> Geology 250: Field-based Physical Geology
Geology 250: Field-based Physical Geology Introduction to geologic materials, structures, and landforms. Geology of selected national parks and regional geologic hazards. Emphasis on scientific methods.
Course Aim
The purpose of this course is to give students a hands-on, field-based introduction to geologic materials, structures, landforms, geology of selected national parks, and regional geologic hazards with emphasis on examples found in North America .
Student Learning Outcomes
GEOL 250 Course Outcomes
The student will be able to:
1.) Develop analytical and observational skills through daily entries in a field notebook. Field notebooks will be used not only to record observations, but to explain geologic phenomena, connect those phenomena with the lithologic record, and generalize the interpretation of past environments.
2.) Design a geologic field experiment that is based on a scientific process including observation, prediction, measurement (qualitative and quantitative), discussion, conclusion, and extension; and to understand the significance of the scientific process as a means to understanding the natural world.
3.) Given a geological sample and a hand lens, identify the mineral composition of the sample, estimate the relative percentages of minerals, recognize its compositional features, classify the sample according to rock type and name it. The student will also be able to infer the petrogenesis of the sample, discuss in what geologic setting the sample may have formed, what the approximate age of the sample might be, and what meaning the sample might have to modern or ancient cultures.
4.) Use a topographic map and field measurements to calculate stream discharge and gradient, construct topographic profiles, identify major landforms, recognize cardinal directions, calculate distances, identify stream drainage patterns and stage of stream development, and to effectively navigate terrain with the aid of a compass and terrain association.
5.) Demonstrate an understanding of the geology of North America by framing geological issues such as causes of global warming, water quality and supply, fossil fuel consumption, and mineral resource exploitation within the United States in a global setting.
These learning outcomes relate to:
The Cognitive Skills Learning Outcomes for all General Education courses-
The student will be able to:
1.) Communicate effectively by gaining proficiency in reading, writing, and presenting.
2.) Think critically through investigating and creative problem solving.
3.) Effectively participate and to lead through active engagement with diverse groups and teams of individuals.
and,
The General Education Learning Outcomes for the Natural Sciences-
The student will be able to:
1.) Develop the skills and practice of using quantitative and qualitative approaches to study scientific concepts.
2.) Learn to understand the nature of scientific evidence, how it is obtained, and how it is used in the scientific process.
3.) Learn how to solve problems using the logical approach of science.
Course Content
The course content will be organized into six general themes: foundations of geology, geologic materials, development of landforms, environmental geology, geologic hazards, and geology of national parks. Specific topics to be covered include:
FOUNDATIONS OF GEOLOGY
A. Principles of Geology
The scientific method, principles of geology : superposition, cross-cutting relationships, original horizontality, faunal succession, uniformitarianism, lateral continuity.
B. Plate tectonics
Mechanism for plate motion, types of plate boundaries, evidence for plate tectonics, internal structure of the earth, composition of types of crust.
C. Field methods
Making organized observations in the field, labeling samples, taking representative samples, measuring strike and dip.
D. Geologic time
Divisions of the geologic time scale by name and date, radiometric age dating, radioactive decay, half-lives, decay curves, relative age dating according to the principles of geology.
E. Topographic maps
Features of topographic maps: scale, color, cardinal direction, coordinate systems, reading contour lines, calculating stream gradient, constructing topographic profiles, using topographic maps in the field: terrain association, pace counting.
II. Geologic Materials
A. Minerals
Identification of mineral properties and introduction to mineral groups, formation of minerals: from solidification of melts, precipitation, and solid state diffusion, identification of minerals based on physical properties.
B. Igneous processes
Origins of magma, effect of water on the melting point of rock, effect of silica content on magma viscosity, classification of igneous plutons, volcanoes and volcanic eruptions, volcanic deposits, volcanic hazards, Bowen's reaction series and relationship of magma chemistry to mineralogy, identification of igneous rocks by texture and mineralogy.
C. Sedimentary processes
Types of weathering, methods of erosion, deposition, lithification, diagenesis, depositional environments, identification of sedimentary rocks by mineral composition, clast size and sedimentary structures.
