This assignment serves as an introduction to the geologic time scale and …
This assignment serves as an introduction to the geologic time scale and to help students visualize the long time intervals between major events in Earth's history. The assignment encourages students to choose a metaphor for geologic time, research major events throughout Earth' history, and calculate how much (cumulative) of their metaphor each time interval represents.
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Dinosaur Journey is part of the Mueums of Western Colorado. Learn how …
Dinosaur Journey is part of the Mueums of Western Colorado. Learn how scientists used meteorites to age the solar system. Curator of Paleontology Dr. Julia McHugh shows you meteorites on display at Dinosaur Journey.
Our modern world uses many different materials, often complexly constructed and difficult …
Our modern world uses many different materials, often complexly constructed and difficult to recycle. Students investigate the elements in a smartphone and innovations in cement and steel. They also consider the challenge of communicating about large and complex numbers. This guide an extension of the TILclimate episode "TIL about materials."
Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum/Geology of National Parks module. Students calculate the amount …
Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum/Geology of National Parks module. Students calculate the amount of rock removed and the value of copper produced at the great Keweenaw District up to 1925.
This problem set challenges students to determine the chemical classification of minerals …
This problem set challenges students to determine the chemical classification of minerals based on their chemical formula (provided). For oxygen-bearing minerals, students must also provide the valences of the various cations.
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In this geology activity, students investigate the physical property of mineral cleavage …
In this geology activity, students investigate the physical property of mineral cleavage by physically trying to break down a block of halite and describing the results. This lab addresses many misunderstandings non-majors have about the physical properties of minerals and includes a brief write up of their conclusions.
This exercise introduces mineral commodities (elements). Students consider the elements aluminum, iron, …
This exercise introduces mineral commodities (elements). Students consider the elements aluminum, iron, copper, nickel, zinc, uranium, lead, gold, mercury and tin and match them with their definintions in a table. Then they use minable grade (minable weight percent) and normal crustal abundance (crustal weight percent) to calculate the concentration factor for several commodities to determine their economic minability. Students then graph their calculations and explain their trend.
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This Western Mining History database uses Mineral Resources Data System to list …
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.
Students are given cubic cell edge dimensions and asked to calculate mineral …
Students are given cubic cell edge dimensions and asked to calculate mineral densities and vice versa. The final question of this homework assignment provides students with a mineral density and unit cell edge length in order to determine the number of formula units per cell.
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This activity is a lab investigation in which students make mass/volume measurements …
This activity is a lab investigation in which students make mass/volume measurements of several samples of the same mineral to determine the mineral's density. Students graph their data and make the connection between their qualitative understanding of what density is and the mathematical/graphical representation of density.
Average inquiry level: Structured In this lab, students will take on the …
Average inquiry level: Structured In this lab, students will take on the role of a mineralogist by testing various physical properties of minerals, sorting minerals into categories with similar characteristics, and then creating a flowchart to use to identify minerals. This lab is designed for face-to-face instruction.
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Mineral Point, CO Mining Town. Western Mining History presents a brief summary …
Mineral Point, CO Mining Town. Western Mining History presents a brief summary of Colorado's Historical Mining Towns with links to additional Colorado resources for a mining town database and mines by county. Western 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 strong primary source resource that can be used for a variety of class research projects. Consider becoming a member or making a donation to help further the work of the site.
Students use the Geochemist Workbench programs React and Act2 to explore the …
Students use the Geochemist Workbench programs React and Act2 to explore the pH dependence of mineral solubility.
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In this problem set, students must determine the mineral formulas based on …
In this problem set, students must determine the mineral formulas based on weight percent of constituents. They must provide the correct stoichiometry and molar ratios to three decimal places.
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This 6-week laboratory activity has students working in groups of two or …
This 6-week laboratory activity has students working in groups of two or more to synthesize a mineral and then analyze their mineral using XRD.
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Optical Mineralogy and thin sections just blew me away when I first …
Optical Mineralogy and thin sections just blew me away when I first was exposed to them. (Of course that was the psychedelic 60's!) Because of my experience, I've always thought that we might attract a major or two if we introduced first-year students to interference colors and such. Therefore, this exercise is primarily intended to be used in an introductory (physical) geology class, perhaps for advanced students or as an extra credit project. It may also be appropriate as a brief introduction ("teaser"?) to optics in a mineralogy or optical class.
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Western Mining History presents a brief summary of Historical Mining Towns in …
Western Mining History presents a brief summary of Historical Mining Towns in the Western United States with links to each states mining towns. The site includes an interative map and video. Western Mining History is an historical site that provides 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.
This outdoor investigation involves students observing, recording, comparing and pondering the differing …
This outdoor investigation involves students observing, recording, comparing and pondering the differing landscapes and rocks located along a river. Follow-up class sessions involve student generation of investigable questions, student-generated studies with required write-up and a mapping activity.
This activity uses a physical model to facilitate students' understanding of elastic …
This activity uses a physical model to facilitate students' understanding of elastic deformation of rocks and the episodic nature of motion on a fault, which leads to earthquakes and aftershocks.
This project or multi-lab activity is designed to teach students about modeling …
This project or multi-lab activity is designed to teach students about modeling landscape change caused by rivers over large time and spatial scales (e.g., the incision of Grand Canyon). Basic working knowledge of geomorphology of rivers is assumed but Matlab experience is not, so students will both build on Matlab ability and on how rivers can change as controlling variables are changed like uplift rate and the ability of rock to resist erosion. This is built on a 1-D stream power model-derived numerical code, where several variations in activities are available for exploration where structure and scaffolding decreases with increasing difficulty through the series. The detailed instructional write-up and all matlab scripts needed are here: Files for River profile modeling (Zip Archive 40kB Oct17 16)
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