In this activity, students work in groups to put a set of cartoon cards in order, much in the way that we might assemble a geologic history. The primary goal of the activity is to explore the nature of science in general and the nature of geoscience or historical science specifically, without requiring any content knowledge.

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In a field investigation to Interstate State Park, students determine lava flow boundaries and observe an ancient rift valley. They also examine differential erosion rates that create a waterfall, and examine the local basalts for evidence of glaciation, including the world-famous potholes.

This is a field guide with road log to the classic Barrovian sequence in Dutchess County, New York. The field trip starts near Poughkeepsie, NY, and ends near the Connecticut border. The guide will lead you to key outcrops starting at the protolith, with one stop each in the chlorite, biotite, garnet, lower staurolite, upper staurolite, kyanite, sillimanite, and silimanite-kspar zones in the regionally metamorphosed pelitic sequence. Files include the road log with stop locations and descriptions, a regional map, and Google Earth .kmz file.

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Field Notes provides instructors with helpful tips for a successful field trip. The tips include a well-developed literature review for designing and assessing field trips.

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This is a streamlined lesson for students to prepare for a Community Resilience Expo, focusing on flood.

This media-rich essay from NOVA Online describes the challenges of forecasting volcanic eruptions and includes information about specific cases.

This video segment from Nature describes how glaciers eroded the bedrock of IrelandŒë_í_Œ_ landscape.

A diverse collection of lower Cretaceous (Albian) fossils is featured on this site. Fossil photos, illustrations and information about each suborder are provided for an array of fossil groups. Specific fossil groups include Ammonoidea, Bivalvia, Cephalopoda, Cnidaria (Corals), Echinodermata, Fish, Foraminifera, Gastropoda, Ostracoda, and Scaphopoda. Short discussions of United Kingdom geology, Albian stratigraphy, geologic time and fossil imaging techniques are also included.

Students are challenged to write a script and record a voicemail that is left 50 years in the future, describing changes that have taken place in the local environment based upon scientifically-accurate information and projections. The exercise allows students to select an issue of personal interest and communicate in a creative format.

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Introductory course to Geospatial Science and GIS! Includes syllabus, modules, quizzes, labs, assignments, and activities for a 10-week course.

This OER Course Sprint focuses on a redesign that incorporates a new OER Cartography textbook into an existing Canvas course for its next offering. Since a current session of the course is currently opened and it will not be offered again until Winter 2024, I have created multiple choice questions to go with the textbook chapters and will add them to Canvas when the current section ends.

Average inquiry level: Structured
This inquiry-based lab about the principles of relative and numerical dating allows students to apply reason and logic to determine the order of geologic events, to experimentally create a radioactive decay and ingrowth diagram, and to calculate numerical ages using algebra. This lab is designed for face-to-face instruction.
By the end of lab, students will be able to:

Determine the order of geologic events using relative dating principles.
Calculate the age of rocks using numerical dating principles.
Select correctly from the range of available numerical dating tools to access Earth history at different scales and in different materials.
Explain how past events from geologic time influence the present and future.
Demonstrate numerical literacy around units, graph manipulation, and using formulas.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

The GLOBE Cave Protocol Field Guide utilizes existing GLOBE protocols to explore an extreme environment. Caves provide an opportunity to utilize GLOBE protocols to investigate underground environments and compare them to surface environments. Outside the cave, students record elevation, MUC, latitude and longitude, air temperature, relative humidity and air pressure. Inside the cave, students record air temperature, relative humidity and air pressure as well as observe and describe cave features in each room. Students also note evidence of biological activity and human impact. If water is present inside the cave, students record water temperature and pH. Follow up questions are included in the Field Guide.

GS106 is a survey course providing non-science majors a broad background in earth science. No previous science background required.

This course introduces the following themes:
The scale of the Universe
Scientific models
Scientific literacy
Science is observable
Scientific models evolve
Nuclear chemistry and physics
Earth materials
Plate tectonics
Global change
Energy resources
Astronomy
Cosmology

Course Outcomes:
1. Have an understanding of the basic concepts, processes, and analytical tools related to the study of the universe.
2. Develop experimental skills and knowledge relating to the gathering and interpretation of scientific information.
3. Evaluate and articulate the relevance of atomic science, geology, atmospheric science, and astronomy on personal, local and global levels.

Here is a list of materials you will need to purchase ASAP for your labs in this course.
For the Mineral Identification Lab in Credit Unit 1 Module 1, you will need:

Mineral kit - http://www.hometrainingtools.com/mineral-study-kit/p/RM-MISTUDY/

Glass plate and porcelain plate - http://www.hometrainingtools.com/mineral-test-kit/p/RM-TESTKIT/

For the Rock Identification Lab in Credit Unit 1 Module 2, you will need:

Rock kit - http://www.hometrainingtools.com/rock-study-kit/p/RM-RKSTUDY/

This activity is a field investigation where students gather geological information of a designated area and identify the geological features they documented.

This geologic investigation will have students observing and investigating coastal features of Western Lake Superior using inquiry-based investigable questions, and inferring possibilities of the coastal features' origins.

This activity is an inquiry-based field investigation of the geologic history of the Minnehaha Falls and St. Anthony Falls areas of Minneapolis. Students will be introduced to rocks and the stories rocks tell in a genuine geologic context, rather than as samples in the classroom.

This activity is a field investigation where students gather data on fossiliferous limestone, develop an experimental question, and develop a mental model of local geologic history.

This BLOSSOMS lesson will help students conceptualize the enormity of geologic time and learn about important events in Earth s history. Students will also learn how geologic time can help explain seemingly incomprehensible processes, like the formation of the Himalayan Mountains from a flat plain to their current height, and the evolution of a tiny group of reptiles into enormous dinosaurs. During the breaks, students will construct a geologic timeline of their own in the classroom and do simple calculations to determine how long amounts of time can lead to impressive changes in the height of the Himalayan Mountains and the size of a group of reptiles.