D. Metamorphic processes
Formation of foliated and non-foliated rocks, agents of metamorphism: heat, pressure, fluid content, types of metamorphism: regional, contact, hydrothermal alteration, identification of metamorphic rocks based on texture and mineralogy, metamorphic gradient as determined by mineral assemblages.
III. Development of landforms
A. Structural geology
Stress, strain, stages of deformation, types of faults, types of folds, relationship of stress to plate boundaries, relationship of stress directions to types of structures, concept of strike, dip, axial plane, anatomy of a fold, uplift, and orogenesis.
B. Fluvial Processes
Relationship of down-cutting to base level, classification of streams, relationship of stream drainage patterns to bedrock, types of transport by streams, stages and characteristics of stream development, discharge, gradient, and velocity, development of landforms resulting from fluvial processes.
C. Glacial Processes
Development of alpine and continental glaciation, identification of erosional and depositional features associated with glaciers, the anatomy of glaciers, ice flow, glacial plucking, ice rafting, global climate change associated with ice ages, effects of growth of continental glaciation on world-wide sea level, identification of landscape features associated with alpine and continental glaciation.
D. Desert Environments
Distribution of rainfall in the U.S. , causes of deserts, types of deserts, landforms to hand sample features associated with arid climates, formation of dunes, deflation, human causes of desertification.
E. Coastal Processes
Comparison of active and passive margins and their distinguishing features, coastal erosion, transport of sediment along coastlines, longshore current, types of coastlines, the role of wave action in shaping coastlines, effect of changes in sea level on coastal features, eustasy.
F. Groundwater
Properties of porosity and permeability, aquifers, water table, zone of aeration, zone of saturation, types of wells, dissolution of limestone and the formation of karst, features associated with karst terrains, speleogenic processes.
IV. Environmental geology :
A. Fossil Fuels
Human exploitation of fossil fuel resources: mining coal deposits and petroleum resources, formation of coal deposits and petroleum fields, reducing chemical reactions, effects of diagenesis on organic matter, formation of acid rain, effects of fossil fuel combustion on carbon cycle, energy production budget in the U.S.
B. Hydroelectricity
Human exploitation of fluvial systems to produce electricity, study of how dams work to produce electricity, effects of dams in changing relative base level for rivers upstream from dams, overview of the economic benefits of hydroelectric power, overview and ecological effects of dams, how dams affect the transport of sediment in fluvial systems.
C. Alternative Energy Sources
Overview of nuclear, aeolian, and geothermal electrical production in the U.S., factors controlling the development of alternative energy resources, by-products of nuclear energy and problems associated with long-term disposal of nuclear waste, introduction to power production at nuclear power plants, windmill fields and geothermal power plants.
D. Water Resources
The hydrologic cycle, overview of water resources available to humans, comparison of groundwater and surface water resources in the U. S., survey of types of water pollution, The effects of human activities and their relationship to water quality (pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen).
E. Mineral Resources
Development of hydrothermal and placer metallic ore deposits, formation and exploitation of clay deposits, mining technology and methods for extracting ore materials, overview of mineral resources in the U.S., relationship of mineral resources to commercial products with emphasis on metallic ore deposits in the Butte, MT area.
V. Geologic Hazards:
A. Volcanic
Association of types of volcanic hazards with types of volcanism, proximal and distal volcanic hazards, volcanic hazards particular to the Pacific Northwest, eruptive history of selected volcanoes in the western U.S., prediction of eruptions and current monitoring efforts, emphasis on the historical eruption of Mt. St. Helens.
B. Seismic
Relationship of earthquakes and plate tectonic boundaries, types and characteristics of seismic waves, overview of regions in the U.S. at greatest risk to seismic hazards, comparison of the scales used to measure earthquake intensity, hazards associated with earthquakes, methods for detecting earthquakes and locating epicenters, building construction and design and their suitability to withstand earthquakes, emphasis on seismic hazards associated with the San Francisco Bay area.
C. Mass wasting
Types of slope stability hazards, overview of regions in the U.S. at greatest risk for slope stability hazards, causes of slope instability, emphasis on slope stability hazards in Northern California .
D. Floods
Types of floods, overview of regions in the U.S. at greatest risk for flood hazards, engineering strategies used to prevent flood hazards, flood frequency probability, emphasis on flood hazards prone to the New Orleans , LA area.
