Introduction to Scientific Journals
Avery Shinneman, University of Washington-Bothell Campus
In this activity, students are introduced to locating and reading peer-reviewed scientific journal articles. It helps ease students into the process of locating, reading, and using journal publications. This ...

Student-designed Authentic Research Projects in a Non-major Environmental Geology Course
PRAJUKTI Bhattacharyya, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Student-designed, data-based authentic research projects can be useful tools for incorporating a dimension of authentic research in non-major science courses. Such an approach has been followed in a geoscience ...

Exploring El Niño
Kevin Theissen, University of St. Thomas (MN)
In this introductory-level lab activity, students first view a 20-minute portion of an informative video to learn about the operation of an array of moored buoys that is used to detect changes in the El Niño ...

Creating a Natural Disaster Blog/VoiceThread to Understand Resilience
Anne Hall, Emory University
Student groups create blogs or VoiceThreads on selected natural disaster events including a description of the event, the cause of the disaster, response & recovery, prediction & prevention and resilience to the event.

Using "Dante's Peak" to Discuss Response to Risk
Michael Phillips, Illinois Valley Community College
In this classroom activity, students watch the movie "Dante's Peak" up to the point where Harry Dalton's supervisor arrives and talks to the town council. Students then compare and contrast Harry's assessment and advice to that of his supervisor, discuss the reaction of the town council members, and develop their own recommendations for how the scientists and town should proceed.

Mapping a Local Dune Field and Estimating Paleowind Speed and Direction
Donald T. Rodbell, Union College Intended Audience: Undergraduate geomorphology course. Location: Pinebush dune field, eastern New York State (approximately 20 minutes from Union College campus). Summary: We visit ...

Roadside and Engineering Geology of Auke Bay, Juneau, Alaska
Roadside and Engineering Geology of Auke Bay, Juneau, Alaska : Cathy Connor, University of Alaska Southeast Intended Audience: Introductory Physical Geology for majors and non-majors. Location: Auke Bay, Juneau, ...

VEPP: Volcanologist Pro Tem: Exploring the Dynamics of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
Eric Christiansen, Brigham Young University
This is an exercise that is in development and has not yet been fully tested in the classroom. Please check back regularly for updates and changes. This discovery activity puts students in the place of real ...

VEPP: Volcanic activity and monitoring of Pu`u `O`o, Kilauea volcano, Hawaii
Lizzette Rodriguez, University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Campus
Brief three-line description of the activity or assignment and its strengths: This is a 10-week group project for a Volcanic Hazards elective course, for undergraduate geology students. Students will access and ...

The Earth's Heat Budget
Roy Plotnick, University of Illinois at Chicago
Hands-on laboratory activity that allows students to investigate the effects of distance and angle on the input of solar radiation at the Earth's surface; the role played by albedo; and the heat capacity of ...