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Dating Students: Relative vs. Numerical Time

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Dating Students: Relative vs. Numerical Time

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In this lab, students are introduced to the difference between relative and absolute dating, using the students themselves as the material to be ordered. Initially, the students are asked to develop physical clues to put themselves in order from youngest to oldest (exposing the inferences we make unconsciously about people's ages), and this will be refined/modified using a list of current events from an appropriate historical period that more and more of the students will remember, depending on their age (among other variables). Absolute age is introduced by having the students order themselves by birth decade, year, month, and day, and comparing the absolute age order to the order worked out in the relative-dating exercise, with a discussion of dating precision and accuracy.

(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.)

Subject:: Applied Science; Biology; Computer, Networking and Telecommunications Systems; Earth and Space Science; Environmental Science; Geology; Information Science; Life Science; Mathematics; Measurement and Data
Material Type:: Activity/Lab
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 08/10/2019

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Day and Night

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Children talk about the differences between daytime and nighttime, including the activities they do at each time.

Subject:: Astronomy; Earth and Space Science
Material Type:: Activity/Lab
Provider:: Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Date Added:: 04/27/2023

Death Valley's Harmony Borax Works

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Death Valley's Harmony Borax Works

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Western Mining History presents a short history of the California Gold Rush. Western Mining History is an historical site that provides databases, information on mining, mining towns, gold and Photos and maps of the western United States. Consider becoming a member or making a donation to help further the work of the site.

Subject:: Anthropology; Business and Communication; Cultural Geography; Earth and Space Science; Economics; English Language Arts; Finance; History; Physical Geography; Physical Science; Reading Informational Text; Social Science; Sociology; U.S. History
Material Type:: Reading
Provider:: Western Mining History
Provider Set:: Mining History
Date Added:: 02/06/2023

Debating the Grid Example

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Debating the Grid Example

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Students research electricity, its sources, how energy grids function, how to make grids most efficient, and how to bring different types of energy generation together to diversify grids. Students debate the costs and benefits of moving to a modernized Smart Grid.

Subject:: Agriculture and Natural Resources; Applied Science; Atmospheric Science; Earth and Space Science; Environmental Science; Environmental Studies; Physical Science
Material Type:: Activity/Lab; Lesson; Lesson Plan
Provider:: CLEAN: Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network
Provider Set:: CLEAN: Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network
Author:: Cheryl Manning; Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN)
Date Added:: 04/20/2022

Debunking Cranky Uncle on the carbon cycle

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Debunking Cranky Uncle on the carbon cycle

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This video illustrates the Keeling curve as evidence to establish man's role in global climate change.

Subject:: Agriculture and Natural Resources; Applied Science; Atmospheric Science; Earth and Space Science; Environmental Science; Environmental Studies; Physical Science
Material Type:: Diagram/Illustration; Reading
Provider:: CLEAN: Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network
Provider Set:: CLEAN: Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network
Author:: John Cook
Date Added:: 07/05/2021

Deciphering complex fluid-mineral interactions in the palm of your hand

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Deciphering complex fluid-mineral interactions in the palm of your hand

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Copper is an element that is essential to our technology and to our standard of living. Commonly, the copper is extracted from a variety of copper-bearing minerals that occur in veins. These fossilized fluid pathways record a complex set of geologic processes with non-linear couplings that are the products of hydrothermal activity associated with igneous intrusions (e.g. heat transport, mechanical fracture, mineral precipitation, permeability changes). By carefully examining a rock slab and its mineralogy, one can decipher the series of interrelated processes and their resultant impact on the final product.

Students set about to determine the relative age of veins by visual examination of the rock slab provided. Several generations of veins are recorded by different colors representing different minerals. Using cross-cutting relationships, they list the veins from oldest to youngest. Based on their color, they determine the sequence of minerals that fill veins. This provides an opportunity to review why color can be used to identify some minerals but not others. Once minerals are identified, their ideal chemical formula allows the percent copper in the mineral to be determined as well as the additional elements that must be present to form the mineral. The consequent change in mineral chemistry can be linked to the alterations in fluids flowing through the fractures by analysis of fluid-mineral equilibria on activity-activity (a-a) diagrams. For the more advanced classes, relevant thermodynamic data can be provided and students can write hydrolysis reactions and calculate the (a-a) diagram themselves.

Interpretation of the geologic history begins with the matrix and initial conditions and follows through rock fracture, fluid flow, mineral precipitation, evolving fluid composition, fracture sealing, pore-fluid pressure buildup, fracture, precipitation, etc. in a series of feedbacks. A feedback diagram can be provided and used as a base-map for interpretation not only of the sequence but changes to each reservoir, or students can be asked to draw the series of events and their reservoirs with the mechanisms of change. In the end, students understand the complex series of geologic processes that must come together in space and time to produce an ore-deposit that can be mined for our use. They also wrestle with the complications of reading the rock record and with the ambiguity of interpreting the interaction of various mechanisms that control the final product.