E. Coastal
Human causes of coastal erosion, engineering of hard stabilization strategies for coastlines, hurricane hazards, tsunami hazards, overview of regions of the U.S. at greatest risk of coastal hazards.
VI. Geology of national parks :
Overview of the rock types, unit names, and processes responsible for the geologic development of the following U.S. parklands: Indiana Dunes NL, Badlands NP, Big Horn Mtns. NRA, Yellowstone NP, Devils Tower NM, Glacier NP, Dry Falls NRA, Mt. St. Helens NVM, Redwood NP, Crater Lake NP, Point Reyes NS, Yosemite NP, Death Valley NP, Grand Canyon NP, Sunset Crater NM, Zion NP, Bryce NP, Canyonlands NP, Arches NP, Mesa Verde NP, Chaco Culture NHP, Bandelier NM, and Great Smoky Mountain NP.
Instructional Strategies
The course will be taught using an interdisciplinary approach combining social and geological sciences in conjunction with three other courses which are being proposed simultaneously with this course. The courses will make up a 16 hours sequence to be taught in the field at selected sites throughout North America during a nine week period. These courses will collectively be called "GeoJourney". The unique nature of this field program will create a living community of faculty, staff and students which will travel from field site to field site using camp sites, selected U.S. parklands and field locations as its campus. In-camp lectures and labs as well as road-side stops, field projects, museum visits and meetings with local experts will comprise the instructional strategies used in this course. For a complete list of student activities and instructional strategies, please see the attached itinerary.
Student Learning Activities
Learning activities include:
Participation in field excursions
Laboratory and field exercises involving the identification and classification of rocks and minerals
Maintenance of a field notebook
Completion and presentation of geologic mapping projects
Organizing group discussions on geological hazards and environmental geology
Interpreting road cuts and outcrops
Completion of a written report synthesizing the geologic processes responsible for the development of terrains observed.
These activities will require students to develop skills and practice using quantitative and qualitative approaches to study scientific concepts. The activities will give students the ability to solve problems using the logical approach of science.
Procedures for Evaluating Student Performance
Grades in this course will be determined based on a variety of equally weighted criteria including performance and/or: participation in field excursions, maintenance of a field notebook, design, completion, and presentation of field experiments, identification of lithologies encountered in the field and lab settings, use of topographic maps, and written exams.
Daily entries in field notebooks will comprise 20% of the grade for this course. Each field notebook entry must be legible and contain all the pertinent information discussed at each field stop as well as your own observations and thoughts. Sketches (with scale indicated) are necessary for many field stops. Field notebooks will be periodically checked throughout the course - approximately 15 grades will be given. Field notebooks are graded to determine the level of participation and development of analytical and observational skills.
The design and completion of several geologic experiments throughout the course will comprise 20% of the grade. Under the direction of the course instructor, students will design and implement simple experiments in the field ranging from water quality testing to soils sampling and analysis. A written report and presentation of results to the class will be required for each field experiment.
Lab and field exercises , during which rock and mineral samples must be characterized and identified using the properties of mineral identification, will comprise another 20% of the grade. Typically, rock and mineral identification charts will be graded for completeness and correctness to determine this portion of the grade. Additionally, some component of the written exams may include rock and mineral identification and characterization.
The completion of topographic map exercises will comprise another 20% of the grade. At several appropriate sites throughout the course of the program, students will be required to use topographic maps to identify and characterize their surroundings and then to navigate through the terrain. Topographic map exercises will be graded for correctness, while navigation exercises will be graded for participation.
The final 20% will come from four, one-hour written exams that will cover the wide variety of geological topics outlined below in the syllabus. Exams will typically frame questions in the context of how geologic processes work using examples observed in North America and how the geology we observe in the field relates to current issues of water quality, fossil fuel consumption, and mineral resource exploitation.
Plan for assessing student learning outcomes
Assessment of these objectives will be done using performance-based methods.
