The approach to teaching geologic map interpretation described in the materials departs significantly from the typical approach, which commonly involves defining strike and dip and types of contacts, drawing cross sections in areas with no topography and working with paper block models and PlayDoh for visualiztion, teaching outcrop patterns and rule of Vs in areas with topography, and then having students practice map interpretation and cross section construction.

The approach describe in materials listed here uses the powerful 3D viewing capability and the remarkable satellite images of Google Earth to help students really visualize structures. The approach does the following:

* Emphasizes mapping before map interpretation in order to help students visualize, rather than memorize.
* Starts by having students do geologic mapping in Google Earth before they know anything about strike, dip, or types of contacts.
* Has students work first with inclined units and contacts in areas with topographic relief, using Google Earth 3D view to develop an understanding of dip.
* Has students sketch simple cross sections of their own geologic maps and use Google Earth 3D view to help them visualize the relationships.
* Derives strike after students understand dip.
* Has students work with vertical contacts next, then horizontal contacts, and, finally, folded and faulted contacts.
* Gives students lots of practice in mapping in Google Earth and creating their own cross sections in areas of increasing complexity.
* Follows with interpretation of existing geologic maps coupled with use of maps in the field.

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These three laboratory activities build student knowledge of anthropogenic global climate change through use of the Columbia University-National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) Educational Global Climate Model (EdGCM). They are designed to build student proficiency with each of the major steps used in a climate modeling experiment. The goal is to build student climate modeling skills and knowledge of climate models to enable students to conduct their own climate change research using EdGCM.

Key Questions:
How do scientists research the impact of humans on the global climate?
How does global climate modeling differ from and rely upon the work of other physical scientists?
In what ways can the methods of climate science help us understand how our own lives impact the global environment?
What limitations does global climate modeling hold as a research tool for understanding and predicting anthropogenic global climate change?

This activity provides an introduction to 3D sketching. Students sketch a cube, boxes, and cylinders. They watch a video about how to sketch boxes and cylinders, and then sketch a few more.

An introduction to a wide variety of aerial photos and interpretation of geomorphology and geologic relationships.

The activity asks students to make observations about what occurs when two effervescent antacid tablets are placed into a beaker of water. The Students work together in groups. There are three parts to the activity. In the first part, the tablets are dropped into tap water and student groups (2-4 students) must complete a series of question sheets (one per group) that guide them through thinking about the event. In the second part, a presentation on chemical equilibrium for the carbonate system is given. The starting point is the answers received in the first part. Basic chemical reactions for the carbonate system are presented including equilibrium expressions for each reaction and discussion about open and closed systems. At the end of class, a handout is given to the students. In the third part, three beakers (acidic, neutral and basic solutions, but not indicated) are placed together and two tablets are placed into each beaker. Students are split into two groups (8-12 students) and are asked to describe why the reactions are different. Discussion follows collection of student responses in each part. Once the chemical reactions and equilibrium expressions are presented, they are involved and referenced in all discussions.

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This exercise is designed to familiarize students with some basic crystal structures
The exercise helps students fully understand the nature and significance of ionic bonds and Pauling's second rule
It also builds a bit on Pauling's first rule (radius ratio principle)
It is one of several related activities, all of which are intended to help students understand the nature of ionic crystals

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A look at Pauling's "electrostatic valency" principle.

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To illustrate the basics of digital mapping on a PocketPC, I have included one of the projects used in our field course. It covers an area southeast of Buena Vista, Colorado that consists of Precambrian plutonic and metamorphic rocks, Tertiary volcanic rocks, and Quaternary sediments. The project comes in the second week of the course and is the first digital mapping experience for the students. Prior to this, they have been learning to map using traditional methods.
The Sugarloaf project consists of base maps and data layers. The inclusion of both aerial photo (USGS DOQQ) and topographic base maps (USGS DRG), allows students to choose which ever map works best for them. The data layers include everything that a field geologist would normally record in his/her field notebook and map: general notes, contacts, and structural data (including oriented symbols on the map). The specific layers in this project are: bedding, contacts, faults, foliations, formations, geology, joints, lineations, and stations. In some layers (e.g., bedding, foliation, lineation, and joint), taping a point on the map opens a dialog box into which you enter data such as strike/dip or plunge/trend. In other layers (e.g., stations), taping a point opens a form for notes. In the contact layer, you draw lines. Editing can be done in the field on your PocketPC or back in camp by downloading the project to a computer. If a project is edited on a computer, the edited version must then be uploaded to the PocketPC for use the next day in the field. Final production of the map is done using ArcView or ArcMap.