(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.)

Subject:: Biology; Chemistry; Earth and Space Science; Geology; Life Science; Physical Science
Material Type:: Activity/Lab
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 08/13/2019

Deciviews from Look Rock, Great Smoky Mountains National Park: How Hazy is it?

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Deciviews from Look Rock, Great Smoky Mountains National Park: How Hazy is it?

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Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum/Geology of National Parks module. Students calculate the haze index and standard visual range from concentrations of particulate matter.

Subject:: Atmospheric Science; Earth and Space Science
Material Type:: Activity/Lab
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Pedagogy in Action
Date Added:: 04/12/2023

Deciviews from Look Rock, Great Smoky Mountains National Park: How Hazy is it?

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Deciviews from Look Rock, Great Smoky Mountains National Park: How Hazy is it?

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Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum/Geology of National Parks module. Students calculate the haze index and standard visual range from concentrations of particulate matter.

(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.)

Subject:: Atmospheric Science; Biology; Earth and Space Science; Life Science; Mathematics; Measurement and Data; Statistics and Probability
Material Type:: Activity/Lab
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 07/31/2020

Decoding Antarctica's Climate History - Antarctica's Climate Secrets

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Decoding Antarctica's Climate History - Antarctica's Climate Secrets

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This 10 minute video builds connections between topics that are important in climate science such as: the impact of variations in Earth's orbit and wobble on it's axis on climate; how the cores being sampled fit into the bigger climate picture; connecting greenhouse gases to melting ice and sea level changes; the sensitivity of the ice melt / sea level rise relationship; and computer model simulations showing connections between ice sheets and sea level.
The companion website provides resources, an extensive list of activities, teacher guides, posters, and more.

Subject:: Agriculture and Natural Resources; Applied Science; Archaeology; Earth and Space Science; Environmental Science; Environmental Studies; Oceanography; Physical Geography; Physical Science; Social Science
Material Type:: Diagram/Illustration; Reading
Provider:: CLEAN: Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network
Provider Set:: CLEAN: Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network
Author:: Nebraska Educational Telecommunications
Date Added:: 06/25/2019

Decoding the Arecibo message

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Decoding the Arecibo message

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This video explains the design of the Arecibo Message transmitted in the 1970s by SETI pioneers. It explains why humans sent the message and who they hope might receive it. It shows the telescope in Brasil. It plays the audio signal from the message that was sent and shows how that signal can be converted to binary to show an image. It also gives a brief overview of how the binary number system works.

Subject:: Applied Science; Astronomy; Career and Technical Education; Computer Science; Computer, Networking and Telecommunications Systems; Earth and Space Science; Electronic Technology; Engineering, Technology and Media Arts; History; Information Science; Networking and Telecommunications; Programming and Software Engineering; STEAM; Space Science; World History
Material Type:: Lecture; Video
Provider:: CSU Extension Office
Author:: Hardegree-Ullman
Date Added:: 03/09/2023

Deductions from Fossil Preservtion

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Deductions from Fossil Preservtion

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Students will view fossils, sometimes with supporting illustrations, and answer questions about them via deductive reasoning. The exercise is highly interactive, with the instructor providing hints and helpful questions. The questions concern ways in which fossil preservation reveals information about things like what kind of organism the fossil represents, how that organism lived, and how the fossil came into being.

Subject:: Archaeology; Earth and Space Science; Geology; Social Science
Material Type:: Activity/Lab
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 04/12/2023

Deep Sea Microbes Jigsaw

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Deep Sea Microbes Jigsaw

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This activity will help students to explore characteristics of microbes that live in the deep sea. This activity can be conducted as a jigsaw or research project, and can be used with face-to-face, remote, and hybrid students.

Provenance: Beverly Owens, Cleveland Early College High School
Reuse: This item is offered under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ You may reuse this item for non-commercial purposes as long as you provide attribution and offer any derivative works under a similar license.

(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.)

Subject:: Biology; Earth and Space Science; Life Science; Oceanography
Material Type:: Activity/Lab; Lesson Plan
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 09/03/2022

Deep Sea Microbes Playlist

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Deep Sea Microbes Playlist

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This activity is a Google Slide playlist that will introduce students to microbes that can be found in deep sea sediments, and what roles they play in their environment. This playlist is suitable for use in remote, hybrid, or in-person instruction and can easily be added to a Learning Management System.

Provenance: Molly Ludwick, Kings Mountain Middle School
Reuse: This item is offered under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ You may reuse this item for non-commercial purposes as long as you provide attribution and offer any derivative works under a similar license.

(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.)

