Earth System Science Courses

Geologic Puzzles: Morrison Formation part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Interactive Lectures:Examples
Images of faulted strata, tilted turbidites, and beach rocks bring the field into the classroom, giving students practice in doing what geoscientists do. These images are examples of geologic puzzles.

The Sleeping Mountain part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Role Playing:Examples
In this role-playing scenario, students represent townspeople whose lives and livelihoods are endangered by an active volcano which may or may not erupt in the near future.

Analyzing the Antarctic Ozone Hole (College Level) part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Teaching with GIS:Examples
College-level adaptation of a chapter in the Earth Exploration Toolbook. Examine satellite images of atmospheric ozone in the Southern Hemisphere to study changes in concentration over a time.

Investigating Earthquakes: GIS Mapping and Analysis (College Level) part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Teaching with GIS:Examples
This is a college-level adaptation of a chapter from the Earth Exploration Toolbook. The students download global quake data over a time range and use GIS to interpret the tectonic context.

Northwest Passage part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Teaching with Google Earth:Examples
An investigation of changes in polar regions using Google Earth.

Energy Consumption Rates across the USA and the World part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Teaching with Google Earth:Examples
A investigation of differences in rates and categories of energy use between countries and US states

Teaching Mineral and Rock Identification with a Jigsaw Activity part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Jigsaws:Examples
In this Jigsaw activity, groups of four students are tasked with identifying 20 different minerals (or rocks).

Weathering Rates part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Interactive Lectures:Examples
A think-pair-share activity in which students calculate weathering rates from tombstone weathering data.

Carbon Dioxide Exercise part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Interactive Lectures:Examples
Students work in groups, plotting carbon dioxide concentrations over time on overheads and estimating the rate of change over five years.

Global Temperatures part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Teaching with Data:Examples
Students analyze the global temperature record from 1867 to the present. Long-term trends and shorter-term fluctuations are both evaluated.