Proficiency in reading, writing and presenting will be encouraged through substantial course requirements to read, write and present. For most field stops there are corresponding reading assignments. During the oral introduction to each field site students will orally respond to preliminary questions posed by the instructor. Their responses will be assessed for their comprehension of the reading assignment. Based on their answers and concordant with the main concepts to be learned at each site, focus questions will be generated and dictated by the instructor and copied by the students into their field notebooks in order to direct the student's inquiry at the site. Students' initial measurements and/or observations will be recorded in the field note book and will give students the skills and practice of using quantitative and qualitative approaches to study scientific concepts. Initial data collection will be followed by a synthesis of their observation in the form of a written summary statement, also to be written in their field notebooks. Initial field notebook checks will serve as critical feedback to the students and can be rewritten following initial instructor comments, allowing the opportunity to learn by responding to criticisms and suggestions. Once the students have completed the focus questions, the group will be collected for oral reflection on the purpose of the field stop. Students will be chosen at random to orally present their summary statements. Presentations will be assessed in terms of: expression that the data they collected as evidence, communication of how the data is interpreted in the context of geologic principles, and an explanation of the use of their interpretations to explain geologic phenomena. Following their presentation, the instructor will be provided oral feedback on sustaining or improving their presentations.
Thinking critically through investigating and understanding the nature of scientific evidence, how it is obtained and how it is used in the scientific process will be achieved by student inquiry and observation of samples of geological materials and landscape features during the design of a geo-scientific geologic at selected field sites. Assessment of their thought processes will occur during the reflection period at which point students will share their thoughts on how they arrived at the experiment's design. Following the reflection period, the instructor will give a short verbal summary of key pieces of evidence that should be obtained in the context of an example of a successful scientific approach to conduct the experiment. The purpose of the summary will be to clear up areas of confusion and to provide students feedback on their own approaches to using evidence in the scientific process. Creative problem solving by using the logical approach of science will be assessed during student presentation of the findings of their experiment. During the oral presentation, students should cite the geologic principles pertinent to the experiment and explain how their understanding of geologic principles can be used to solve the geologic problem at hand.
Participating and leading through active engagement with diverse groups and teams of individuals is encouraged by having the students work in teams of three to solve problems at outcrops, road-cut stops, during a geo-scientific experiment, and topographic map exercises. Throughout the course, students will be assigned to different groups for each major project, so that each project involves a unique collaboration of students. For at least one of the projects during the program, every student will be appointed as their group's leader. Assessment of a student's participation in the group and/or as the leader of the group will occur at the end of the day during an evening debriefing of the day's assignment which will involve the entire camp. Each student will voice their assessment of their group's dynamics using a "sustain and improve" feedback model. The students will first comment on their group's working characteristics that should be sustained followed by what characteristics they think should be improved. The instructor will summarize and record all student comments on a dry-erase board under the columns "Sustain" and "Improve". After all students have proved their assessments the instructor will provide a final summary of characteristics that lead to effect teamwork/leadership and those characteristics that make teamwork/leadership inefficient.
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> Geology 251: Field-based Historical Geology
Geology 251: Field-based Historical Geology
Methods, concepts, and principles for interpreting Earth history in the field; interactions of tectonic, biological and climatic processes through time; emphasis on examples found in North America .
Course Aim
The purpose of this course is to give students a hands-on, field-based introduction to tectonic, climatic, and biological change on Earth through time with emphasis on examples found in North America .
Student Learning Outcomes
Specific learning outcomes for GEOL 251 will result in the student being able to:
1.) Develop analytical and observational skills through daily entries in a field notebook. Field notebooks will be used not only to record observations, but to explain geologic phenomena, connect those phenomena with the lithologic record, and generalize the interpretations of past environments.
2.) Summarize evolutionary theory and its evidence in the rock record.
3.) Identify major fossil groups in the rock record and connect their occurrence with major extinction events with emphasis on examples found in North America .
4.) Relate past climates and sea levels to the current issue of global warming and identify what human activities lead to climate change, specifically, what activities in the United States affect the carbon cycle.
5.) Associate names and dates with the geologic time scale, describe the tectonic history of the earth, and summarize scientific arguments for the age of the earth with emphasis on examples found in North America .
6.) Synthesize essays recounting the geologic evolution of North America and the resultant regional geology based on the field stops and terrains they have encountered, including the rock types, rock ages, depositional environments and major tectonic events and demonstrate an understanding of how the geology of North America compares with the geologic history of the rest of the planet.
These learning outcomes relate to:
The Cognitive Skills Learning Outcomes for all General Education courses-
The student will be able to:
1.) Communicate effectively by gaining proficiency in reading, writing, and presenting.
