Google Earth and Meandering Rivers
Amanda Schmidt, Oberlin College
This activity uses Google Earth to introduce students to a variety of measurements related to meandering rivers by looking at how rivers around the world have changed over time.

Exploring Snow
Erin Pettit, University of Alaska Fairbanks
This activity is intended to get students engaged and thinking about the role that snow plays in our climate system. It is a hands-on inquiry-based activity that students with no background knowledge can do. The ...

Functional Morphology
Samantha Hopkins, University of Oregon
This is a laboratory exercise has students make inferences about function from skeletal morphology. It uses data collection, quantitative reasoning, and hypothesis testing.

Global Fisheries Conservation Stakeholder Interview
Sarah Glaser, College of William and Mary
Students will identify a person who has an economic, ecological, academic, educational, philosophical, or cultural interest in a local fishery (stakeholder). The student will prepare a set of interview questions, ...

Groundwater Flow Model
Alex Manda, East Carolina University
In this activity, students assess a groundwater flow system using a physical groundwater model. Students take measurements, make observations and do simple calculations to evaluate the groundwater flow system. The ...

Analyzing Continuous Data - Climate Variability
Sarah Rubinfeld, Carthage College
The exercise focuses on the analysis of continuous data as applied to climate variability. Using data freely available on the internet, students work in Excel to import their data, organize it, and analyze it using ...

Introduction to Moment Magnitude
John Jasbinsek, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
This activity reviews body-wave magnitude, and takes a closer look at its merits. Then moment magnitude is defined and contrasted with body-wave magnitude. The 2004 Parkfield earthquake is used to illustrate moment ...

Understanding Geologic Maps
Cara Burberry, University of Nebraska at Lincoln
Exercise in deconstructing a geologic map & writing a geologic history of the area.

Secretary of Energy
Samantha Hansen, The University of Alabama
This activity was used in my GEO 101: The Dynamic Earth course to engage the students and get them thinking about different energy resources. It asks them to consider our country's energy needs in the future ...

Writing annotations of five research articles throughout the semester
Scott Clark, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Pre-service elementary school teachers have a critical need to be aware of the importance of scientific literacy and the variety of Earth-science related alternative conceptions (AKA misconceptions) that their ...

Introduction to Hydrology Research Paper
James Ward, Angelo State University
Research paper with exact formatting designed to give student practice in literature review and scientific publication. This is for my Junior level Introduction to Hydrology course.

Changes along Fountain Creek, Colorado (1989-2006)
William Ouimet, University of Connecticut
This assignment examines a rapidly changing alluvial river in Colorado. Students produce a map depicting these changes through the use of repeat air photos and then quantify the rates of change through time. Along ...

Hudson Valley Fold and Thrust Belt Field Trip (Structural Geology)
Martha Growdon, SUNY College at Oneonta; , SUNY College at Oneonta
This activity is designed to help students identify and observe ramp-flat geometry faults and associated flexural-slip folding.

Testing the Shear Strength of Gummy Bear Mountain
Amanda Keen-Zebert, Murray State University
Students hypothesize about the components of shear strength using different shapes of jelly candy and then test their hypotheses. The exercise uses simple, readily available, and edible materials to exemplify ...