Teaching Activities
These teaching activities have been contributed to the collection by faculty members across the country. You can contribute an activity of your own to the collection using the Teach the Earth contribute form as well.
Learning Outcomes
- Design a data strategy 23 matches Design a field strategy to collect or select data in order to answer a geologic question.
- Collect data 30 matches Collect accurate and sufficient data on field relationships and record these using disciplinary conventions (field notes, map symbols, etc.).
- Synthesize geologic data 34 matches Synthesize geologic data and integrate with core concepts and skills into a cohesive spatial and temporal scientific interpretation.
- Interpret systems and processes 26 matches Interpret earth systems and past/current/future processes using multiple lines of spatially distributed evidence.
- Develop an argument 32 matches Develop an argument that is consistent with available evidence and uncertainty.
- Communicate clearly 33 matches Communicate clearly using written, verbal, and/or visual media (e.g., maps, cross-sections, reports) with discipline-specific terminology appropriate to your audience.
- Work independently and collaboratively 25 matches Work effectively independently and collaboratively (e.g., commitment, reliability, leadership, open for advice, channels of communication, supportive, inclusive).
- Reflect on personal strengths/challenges 8 matches Reflect on personal strengths and challenges (e.g. in study design, safety, time management, independent and collaborative work).
- Demonstrate professional behaviors 23 matches Demonstrate behaviors expected of professional geoscientists (e.g., time management, work preparation, collegiality, health and safety, ethics).
Capstone Field Experience
Results 1 - 20 of 97 matches
Measuring the Inclination and Declination of the Earth's magnetic field with a smartphone
Avradip Ghosh, University of Houston-University Park
The poles of the Earth's magnetic field are not precisely aligned with the geographic north and south poles and, in fact, vary continuously. This activity introduces to students the Earth's magnetic ...
Resource Type: Activities:Classroom Activity, Lab Activity, Project, Field Activity, Virtual Field Trip
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Geological Mapping of a Virtual Landscape
Mark Helper, The University of Texas at Austin
This virtual mapping exercise is part video game, part map prediction and interpretation. You will navigate a virtual landscape to "collect" outcrops and their field notes, recording your observations on ...
Resource Type: Activities:Field Activity, Virtual Field Trip
Learning Outcomes: Collect data, Synthesize geologic data , Develop an argument
Capstone Field Experience: Not a Capstone
See the activity page for details.
Sage Hen Flat fieldcamp/capstone activity
Basil Tikoff, University of Wisconsin-Madison
This activity attempts to simulate the process of field-based science investigation for the Sage Hen Flat area of the White Mountains, California. The Sage Hen Flat pluton is Jurassic in age and intrudes ...
Resource Type: Activities:Field Activity, Writing Assignment, Virtual Field Trip
Learning Outcomes: Design a data strategy , Collect data, Synthesize geologic data , Interpret systems and processes , Develop an argument, Communicate clearly , Work independently and collaboratively , Reflect on personal strengths/challenges , Demonstrate professional behaviors
Capstone Field Experience: Capstone (virtual)
See the activity page for details.
Virtual Geologic Mapping Exercise at Lough Fee
Steve Whitmeyer, James Madison University
The Virtual Geologic Mapping Exercise is designed to simulate an introductory field mapping exercise. Students load a KML file in Google Earth that includes real outcrop data in the form of dots and orientation ...
Resource Type: Activities:Lab Activity, Field Activity, Virtual Field Trip
Learning Outcomes: Design a data strategy , Synthesize geologic data , Interpret systems and processes , Develop an argument, Communicate clearly , Work independently and collaboratively , Demonstrate professional behaviors
Capstone Field Experience: Capstone (virtual)
See the activity page for details.
Quaternary mapping in Bells Canyon as an introduction to ArcGIS Pro
Karen Gran, University of Minnesota-Duluth
This lab is intended to take a GIS novice and introduce them to mapping in ArcGIS Pro by producing a Quaternary map of Bells Canyon in Utah. It can be used as a first GIS exercise to introduce select skills to the ...