2.) Think critically through investigating and creative problem solving.
3.) Effectively participate and lead through active engagement with diverse groups and teams of individuals.
and,
The General Education Learning Outcomes for the Natural Sciences-
The student will be able to:
1.) Develop the skills and practice of using quantitative and qualitative approaches to study scientific concepts.
2.) Learn to understand the nature of scientific evidence, how it is obtained, and how it is used in the scientific process.
3.) Learn how to solve problems using the logical approach of science.
Course Content
The course content will be organized into three general themes: principles of historical geology, life through time, and tectonic and climatic change through time. Specific topics to be covered include:
I. Principles of Historical Geology
A. The origin of the Universe, Earth, and Life
The Big Bang, formation of matter, Doppler effect, formation of the solar system, formation of the solid earth, atmosphere and oceans, formation of the moon , cells, the origin of life, life at modern hydrothermal vents, chemosynthesis, and photosynthesis.
B. Evolution
Mendel's experiments, genes and chromosomes, Charles Darwin's synthesis, natural selection, sources of variation, speciation and rates of evolution, divergent, parallel and convergent evolution, extinction, modern evidence for evolution, and fossils.
C. Fossils
Types of fossilization, fossils and uniformitarianism, fossils and time, fossils and evolution, feeding strategies, modes of life, requirements for a fossil to be considered an index fossil, overview of the distribution of major taxa through geologic time, causes for the relative abundance of marine vs. terrestrial fossils.
D. Introduction to stratigraphic processes
Vertical stratigraphic relationships, facies, marine transgressions and regressions and their causes, correlation by lateral continuity.
E. Introduction to Geologic Time
Early development of the concept of geologic time, Steno's principles, uniformitarianism, atoms and isotopes, radioactive decay, absolute and relative age dating, principles of geology: superposition, cross-cutting relationships, original horizontality, faunal succession, uniformitarianism, lateral continuity. The modern geologic time scale based on dates from absolute age-dating techniques.
II. Life Through Time
A. Identification of Major Fossil Taxa:
Organization and classification of organisms and fossils; Identification of: Plantae, Monera, Protista, Archaeocyatha, Porifera, Coelenterata, Echinodermata, Arthropoda, Brachiopoda, Bivalvia, Mollusca, Bryozoa, and Chordata.
B. Archean Life
The relationship of the Archean atmosphere and oceans to Archean life, the origin of life, prokaryotes, life at modern hydrothermal vents, origin eukaryotes, symbiosis and multicellular organisms, Proterozoic life, changes in the Proterozoic atmosphere, fossil record in the Belt Series, life in modern geothermal systems.
C. Paleozoic Life
The emergence of shelled organisms and the advantages of hard parts, the Cambrian explosion, the development of major marine taxa, fossils of the Madison Formation, the development of vertebrates: fish, amphibians, and reptiles, the move of organisms onto land, the evolution of plants, fossil record of the Grand Canyon, the Permo-Triassic extinction.
D. Mesozoic Life
Evolution of appearance of flowering plants, radiation of reptiles, evolution and classification of dinosaurs, evolution of mammals and birds, the Mesozoic marine revolution, fossil record in the Mesa Verde group, marine predators, fossil record in the Mancos shale, fossil record of the Sheep Mountain anticline, potential causes of the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction.
E. Cenozoic Life
Appearance of modern birds, the radiation of mammals into terrestrial niches, development and diversification of placental mammals, development of grassland ecosystems, intercontinental migration of plants and animals, effect of Quaternary climate changes on mammals (especially those found in the Great Plains), fossil record of the White River Formation and Mammoth Hot Springs site.
III. Tectonic and Climatic Change Through Time
A. Geologic History of the Northern Rockies
Formation of cratons, deposition of the Belt Series, the Laramide orogeny and development of the Lewis overthrust, development and eruptive history of the Yellowstone hotspot, Quaternary glaciations in the Northern Rockies , deposition of the strata in the Great Basin .
B. Geologic History of the Colorado Plateau
Formation of the Antler orogeny, the Ancestral Rockies, the Sauk Sequence, depositional history of strata of the Grand Canyon, the Laramide orogeny, Cenozoic volcanism and lava dams, geomorphology of the Colorado River, geomorphology of the Virgin River, depositional history of strata in Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Arches and Mesa Verde National Parks, effects of tectonic change on the climate of the Colorado Plateau during the Mesozoic, Mesozoic marine transgressions and regressions, and the development of playa lakes in the Colorado Plateau.
C. Geologic History of the Appalachian Mountains
Formation of the Grenville, Taconic, Acadian and Alleghany orogenies, the formation and break-up of Pangaea, the stratigraphy of the Valley and Ridge, geologic evolution of the Piedmont and Blue Ridge, geologic history of Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
D. Geologic History of the Sierra Nevada
The break up of Pangaea, the subduction through the Mesozoic, failed subduction and the crystallization of the Sierra Nevada batholith, volcanic eruptive history of the Long Valley caldera, uplift and Quaternary glaciation of the Sierra Nevada batholith
E. Geologic History of the Franciscan Terrain
Formation of the Farallon plate, displacement of the Salinas block, deposition and uplift of Paleocene sedimentary rocks, formation of the Fort Point Chert and the Hunter Point mélange, tectonic evolution of western North America's active margin.
F. Geologic History of the Cascade Range
Formation of the Mendocino triple junction and the Juan De Fuca plate, the Cascade orogeny, eruptive history of Cascade volcanoes, Pleistocene glaciations in the Cascade Range , the Great Missoula flood.
G. Geologic History of the Basin and Range
Vertical tectonics associated with the Laramide orogeny, Cenozoic volcanic activity of the Basin and Range, emphasis on the eruptive history of the Valles caldera and resulting volcanic deposits, the geomorphic development of Rio Grande River .
H. Geologic History of the Great Plains
Uplift of the Precambrian basement rocks of the Black Hills , uplift and erosion of the Black Hills and the Rocky Mountain Front Range and the deposition of sediments deposited in the Great Plains . Geomorphic development of the Platte River and its tributaries.
I. Geologic History of the Coastal Plain
The retreat of the Mesozoic seaway, the deposition of the Providence and Clayton formations, effects of Quaternary climate change on sea level along the coast of Georgia and the effect on the landward/seaward migration of barrier islands, geomorphic development of the Oconee and Altamaha watersheds, geomorphic development of the Mississippi River in the Louisiana Delta, deposition of loess in the Mississippi River valley.
Instructional Strategies
The course will be taught using an interdisciplinary approach combining social and geological sciences in conjunction with three other courses which are being proposed at the same time as this course. The courses will make up a 16 hours sequence to be taught in the field at selected field sites through out North America during a 9-week period. These courses will collectively be called "GeoJourney". The unique nature of this field program will create a living community of faculty, staff and students which will travel from field site to field site using camp sites, selected U.S. parklands and field locations as its campus. In-camp lectures and labs as well as road-side stops, field projects, museum visits and meetings with local experts will comprise the instructional strategies used in this course. For a complete list of student activities and instructional strategies, please see the attached itinerary.
Student Learning Activities
Learning activities include:
Participation in field excursions
Laboratory and field exercises involving the identification and classification of fossils
Maintenance of a field notebook
Completion and presentation of geologic mapping projects
Organizing group discussions on evolution, extinction, and excavation
Interpreting road cuts and outcrops
Completion of a written report synthesizing the geologic terrains students have encountered and their place in earth history.
These activities will require students to develop skills and practice using quantitative and qualitative approaches to study scientific concepts. The activities will give students the ability to solve problems using the logical approach of science.
Procedures for Evaluating Student Performance
Grades for this course will be determined based on a variety of criteria including performance and/or : participation in field excursions, maintenance of a field notebook, completion and presentation of mapping projects, completion of written reports synthesizing the geologic terrains students have seen and their place in earth history and written exams.
Daily entries in field notebooks will comprise 20% of the grade for this course. Each field notebook entry must be legible and contain all the pertinent information discussed at each field stop as well as student's own observations and thoughts. Sketches (with scale indicated) are necessary for many field stops. Field notebooks will be periodically checked throughout the course - approximately 15 grades will be given. Field notebooks are graded to determine the level of participation and development of analytical and observational skills.