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This exercise is designed to introduce students 1) how to prepare an image for Chemung County, Elmira, NY using one Landsat scene downloaded from USGS Global Visualization Viewer (http://glovis.usgs.gov/); and 2) how to display and acquire basic image information with Erdas Imagine.

In this exercise students will consider various aspects of earthquake seismology methods that include p-wave amplitude, location of an earthquake epicenter, determining the time of occurrence of an earthquake and the relationships between type of plate boundary and earthquake focal depth. Students will be exposed to several types of graphing program and spreadsheets to analyze and illustrate the results. They will also use seismicity maps and the WWW to reinforce the concepts presented both in the lab and in lecture.

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In this lab I simply have students dissolve halite and sylvite in water at various temperatures. I use this experiment to introduce students to the principles of equilibrium thermodynamics, as well as basic lab skills, data analysis, and lab report writing. Students use basic laboratory skills to conduct their experiments then analyze their data using a spreadsheet program such as Excel. They then write up their results and discussion in a formal lab report.

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This is a guided question note sheet with interactive elements linked within for an online course in Earth History or Historical Geology. NOVA evolution lab is one component, along with other introductory videos and links to useful websites on common misconceptions about evolution and others, compiled in one place with questions for students to answer to confirm understanding of main ideas.

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To learn ArcExplorer GIS, students perform these four exercises using data sets of Brooklyn and water quality data collected at various locations in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Through these exercises, the students gain an understanding of how GIS works and what can be done. Ideally, the students should collect the water data and locate the sampling sites using a GPS. If lab time is limited, water data and site locations can be provided. Combining field data with existing data sets helps make the GIS applications more understandable and relevant to the students. As a final product, students create a map using a variety of GIS data layers. They also examine spatial patterns and use GIS to generate questions and hypotheses. Uses online and/or real-time data Addresses student fear of quantitative aspect and/or inadequate quantitative skills

The primary goal of this lab is to develop basic ArcGIS skills for geomorphology students and give them a taste of what is possible in GIS. The lab is written for the GIS novice, and thus includes detailed instructions for small tasks. The GIS basics are taught via an exploration of river meandering and bank and bluff erosion in a local (turbidity-impaired) stream in Duluth, Minnesota: Amity Creek. The students visited Amity Creek the previous week and mapped in all locations along the river corridor with clear evidence of recent landsliding. This lab leads them through how to bring those field-collected GPS data into ArcGIS to both create maps and make measurements. They also look at river meandering over time at a single site where recent bluff stabilization work was completed to slow channel migration and lower the amount of fine sediment from entering the stream.This lab could be adapted to other locations, although I have also included all of the data specific to this site.

This is a short project that can be used in-class or as homework. It involves just a few questions and it is intended to help students understand the idea of Gibbs free energy. It cannot completely stand alone. I use it after I have talked about Gibbs free energy for 20 minutes. It helps clarify my lecture.

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A classroom discussion about global climate change designed for a general undergraduate classroom. Discussion is facilitated by a 10-15 minute brainstorming session or gallery walk.

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This assignment is a geologically-oriented Google Earth tutorial that is used in preparation for a course project in which students create Google Earth content summarizing the geology of features of interest on campus. This tutorial addresses navigation, layers and featured content, and creation and modification of placemarks, paths, and polygons. Students are expected to be proficient in the use of Google Earth at the completion of the tutorial. Proficiency with Google Earth allows students to complete geologically advanced projects that require, or benefit from, geographic display of information. Further, non-science majors are introduced to the exploration of Earth using this fascinating application, and are able to find applications for the program in their daily lives.

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This is a basic introductory online exercises that introduces students to tools and functions within Google Earth that will be utilized in subsequent exercises throughout the semester. Students use Google Earth to navigate to a location and between locations, incorporate data layers, create topographic profiles, and measure slope and distance.

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This activity introduces students to using Google Earth and adding layers to google earth, while re-enforcing plate tectonic concepts and evidence for plate tectonics.
Outcomes:
1. Download Google Earth onto computer
2. Turn on/off layers within Google Earth
3. Be able to change measurement and use ruler within Google Earth
4. Determine latitude and longitude of ocean basin features
5. Be able to search for locations within Google Earth
6. Learn to upload new layers into Google Earth from .kmz files
7. Describe different plate boundaries, their locations and boundary interactions
8. Explain evidence for Plate Tectonics

This lab is used as an introductory lab for undergraduate and graduate geology majors in a Geologic Remote Imaging course

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