Subject:: Biology; Earth and Space Science; Life Science; Oceanography
Material Type:: Activity/Lab; Homework/Assignment
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 08/04/2022

Deep water circulation and chemistry jigsaw

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Deep water circulation and chemistry jigsaw

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This activity is designed to introduce students to the way in which thermohaline circulation and the biological pump influence the distribution of nutrients, oxygen, carbon, and radiocarbon in the Atlantic vs. Pacific Oceans.

(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.)

Subject:: Applied Science; Biology; Chemistry; Earth and Space Science; Environmental Science; Life Science; Oceanography; Physical Science
Material Type:: Activity/Lab
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 08/29/2019

The Defense and Offense of the Mymorapelta Dinosaur

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The Defense and Offense of the Mymorapelta Dinosaur

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Dinosaur Journey is part of the Mueums of Western Colorado. Dr. Julia McHugh from Museums of Western Colorado’s Dinosaur Journey, talks about the defense and offense of the Mymorapelta dinosaur!

Subject:: Anatomy/Physiology; Ancient History; Earth and Space Science; Geology; Geoscience; History; Life Science; Paleontology; Physical Geography; Physical Science; U.S. History
Material Type:: Lecture
Provider:: Museums of Western Colorado
Provider Set:: Dinosaur Journey
Date Added:: 02/06/2023

Deforestation in the Amazon

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Deforestation in the Amazon

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This NASA animation on land cover change zooms into Rondonia, Brazil. It starts with a Landsat satellite image taken in 1975 and dissolves into a second image of the same region taken in 2009 that illustrates a significant amount of land use change.

Subject:: Agriculture and Natural Resources; Applied Science; Cultural Geography; Earth and Space Science; Environmental Science; Environmental Studies; Physical Geography; Physical Science; Political Science; Social Science
Material Type:: Activity/Lab
Provider:: CLEAN: Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network
Provider Set:: CLEAN: Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network
Date Added:: 03/09/2023

Delta County Mines

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Delta County Mines

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This Western Mining History database uses Mineral Resources Data System to list known Colorado historical mines by county. Each county site has links to the known mines within its borders. Some are known and named, others are unnamed. Mines should be assumed to be on private property unless other research is conducted. Data provided for each mine site include: Name, State, County, Elevation, Primary Mineral Mined, Latitude and Longitude and a link to Google Maps. Photos are provided where available. Additional information for some Mines are satellite photos, and ownership, business and historical records. Mining History is an historical site that provides information on mining, mining towns, the gold and silver rush, and Photos and maps of the western United States. This is a great database for student historical research or data and statistics classes. Consider becoming a member or making a donation to help further the work of the site.

Subject:: Anthropology; Applied Science; Chemistry; Cultural Geography; Earth and Space Science; Economics; English Language Arts; Environmental Science; Geology; Geoscience; History; Mathematics; Measurement and Data; Physical Geography; Physical Science; Reading Informational Text; Social Science; Sociology; U.S. History
Material Type:: Data Set; Primary Source; Reading
Provider:: Western Mining History
Provider Set:: Historical Colorado Mines
Date Added:: 02/06/2023

Demonstration of radioactive decay using pennies

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Demonstration of radioactive decay using pennies

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A demonstration (with full class participation) to illustrate radioactive decay by flipping coins. Shows students visually the concepts of exponential decay, half-life and randomness. Works best in large classes -- the more people, the better.

(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.)

Subject:: Biology; Earth and Space Science; Geology; Life Science; Mathematics; Measurement and Data; Statistics and Probability
Material Type:: Simulation
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 08/25/2019

Demystifying the Equations of Sedimentary Geology

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Demystifying the Equations of Sedimentary Geology

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One of the great challenges in teaching undergraduates is finding ways to get them to apply knowledge or skills learned in one class to problems encountered in subsequent classes. Case in point: the use of algebra, trig, and even rudimentary calculus in geology classes! This activity presents practical ways we can use to build student confidence in their ability to peer into the meaning of the equations they encounter in sedimentary geology. These techniques include: (1) Surgical Strike Reviews -- 5 to 10-minute review of relevant math principles at the beginning of the appropriate lecture, (2) Unit Analyses -- assigning fundamental units of Mass, Length, and Time to test whether an equation has been derived correctly or to explore the meaning of derivative units of measure that may be unfamiliar to students, and (3) Perturbation Interrogation -- asking students to identify whether the quantity of interest described by an equation will increase or decrease when individual components of the equation increase or decrease.

(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.)

Subject:: Biology; Earth and Space Science; Geology; Life Science
Material Type:: Activity/Lab
Provider:: Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College
Provider Set:: Teach the Earth
Date Added:: 08/26/2019

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Density

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Explore how plate interactions are the result of different densities.

Subject:: Earth and Space Science; Geology
Material Type:: Activity/Lab
Provider:: Concord Consortium
Provider Set:: Concord Consortium
Date Added:: 04/14/2023