Undergraduate, non-majors introductory geology

Simple mathematical relationships, fractions, percentages.

Stand alone exercise.

Quantities of petroleum use, production and reserve. Making estimates.

Reading graphs and calculations. Synthesis of multiple data sets into derived quantities.

Document and web searches, working in groups.

Students receive basic instruction on oil production and use. Using online resources they estimate current consumption and production values now and in the future. The task is to estimate how long projected resources will last at current consumption rates. Students also examine the percentage of US demand that could be met by petroleum in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Individual students get one of three problem sets to work on as a homework assignment. The page each student takes home has the questions in duplicate, and the student fills in the answers in duplicate. They hand in the top half of the page as they arrive at class; this gives them credit for doing the homework.

Class Exercise 1: Students with the same problem set get together at the beginning of the activityto compare answers and make sure they are taking the best possible information to the group activity.

Class Exercise 2: Students break into groups with at least one student having a different piece of the puzzle, and all three problem sets or "jigsaw pieces" represented in the group. They use the duplicate part of their homework sheet to answer the group questions. They turn in a collective answer sheet for the group questions at the end of the exercise.

Numerical values on homework assignment should be accurate.