Guided Inquiry Introductory Geology Labs
Editors: Rachel Teasdale, Kelsey Bitting, Katherine Ryker
The Guided Inquiry Introductory Geology Labs collection is a set of labs created in summer 2020, then piloted, reviewed and revised through summer 2021. Instructors can use the Inquiry Level Rating provided for each lab in their consideration of adopting the activities for their courses. Labs cover many common introductory geology lab topics, some of which also have options for online (synchronous and/or asynchronous) instruction. Each lab in the collection provides Teaching Tips to guide instructors in their use, student handouts and verified instructors can access keys to activities using instructions embedded in labs.
What is Inquiry & Why Does it Matter? How Were the Labs Developed? What the Inquiry Ratings Mean Selected Readings
Subject
Results 1 - 10 of 13 matches
Discover Plate Tectonics
Angela Daneshmand, Santiago Canyon College
This is a student-centered activity for a synchronous online course where students access google slides to complete during a video conferencing session (eg. Zoom) in break out rooms. Students will be introduced to ...
Inquiry Rating: Structured Inquiry, Guided Inquiry, Confirmation Inquiry
Igneous Rocks Inquiry Lab (In Person)
Jennifer Cholnoky, Skidmore College; Mary Abercrombie, Florida Gulf Coast University
Average inquiry level: Guided inquiry This is an in-person inquiry lab for igneous rocks, but it could be converted to an online lab through use of igneous rock photos available online (see links provided in the ...
Inquiry Rating: Structured Inquiry, Guided Inquiry
Climate Change: Past & Present, Local & Global
Cheryl Manning, OrbWeaver Consulting, LLC; Rondi Davies, CUNY Queensborough Community College
Average inquiry level: Guided inquiry In this laboratory exercise for introductory geology or environmental science courses, students use data to examine climate change in their local environment. They compare ...
Inquiry Rating: Open Inquiry, Guided Inquiry, Structured Inquiry
Online Minerals Inquiry Lab
Revising authors: Katryn Wiese, City College of San Francisco
Original authors:Christopher Berg, Orange Coast College; Becky Jirón, College of William and Mary; Alexandra Priewisch, Fresno City College; Katryn Wiese, City College of San Francisco
Average inquiry level: Structured Students explore mineral properties and the ways in which we distinguish among the variety of rock-forming minerals. Ultimately students will learn to classify various properties, ...
Inquiry Rating: Guided Inquiry, Structured Inquiry
Fantastic Prehistoric Beasts and Where/When to Find Them
Marie Farson, Principia College; Sharon Gilberg, St. Petersburg College
Average inquiry level: Guided inquiry This inquiry-based lab explores the fossil record by having students use various characteristics of fossils to devise a classification scheme and eventually apply the geologic ...
Inquiry Rating: Structured Inquiry, Guided Inquiry
Investigating Rock Classification
Sean Bryan, Colorado State University; Megan Plenge, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Average inquiry level: Structured This lab activity provides an introduction to rock classification. Classification is useful because it allows scientists to identify patterns and organize information. In this lab, ...
Inquiry Rating: Guided Inquiry, Structured Inquiry
Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks Lab F2F
Revising author: Maria Mercedes, Central Michigan University
Original authors:Maria Mercedes, Central Michigan University; Stephanie Sabatini, North Carolina State University
Average inquiry level: Structured In this lab, students will use observations to compare and contrast metamorphic processes and features to draw conclusions about the geologic history of metamorphic rocks. As ...
Inquiry Rating: Guided Inquiry, Structured Inquiry
GEOLOGIC TIME: PRINCIPLES & APPLICATIONS
Tiffany Rivera, University of Missouri-Columbia; Victor Ricchezza, Georgia State University
Average inquiry level: Structured This inquiry-based lab about the principles of relative and numerical dating allows students to apply reason and logic to determine the order of geologic events, to experimentally ...
Inquiry Rating: Open Inquiry, Guided Inquiry, Structured Inquiry
Mineral Mystery Lab
Emily Scribner, Clemson University
Average inquiry level: Structured In this lab, students will take on the role of a mineralogist by testing various physical properties of minerals, sorting minerals into categories with similar characteristics, and ...
Inquiry Rating: Open Inquiry, Guided Inquiry, Structured Inquiry, Confirmation Inquiry
Exploring Groundwater
Bridget Garnier, Blue Valley School
Average inquiry level: Structured This groundwater lab is designed for online, asynchronous instruction and uses Google slides (or Powerpoint) so student can use the draw features. Within this lab, students will: ...
Inquiry Rating: Open Inquiry, Guided Inquiry, Structured Inquiry
Acknowledgement of Funding
This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Program under Grant No. DUE-1933395 and 1933488. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Recommendation for Citations
Please cite the full collection as:
Teasdale, R., Bitting, K., Ryker, K., (Eds.) (2021). Guided Inquiry Introductory Geology Labs, National Association of Geoscience Teachers. Retrieved from https://serc.carleton.edu/inquiry_intro_geo/index.html.
Cite individual lab activities using the following format:
<Original authors>, (original authors), <revising authors names> (revising authors). (2021). Lab title. In Teasdale, R., Bitting, K., Ryker, K., (Eds.) (2021). Guided Inquiry Introductory Geology Labs, National Association of Geoscience Teachers. Retrieved from <link to lab activity>.