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Environmental Assessment Course
Students explore how the campus is linked with the larger environment. They investigate how to collect data by interviewing and researching, analyze findings, and make recommendations. Students explore how to present their findings to...
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Food in History
Learners research, predict and offer solutions regarding factors that affect current or future food crops could result in economic, political or social changes.
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Petrology in the Field and Laboratory
Students collect samples in the field, analyze them using various tools and instruments, then present their results and interpretations. They examine igneous and metamorphic rocks in detail and interpret petrologic data.
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US Historical Climate: Excel Statistical
Students import US Historical Climate Network mean temperature data into Excel from a station of their choice. They are guided through the activity on how to use Excel for statistical calculations, graphing, and linear trend estimates.
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Looking At the World Through Different Eyes
Students are introduced to the concept of reframing as a problem-solving alternative. They present the value of incorporating adults into their suport system. Students draw what they think Creep Face and Maggie saw when they looked...
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Reducing Volcanic Hazards to People and Property
Young scholars examine and research major hazards to humans located in the area of volcanoes and write a general summary. Students must choose a volcano and determine what actions might be taken to reduce risks to a population. ...
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Geologic Puzzles: Morrison Formation
Students make observations and present interpretations based on their observations and on their prior knowledge. They use images to answer questions and make formulate hypotheses.
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Weather is Cool, Hot or Somewhere In-Between
Students access the Internet to record data on weather. They use email to answer a younger classes' questions about the weather.
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The Tilting Earth
Fourth graders use a styrofoam ball on a stick to represent earth and a light bulb in the center of the room to represent the sun. They walk around the light, holding their sticks at an angle to show the tilt of the earth's axis. They...
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Groundwater Pump Test
Students observe groundwater flowing to a pump, changes in groundwater table as a result of pumping, and the quantity and quality of water in the groundwater system. Students must graph and interpret their data, and quantify orders of...
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Take Action, Save the Past
Eighth graders use their creative and critical thinking skills to find useful solutions to current and future problems concerning the destruction of archaeological sites and artifacts.
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Post-settlement landscape evolution
Students use this example, a field laboratory in introductory geology becomes a test of a hypothesis: Does the model proposed by Stanley Trimble for Coon Creek, Wisconsin adequately describe the history of post-European-settlement...
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"Adopt an Outcrop"
Students "adopts" a different outcrop or road cut, describing and interpreting both the outcrop scale features and hand specimens. They build their confidence in their ability to describe and interpret outcrop geology. Students are...
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Sea Floor Spreading II
Students import ocean bathymetry data form either the topex web site or text files. They then graph these observations along with model predictions to assess the model's ability to sumulate the observed topographic features of the North...
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Floodplains in the Field
Students measure a topographic and geologic cross-section across a floodplain using simple surveying and auguring techniques in a field lab. Students also reconstruct the history of a river system.
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Sea Floor Spreading II
Students import ocean bathymetry data from text files. They then graph these observations along with model predictions to assess the model's ability to simulate observed topographic features of the North Atlantic. Students use Excel to...
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Laetoli Trackway Puzzle
Students try to reach a "best explanation" after viewing diagrams. In this trackway instructional activity students complete several worksheets, make observations and hypothesize.
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How Does Climate Influence Civilization
Young scholars demonstrate their knowledge of the Earth's systems. In this climate lesson students identify the climate of a chosen area and the effects it has on the lifestyles of those living there.
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Energy Panel Hearings: "Your Town", Saskatchewan
Tenth graders access information to participate in a debate about whether a power plant should be placed in their town. They research an assigned point of view.
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Where is That Light Coming From?
Learners investigate the chemistry of bioluminescence and discuss how various organisms benefit from this trait. They prepare a report about of at least one organism that receives each of the benefits discussed.
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So -- What's Happening Here? On this Old Christmas Tree Farm
Students take a field trip to an old Christmas tree farm near their school. In groups, they gather data at the site and analyze the data in an attempt to discover what happened to the area. They identify human activities that led to the...
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GeoSleuth Schoolyard
Students discover that geology is something that is all around them. In groups, they participate in an activity in which they collect evidence and make observations. They solve a "murder mystery" in examining the history of a landscape.
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Annotating Change in Satellite Images
Young scholars compare a series of satellite images taken 3-4 years apart to investigate the effects of human land use. They annotate the images using ImageJ software and use the annotated images to explain their findings.
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Stream Gages and GIS
students interpret recent regional-scale climate events based on current stream flow, monitor changes in time, and to consider additional interpretations that could be derived if other data were in map form.