InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Critical Zone Science > Instructor Stories
 Earth-focused Modules and Courses for the Undergraduate Classroom
showLearn More
hideHide
These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The materials are free and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »
How to Use »

New to InTeGrate?

Learn how to incorporate these teaching materials into your class.

  • Find out what's included with each module
  • Learn how it can be adapted to work in your classroom
  • See how your peers at hundreds of colleges and university across the country have used these materials to engage their students

How To Use InTeGrate Materials »
show Download
hideHide
The instructor material for this module are available for offline viewing below. Downloadable versions of the student materials are available from this location on the student materials pages. Learn more about using the different versions of InTeGrate materials »

Download a PDF of all web pages for the instructor's materials

Download a zip file that includes all the web pages and downloadable files from the instructor's materials

Instructor Stories and Adaptations

These resources describe how the module was adapted for use in different settings. We hope these stories inspire your own use of the module and give you insight into how to adapt the materials for your classroom.

Martha Conklin at a weather station in Long Meadow, Sequoia National Park, where she does research on meadows.
Martha Conklin: Critical Zone Science at University of California-Merced. My course is an upper level multidisciplinary course that uses the critical zone (the zone between bedrock and the tops of trees) to illustrate the synergy between the lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. This course was taught as described on the website, with short lectures, online readings and group activities both in and out of class. It culminated with a research paper and a 10-min presentation of the research paper.

adere
Ashlee Dere: Introduction to the Critical Zone at University of Nebraska at Omaha. InTeGrate materials were used as a full semester course for a combined upper level and graduate level geology, geography, and environmental science majors. The course is now a permanent part of the curriculum for undergraduate geology and environmental science majors. Initial course offering included 16 students for two 75-minute lecture sessions. Future offerings will include an additional two hour lab section.

Headshot of Adam Hoffman
Adam Hoffman: Introduction to the Critical Zone Sciences at University of Dubuque. Introduction to Critical Zone Science was offered as a 300-level elective course for science majors. I taught the course in two different formats: a 15-week traditional face-to-face class consisting of three 50 minute lecture sessions and one 3-hour lab per week, and as an 8-week online summer class.

Jim Washburne
Jim Washburne: Critical Zone Science at The University of Arizona. I taught a small 400/500 level seminar course called Introduction to Critical Zone Science. The students were a mix of upper class undergraduates and graduates. Some of my students had prior experience (internships/RA's) with the actual Critical Zone research teams on campus so brought (and shared) their advanced but unique experiences with the class. Despite or perhaps because of their advanced level, most students had only been exposed to a narrow range of ideas relative to the big picture of critical zone integrated systems.

Adam Wymore: University of New Hampshire
Adam Wymore: Critical Zone Science at The University of New Hampshire. This course was taught as a semester-long upper-division elective to Environmental Science Majors at the University of New Hampshire. The student body reflected a mix of students specializing in Ecosystem Ecology, Soils, and Hydrology. We met twice weekly for 75 minutes.

Learn more about using InTeGrate
modules and courses

Skip to search results Skip to pagination

Also Related to Critical Zone Science

Skip to search results Skip to pagination

Critical Zone Science: A transdisciplinary approach to environmental science
May 17 2018 A webinar page detailing a transdisciplinary approach to teaching critical zone science, covering Earth's surface systems, environmental sustainability, soil and geochemistry, human impacts, and curriculum integration for upper-division undergraduate education. auto-generated The author of this page didn't provide a brief description so this one sentence summary was created by an AI tool. It may not be completely accurate.

Teaching about the Critical Zone and the Changing Biosphere
Nov 30 2016 A webinar page for geoscience educators featuring presentation materials and strategies on teaching Critical Zone Science and the Changing Biosphere using InTeGrate principles, with downloadable slides, a screencast, and discussions on interdisciplinary approaches to Earth system science, biodiversity, and human impacts. auto-generated The author of this page didn't provide a brief description so this one sentence summary was created by an AI tool. It may not be completely accurate.

Already used some of these materials in a course?
Let us know and join the discussion »

Considering using these materials with your students?
Get advice for using GETSI modules in your courses »
Get pointers and learn about how it's working for your peers in their classrooms »

These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »