Acid Mine Drainage Field-Lab Experience Round 1 part of Activities
Greg Druschel, University of Vermont and State Agricultural College
This contribution outlines a trip with my Geochemistry class to the Ely Mine, a massive sulfide mine (Besshi-type) in east-central Vermont and the field work they did there. We spent a full day discussing the site, ...

Chemical Differentiation in the Palisades Sill part of Cutting Edge:Petrology:Teaching Examples
Matthew Gorring, Montclair State University
The purpose of this assignment is for students to synthesize field observations, petrography, and whole-rock chemical analyses in order to investigate chemical differentiation processes in a basaltic magma chamber. ...

Crystallization of Magmas part of Activities
John Ayers, Vanderbilt University
Students use three methods to explore the crystallization behavior of a rock of known composition at 1 atmosphere pressure. This laboratory exercise illustrates various approaches used by geochemists and ...

What does the core/mantle boundary look like? part of Cutting Edge:Deep Earth:Activities
Suzanne Baldwin, Syracuse University
This activity explores how earth scientists infer what materials are present at the core mantle boundary and what this boundary might look like. It provides students with the opportunity to contribute to the ...

Integrating research methods into geochemistry using local resources part of Activities
Jeanette Pope, DePauw University
This is a semester-long project that introduces students to research methods and practices. Students learn both field and lab techniques and how to develop testable hypotheses. Using local resources is an easy way ...

Geochemical debates part of Activities
Nancy Hinman, University of Montana-Missoula, The
Students are given the task of defending or refuting a statement about global warming. Students are expected to work in groups to develop the strongest argument in their favor, but must also address issues raised ...

Where Did That Quartzite Clast Come From?: A Problem-Based Provenance Study part of Cutting Edge:Sedimentary Geology:Activities
Andrew Hanson, University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Students conducting geochemical provenance studies are forced to deal with obvious things such as manipulating/interpreting geochemical data, but also must deal less obvious factors such as considering earlier ...

Weathering of Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary Rocks in a Semi-Arid Climate - An Engineering Application of Petrology part of Cutting Edge:Petrology:Teaching Examples
Wendy Harrison, Colorado School of Mines; Ric Wendlandt, Colorado School of Mines
Students examine soils developed on igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks near Denver, Colorado. The 2-week exercise includes sample collection, description, and preparation, determining clay mineralogy by ...

Extending Mineralogy by Electron Microprobe Analysis part of Cutting Edge:Petrology:Teaching Examples
John Goodge, University of Minnesota-Duluth
This lab is designed to be a highly interactive lab session for a petrology course, where instructors provide a minimal level of essential background and then the entire group works together to explore mineral ...

Pet Rock Project: A Semester-long Exercise for Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology part of Cutting Edge:Petrology:Teaching Examples
Darrell Henry, Louisiana State University
The pet rock project is a semester-long project in which each student randomly selects an igneous or metamorphic rock from the instructor or brings in a rock from an appropriate locality, and follows all of the ...

Magma Modification in the central Sierra Nevada Batholith part of Cutting Edge:Petrology:Teaching Examples
Jennifer Wenner, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
This exercise is centered around a suite of rocks from the Sierra Nevada batholith. The activities are designed to give petrology students a capstone experience for the igneous portion of the upper-level Petrology ...

Using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer to Teach about Water Chemistry part of Cutting Edge:Data, Simulations and Models:Workshop 03:Activities
Carey Gazis, Central Washington University
Carey Gazis Central Washington University - We are using data acquired with an ICP-MS to teach students about water chemistry at a variety of levels, ranging from high school students to upper level college ...

Interpreting multiple histories of a lithic artifact: introducing undergraduate students to research using the SEM part of Cutting Edge:Data, Simulations and Models:Workshop 03:Activities
Kirsten Nicolaysen, Whitman College
Kirsten Nicolaysen Department of Geology - KSU - We introduced introductory geology and archaeology students to research using the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) at KSU. Students selected images of a ...

Igneous Rock Compositions from Big Bend Ranch State Park as a Teaching Tool in Petrology part of Cutting Edge:Data, Simulations and Models:Workshop 03:Activities
Linda Davis, Washington and Lee University
Linda Lee Davis Washington and Lee University - The project forces the students to evaluate a geochemical data base, to draw inferences from the data that they plot in various ways, and then to make inferences ...

Exploring Marine Carbon Isotope Excursions part of Cutting Edge:Complex Systems:AGU Modeling Workshop 2010:Activity Ideas
David Jones, Geology Department, Amherst College Topic: stable isotopes, geochemistry, oceanography, carbon cycle Course type: Upper level undergraduate course Description The exercise is designed to introduce ...