Resource Type: Activities:Lab Activity
Learning Outcomes: Collect data, Synthesize geologic data , Develop an argument, Communicate clearly , Work independently and collaboratively
Capstone Field Experience: Capstone (virtual)
See the activity page for details.
Geology of Yosemite Valley
Nicolas Barth, University of California-Riverside
This is a four-part module designed to be flexible in duration and student grade-level. (1) Geology of Yosemite Valley Virtual Field Trip. A 43-stop web-based Google Earth tour with embedded views, hyperlinked ...
Resource Type: Activities:Classroom Activity, Lab Activity, Project, Writing Assignment
Learning Outcomes: Collect data, Synthesize geologic data , Interpret systems and processes , Develop an argument, Communicate clearly
Capstone Field Experience: Capstone (virtual)
See the activity page for details.
Getting started with Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry
Beth Pratt-Sitaula, EarthScope
Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry method uses overlapping images to create a 3D point cloud of an object or landscape. It can be applied to everything from fault scarps to landslides to topography. This ...
Resource Type: Activities:Classroom Activity, Lab Activity, Field Activity
Learning Outcomes: Design a data strategy , Work independently and collaboratively
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Geological Mapping of Ghost Ranch, New Mexico
Joseph Meert, University of Florida
This is useful as a first field mapping exercise (virtual) in a traditional capstone field camp course. Students will map flat-lying, but faulted Mesozoic strata near Ghost Ranch, New Mexico. Skills required in ...
Resource Type: Activities:Virtual Field Trip
Learning Outcomes: Design a data strategy , Collect data, Synthesize geologic data , Communicate clearly , Work independently and collaboratively , Reflect on personal strengths/challenges , Demonstrate professional behaviors
Capstone Field Experience: Capstone (virtual)
See the activity page for details.
Geologic Mapping of a Virtual Landscape II - Three River Hills
Mark Helper, The University of Texas at Austin
This second virtual mapping exercise builds on the first (Geologic Mapping of a Virtual Landscape), but contains a more complicated geological puzzle to solve. This virtual landscape is also much larger, with a ...
Resource Type: Activities:Virtual Field Trip
Learning Outcomes: Design a data strategy , Collect data, Synthesize geologic data , Develop an argument, Communicate clearly
Capstone Field Experience: Not a Capstone
See the activity page for details.
Mid-Atlantic Appalachian Orogen Traverse – Field Trip 1
Steve Whitmeyer, James Madison University
The Mid-Atlantic Appalachian Orogen Traverse is a series of 4 virtual field trips that cross the Blue Ridge and Valley and Ridge geologic provinces in northwestern Virginia and northeastern West Virginia. This ...
Resource Type: Activities:Virtual Field Trip
Learning Outcomes: Collect data, Synthesize geologic data , Develop an argument, Communicate clearly , Work independently and collaboratively , Demonstrate professional behaviors
Capstone Field Experience: Capstone (virtual)
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Mid-Atlantic Appalachian Orogen Traverse – Field Trip 4
Steve Whitmeyer, James Madison University
The Mid-Atlantic Appalachian Orogen Traverse is a series of 4 virtual field trips that cross the Blue Ridge and Valley and Ridge geologic provinces in northwestern Virginia and northeastern West Virginia. This ...
Resource Type: Activities:Virtual Field Trip
Learning Outcomes: Collect data, Synthesize geologic data , Interpret systems and processes , Develop an argument, Communicate clearly , Work independently and collaboratively , Demonstrate professional behaviors
Capstone Field Experience: Capstone (virtual)
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Virtual Geological Mapping Field Trip - Glens of Tekoa, New Zealand
Travis Horton, University of Canterbury; Katherine Pedley
Geological mapping involves the observation, recording, presentation and interpretation of field data, all fundamental skills required by practicing geologists. This virtual geological mapping exercise enables ...
Resource Type: Activities:Field Activity, Virtual Field Trip
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See the activity page for details.
Using StraboSpot for Field Sedimentology & Stratigraphy
Casey J. Duncan, New Mexico State University
This module uses StraboSpot (free mobile app for iOS and Android devices and web API, backend database) and two Utah datasets to facilitate teaching field methods related to sedimentology and stratigraphy. The data ...
