Modeling the interior of the Earth using Seismic Waves part of Quantitative Skills:Activity Collection
Eric Baer, Highline Community College
Students use a variety of tools to explore the interior of the Earth in this inquiry activity.

In-class Review: Simple vs. Pure Shear part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, Geophysics, and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Elizabeth Goeke, Salem State University; Elizabeth Goeke, Vassar College
Quick review worksheet that has students draw a sequence of illustrations of what would occur to a syntectonic quart vein, a pebble conglomerate, a rigid object, and a garnet porphyroblast for pure vs. simple ...

In-class review: folds part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, Geophysics, and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Elizabeth Goeke, Salem State University; Elizabeth Goeke, Vassar College
Short in-class review question about using given strike and dip information to classify a fold. Stereonets used.

Using deformed critters to determine angular shear and shear strain part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, Geophysics, and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Angela Moore, Guilford College
This activity provides a step by step example to help students figure out how to determine the angular shear and shear strain, using fossils with bilateral symmetry. Students first complete the work on an idealized ...

Food Rheology; Folding Fun part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, Geophysics, and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Erin Beutel, College of Charleston
In this activity students analyze the rheologic and structural properties of various foods (everything from pudding to white bread) and think about how they expect them to behave under lateral pressure and how they ...

Describing three-dimensional structures with spherical and Cartesian coordinates part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, Geophysics, and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Jack Loveless, Smith College
Analyzing three-dimensional orientation data using a stereonet is an important component of any structural geology course, ideally helping students to visualize structural geometry and serving as a springboard for ...

Photo observation & interpretation part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, Geophysics, and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Sarah Titus, Carleton College
Each week in Structural Geology, I assign students the task of sketching, describing, and interpreting an image. The images are chosen to match the relevant course material for that week. There is a specific form ...

What is it? part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, Geophysics, and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Geoffrey Pignotta, Carleton University
This classroom activity involves students interpreting geologic structures presented in photos during lecture. Photos are shown either after topics or towards the end of class and one student is called upon to ...

Exploring fold and thrust belts in Google Earth part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, Geophysics, and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Jack Loveless, Smith College
Google Earth enhances traditional geologic maps by allowing the viewer to explore three-dimensional map patterns and the interaction between structure and topography in dictating those map patterns. This activity ...

Increase in volcanism at the beginning of the Holocene on Reykjanes, Iceland: case example part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, Geophysics, and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Barb Tewksbury, Hamilton College
Students make simple stress calculations to determine whether deglaciation at the end of the Pleistocene may have been responsible for a short but dramatic increase in rates of volcanism on Reykjanes in Iceland as ...