Participation in and completion of several geologic mapping projects will comprise 30% of the course grade. Working in groups, students will be required to map an area, create a map synthesizing interpretation of the geologic features observed, and write a report detailing the interpretations. A short presentation of the results to the class will complete this portion of the grade.
A written report synthesizing student observations, readings, and lecture notes, and detailing the assembling of North America and the resultant regional geology/stratigraphy will be due at the end of the course. This report will comprise 20% of the grade and will be an ongoing project as we travel through the geologic regions of North America .
The remaining 30% of the grade will come from student performance on four, one-hour written exams covering topics in historical geology related to evolutionary theory, identification of major fossil groups, past climates and sea level changes, the carbon cycle, the geologic time scale, plate tectonic theory, global geologic history, and the scientific arguments for the age of the Earth.
Plan for assessing student learning outcomes
Assessment of these objectives will be done using performance-based methods.
Proficiency in reading, writing and presenting will be encouraged through substantial course requirements to read, write and present. For most field stops there are corresponding reading assignments. During the oral introduction to each field site students will orally respond to preliminary questions posed by the instructor. Their responses will be assessed for their comprehension of the reading assignment. Based on their answers and concordant with the main concepts to be learned at each site, focus questions will be generated and dictated by the instructor and copied by the students into their field notebooks in order to direct the student's inquiry at the site. Students' initial measurements and/or observations will be recorded in the field note book and will give students the skills and practice of using quantitative and qualitative approaches to study scientific concepts. Initial data collection will be followed by a synthesis of their observation in the form of a written summary statement, also to be written in their field notebooks. Initial field notebook checks will serve as critical feedback to the students and can be rewritten following initial instructor comments, allowing the opportunity to learn by responding to criticisms and suggestions. Once the students have completed the focus questions, the group will be collected for oral reflection on the purpose of the field stop. Students will be chosen at random to orally present their summary statements. Presentations will be assessed in terms of: expression of the data they collected as evidence, communication of how the data is interpreted in the context of geologic principles, and an explanation of the use of their interpretations to explain geologic phenomena. Following their presentation, the instructor will be provided oral feedback on sustaining or improving their presentations. Three papers will also be completed during the program. Two papers recount the geologic history of areas investigated during separate geologic mapping projects and another paper will synthesize student observations, readings, and lecture notes, and will detail the assembling of North America and the resultant regional geology/stratigraphy.
Thinking critically through investigating and understanding the nature of scientific evidence, how it is obtained and how it is used in the scientific process will be achieved by student inquiry and observation of hand samples of geological materials and landscape features in order to determine the relative ages of geologic events occurring at selected outcrops and road cuts. Assessment of their thought processes will occur during the reflection period at which point students will share their thoughts on how they arrived at their initial hypothesis regarding a site's geologic history. Following the reflection period, the instructor will give a short verbal summary of key pieces of evidence that should be obtained in the context of an example of a successful scientific approach to evaluate the site. The purpose of the summary will be to clear up areas of confusion and to provide students feedback on their own approaches to using evidence in the scientific process. Creative problem solving by using the logical approach of science will be assessed during student presentation of their summary statements at field sites whose purpose is to determine the relative ages of geologic events. During the oral presentation of the summary statements, students should cite the geologic principles (e.g. cross-cutting relationships, superposition, and original horizontality) pertinent to the site and explain how their understanding of those principles can be used to solve the geologic problem at hand.
Participating and leading through active engagement with diverse groups and teams of individuals is encouraged by having the students work in teams of three to solve the geologic history at outcrops, road-cut stops and during geologic mapping exercises. Throughout the course, students will be assigned to different groups for each major project, so that each project involves a unique collaboration of students. For at least one of the projects during the program, every student will be appointed as their group's leader. Assessment of a student's participation in the group and/or as the leader of the group will occur at the end of the day during an evening debriefing of the day's assignment which will involve the entire camp. Each student will voice their assessment of their group's dynamics using a "sustain and improve" feedback model. The students will first comment on their group's working characteristics that should be sustained followed by what characteristics they think should be improved. The instructor will summarize and record all student comments on a dry-erase board under the columns "Sustain" and "Improve". After all students have proved their assessments the instructor will provide a final summary of characteristics that lead to effect teamwork/leadership and those characteristics that make teamwork/leadership inefficient.
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Life
in the Field