Resource Type: Activities:Lab Activity, Project, Field Activity, Virtual Field Trip
Learning Outcomes: Design a data strategy , Collect data, Synthesize geologic data , Communicate clearly
Capstone Field Experience: Not a Capstone
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Landslide Mapping and Analysis
Alison Duvall, University of Washington-Seattle Campus
The purpose of this module is to familiarize students to empirical methods of mass movement hazard analysis, to provide them training in mapping and analyzing inventories of landslides from lidar datasets, and to ...
Resource Type: Activities:Project, Virtual Field Trip
Learning Outcomes: Synthesize geologic data , Interpret systems and processes , Communicate clearly , Work independently and collaboratively , Demonstrate professional behaviors
Capstone Field Experience: Capstone (virtual)
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Karst Hydrogeology and Geomorphology: A virtual field experience using Google Earth, GIS, and TAK
Rachel Bosch, Northern Kentucky University
Students will have the opportunity to select and virtually explore the hydrogeology and geomorphology of a karst landscape using Google Earth (or perhaps Google Mars or Google Moon if they so choose), lidar ...
Resource Type: Activities:Classroom Activity, Lab Activity, Project, Writing Assignment
Learning Outcomes: Design a data strategy , Collect data, Synthesize geologic data , Interpret systems and processes , Develop an argument, Communicate clearly , Work independently and collaboratively , Reflect on personal strengths/challenges , Demonstrate professional behaviors
Capstone Field Experience: Capstone (virtual)
See the activity page for details.
Virtual Field Trip to the Cagles Mill Outcrop, Indiana
Max Christie, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
During this virtual field trip students will write sedimentary facies descriptions, draw a stratigraphic column, and develop a set of paleogeographic maps of the Cagles Mill Spillway outcrop. This site is a ...
Resource Type: Activities:Classroom Activity, Lab Activity, Field Activity, Virtual Field Trip
See the activity page for details.
Sandy Hollow Virtual Field Geology Exercise
Andrew Laskowski, Montana State University-Bozeman
This is a Google Earth based virtual field exercise focused on Sandy Hollow, near Block Mountain and McCartney Mountain in southwest Montana. This is a classic field locality in the Montana portion of the Sevier ...
Resource Type: Activities:Field Activity, Virtual Field Trip
Learning Outcomes: Collect data, Synthesize geologic data , Interpret systems and processes , Develop an argument, Communicate clearly , Work independently and collaboratively , Reflect on personal strengths/challenges , Demonstrate professional behaviors
Capstone Field Experience: Capstone (virtual)
See the activity page for details.
Sonar water-column sounding and bathymetry mapping using fish finders
Robert Stewart, University of Houston-University Park
This water-body activity introduces students to the concept of a regular survey pattern, series of sonar measurements, and water-column and bottom mapping. The basic concept is to cast or tow a small sonar ...
Resource Type: Activities:Field Activity
Learning Outcomes: Design a data strategy , Collect data, Communicate clearly , Demonstrate professional behaviors
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Remote Mapping and Analytical data integration: Coal Creek quartzite and Ralston shear zone, Colorado
Kevin Mahan, University of Colorado at Boulder
This is a combination of an online mapping project (igneous and metamorphic terrain) and a subsequent module for group collaboration with associated analytical datasets (e.g., geochronology and microstructure). ...
Resource Type: Activities:Project, Virtual Field Trip
Learning Outcomes: Design a data strategy , Collect data, Synthesize geologic data , Interpret systems and processes , Develop an argument, Communicate clearly , Work independently and collaboratively
Capstone Field Experience: Capstone (virtual)
See the activity page for details.
Seismology with smart phones and Raspberry Shake geophone systems
Robert Stewart, University of Houston-University Park
This activity introduces students to the concept of vibration recording and the monitoring of seismic shaking. The basic concept is to use motion-sensing devices to understand the character of vibrations and ...
Resource Type: Activities:Lab Activity, Field Activity
Learning Outcomes: Design a data strategy , Collect data, Communicate clearly , Demonstrate professional behaviors
Learn more about this review process.