Teaching Sedimentary Geology

Designing a Sedimentary Geology Course

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Differential erosion, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. Eocene Claron Formation. Marli Miller, University of Oregon. www.marlimillerphoto.com

1. Set goals

Explore example learning goals for Sedimentary Geology from your colleagues. Learn more about setting effective course goals from the Course Design Tutorial. Browse course descriptions and syllabi from your colleagues to gauge the range of sedimentary geology courses currently offered.

2. Consider assessment options

Aligning your assessment strategies with the goals of your course is an essential part of the design process. You can learn more about assessment in the section about Assessing Student Learning in the Course Design Tutorial and through our module on Observing and Assessing Student Learning.

3. Select pedagogies and specific teaching activities

The pedagogic techniques highlighted below can provide inspiration as you consider various approaches that will help you achieve your course goals. The resource collections are organized to provide a rich set of materials to draw from in constructing the specific set of learning experiences you want for your students. Finally, explore the more in-depth information and ideas available in special topics.

Selected Pedagogical Approaches
Sedimentary geology courses help students build a variety of skills and critical thinking abilities. In addition to those listed below, a selection of applicable pedagogies can be found in the Teaching Methods area.

• Sedimentary Geology in the Field: A number of workshop presenters and participants have shared their expertise in teaching with and through field work. Here, you can benefit from their experiences and learn from their presentations and teaching activities.
  
• Examples of Using Physical Models to Teach Sedimentary Geology including the "Jurassic Tank" (also known as the Experimental Earthscape Facility) and the Desktop Delta. This module contains descriptions of these two types of models, example activities and videos taken while the models are running.
• Using Analogies to Teach about Time can help students relate to vast stretches of time. This page highlights the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches.

Resource Collections
The materials below were contributed by faculty members from across the country.

• Course descriptions and syllabi including course learning goals and supporting information. See how your colleagues organize their Sedimentary Geology courses. Also, view example learning goals for Sedimentary Geology.
• Teaching activities including labs, problem sets, projects and field trips. This collection contains downloadable handouts that are ready to use or can be modified to suit your course.
• Visualizations for teaching sedimentary geology, including animations, photos, and interactive imagery grouped around various topics within sedimentary geology.
• Additional resources: Useful websites and resources recommended by faculty who teach about sedimentary geology.
  

Special Topics

• Stratigraphic "Up" Tutorial: Do your students get stumped by which way is up in a sedimentary rock? This tutorial guides students through several types of indicators and how they are used. There is a short quiz to see if your students can determine the "up" direction.
• Exploring the Upper Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation, Montana Through the Eyes of a Stratigrapher: This section guides users through some common questions that geologists generate in an unfamiliar field area.
• Sedimentary geology from Mars: Get ideas for teaching about Sediments and Sedimentary Processes on Mars and Rock Compositions on Mars.
• Teaching Geoscience in the Field: Includes field strategies, example trips, safety resources, and links to published field guides and databases.

Workshops and Events

• 2014 Workshop: Innovative Approaches to Teaching Sedimentary Geology, Geomorphology, and Paleontology
  This workshop will bring together faculty who teach courses in sedimentary geology, geomorphology, paleontology, marine geology, and paleoclimatology to address questions of how to teach these disciplines most effectively at the undergraduate level.
• 2006 Workshop on Teaching Sedimentary Geology
  This workshop brought together faculty from across the country to share ideas, gain insights and present innovative teaching methods. The materials that were presented at this workshop are linked from the workshop program. Also explore your colleagues' approaches to effective teaching methods for sedimentary geology.

Get Involved

• Contribute Materials: Do you have teaching materials, references or web sites you use and recommend for teaching about sedimentary geology? We encourage you to share your favorite teaching materials and help us expand the resource collections.
• Join the Discussion: Share insight, ask questions or network with other faculty by joining the Teaching Sedimentary Geology email list. This link will also provide access to the email list archives or allow you to unsubscribe.