

The History of the Jeep “Innovation is driven by need, and in 1939, the Army needed a replacement for the aging motorcycle and sidecar from World War I,” Duncan told IA students during a training about military contracting. “The Army has never built anything in its life. Velcro, aircraft carriers, cargo pants-- the Army made none of these. What the Army does is award contracts to other companies who create products to fill the Army’s needs. In the case of the Jeep, the winning prototype was designed by the American Bantam Car Company. Ford Motor Company delivered a more persuasive pitch for building the Jeep than Bantam did, so Ford got the contract to build the car that Bantam had designed. None of it was built by the Army.” Duncan, who served in the U.S. Army and the Army Corp of Engineers for forty years before retiring and going to work for Eastman Chemical Company, explained to IA students the reality of innovation needing financial support in order to survive. He emphasized that in the real world, when engineers seek financial backing for their designs--whether those designs are prototypes of vehicles to travel to the center of the Earth or any other design-communication is key.

The Sales Pitch

“Dough for your Dirt” One week after Duncan’s initial presentation, IA students’ communications skills were put to the test. Duncan, together with his long-time friend and comrade Command Sergeant Major Bill Robinette, arrived in uniform to hear presentations from each of the thirteen student design teams. The teams tried to convince Duncan and Robinette that the Army should pay its “dough” to fund the “dirt” excavated by the students’ vehicles designed to travel to the innermost layers of the Earth. Students delivered audiovisual presentations, presented their prototypes, and used strong persuasive techniques to convince the evaluation team that their idea was the one deserving of funding. Duncan and Robinette took careful notes and weren’t shy about providing honest criticism. All in all, students walked away having learned some valuable lessons about preparedness, punctuality, and the importance of a well-rehearsed presentation. Congratulations to the finalists: Connor Chase, Samuel Goddard, Mia Waugh, and Eli Waycaster’s presentation won first place. A second-place finish was awarded to the team of Andrew Counts, Christian Edwards, Edwin Stults, and William Welsh. There was a tie for third place between the teams of Kelsey Carter, Makenzie Bolton, Carter Holt, and Adrienne Yarber and the team of Vincent Van Huet, Leona Range, Myra Meade, and Rainna Stallard. Way to go, teams! (Above) Philip Bateman, Michael Goforth, Kendalyn Peters, and Matthew Fuchs are eager to share ideas with Colonel Duncan. (Below) Phoenix Bridwell explains the finer points of his team’s design to the panel of Army evaluators.

TEACHER’S CORNER!

INNOVATION ACADEMY’S TRANS-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH Both the “Design a Vehicle to go to the Center of the Earth” engineering project and the “Dough for your Dirt” presentation project were part of the seventhgrade Innovation Academy unit on Fossil Fuels. This unit, like all units at Innovation Academy, was created by IA teachers to use standards-based lessons and handson learning to connect the four core content areas of science, social studies, language arts, and mathematics. Below are summaries of sample lessons from our Fossil Fuels Unit for each of the four content areas.

Jessica Carr

Vanessa Greenlee

Lesson Title: “It’s Something’s Fault: Earthquakes and Volcanoes”

Lesson Title: “A Logical Journey”

Science

This week’s lesson will continue our study of the Earth. Students will continue to investigate plate tectonics and the effects of their movement. The students will participate in whole class discussion, small group and pair work, and hands-on lab activities to extend their understanding of The Theory of Plate Tectonics and Alfred Wegner’s theory. The students will focus on the effects of plate tectonics and the different types of faults. Students will learn about earthquakes and volcanoes and the tools, engineering, and science associated with both.

Troy Petrie

Social Studies

Lesson Title: “Fossil Fuels: What Other Choice Do We Have?” This lesson will focus on renewable versus nonrenewable resources as well as the consequences of humans changing their physical environment. Students will be looking at the impact of the extraction and consumption of fossil fuels on earth’s physical environment and people. Focusing on real-life scenarios from current events (i.e. smog in Beijing, China; global warming, and hydraulic fracturing) students will be required to discover viable alternatives to fossil fuels and then create a public service announcement urging fellow citizens to consider/use alternative energy sources.

English Language Arts

In this lesson, students will begin an exploration of inductive and deductive thinking patterns. They will then apply these patterns to the types of thinking exhibited in the Unit 6 Motivator “Investigating the Insides” as well as the “Geology Consortium” science activity. The class will begin reading the Jules Verne novel Journey to the Center of the Earth (Lexile level 1040) as a thematic literature connection to the Unit 6 Essential Question, “How do we know what we know about the layers of the Earth?”

Scott Reis

Mathematics Lesson Title: “What’s on the Inside?”

In this unit, students will be asked to design and construct a scale model of a vehicle they feel can travel to the center of the earth. The culminating event will be a “car show” where students can show off the vehicle they have constructed. Along the journey, students will investigate the various layers of the earth, how plate tectonics works, and types of rocks. In order to do this they will learn the math of very!large and small numbers (scientific notation), modeling speed with a linear equation, how to calculate surface area, and how to calculate volume. This week!the students will finish learning about exponent rules, apply them to scientific notation, and begin to multiply polynomial expressions.