Workshop Program: Teaching About the Early Earth

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Travel to Amherst, MA

5:00 PM Arrive at workshop, welcoming reception

5:30 Gallery walk featuring key questions

6:30 Dinner

Title slide from David Mogk's opening talk for the Early Earth workshop
7:30 Workshop goals and outcomes; how do we teach uncertain science? (PowerPoint 927kB Jun5 07)
Opening talk by David Mogk, Montana State University.
See the results from this discussion (Microsoft Word 45kB Apr20 07)

Friday, April 13

Title slide from Lindy Elkins-Tanton's presentation, "The first 50 Ma: Planetary formation and the role of water"
8:30 - 10:00 The first 50 Ma: Planetary formation and the role of water (PowerPoint 4.7MB Apr25 07) by Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mantle overturn visualization - surface cooled from the top ( 1.5MB May16 07)
Mantle overturn visualization - surface insulated at the top ( 2.2MB May16 07)

10:15—11:30 Introduction to creating teaching activities
Work in small groups to brainstorm ideas for creating teaching activities

11:30 - 12:00 Reports from small groups: teaching ideas about the early solid earth; summary discussion

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch

Title slide from James Kasting's presentation: Gaia Revisited - The Interplay Between Climate and Life on the Early Earth
1:00 - 2:15 Gaia Revisited: The Interplay Between Climate and Life on the Early Earth (PowerPoint 1MB Apr20 07) by James Kasting, The Pennsylvania State University

2:15 - 2:30 Break

2:30 - 3:30 Work in small groups to brainstorm ideas for creating teaching activities

3:30 - 4:00 Reports from small groups: teaching ideas about the early atmosphere; summary discussion

Title slide from Lynn Margulis' presentation titled "Evolution in the pre-Phanerozoic Earth"
4:00 - 5:30 Evolution on the pre-Phanerozoic Earth (PowerPoint 2.1MB Jun7 07)
by Keynote speaker Lynn Margulis, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
5:30 - 5:45 Evaluation of the workshop so far

Dinner in Amherst

Saturday, April 14

8:15 Introduction

Title slide from Stan Awramik's presentation, "The Record of Life on the Early Earth"
8:30 - 10:00 The Record of Life on the Early Earth (PowerPoint 2.1MB Jun7 07),
by Stanley Awramik, University of California, Santa Barbara
10:15—11:15 Work in small groups to brainstorm ideas for creating teaching activities

11:15 - 12:00 Reports from small groups: teaching ideas about early life; summary discussion. Form working groups

Don Wise's comments about 'Freeboarding' (PowerPoint 80kB May17 07), and the maintenance of a volume-area-isostasy equilibrium

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch

1:00—3:00 Working groups work on writing activities, developing key questions or other products

3:00 - 4:00 Report outs from working groups

4:00 - 5:00 Whole group discussion - what have we learned and what's next?

5:00 End of workshop evaluations

Dinner

Sunday, April 15

Travel home