Where Do You See Geology?

and is replicated here as part of the SERC Pedagogic Service.
Maureen Garrett, Arizona Western College
Course: Physical Geology
25 students
Course: Physical Geology
25 students
Connecting course topics to students' lives is a very effective strategy to motivate their learning.
The Activity
I take my students on a "field trip" just outside the classroom and ask them to tell me what they see that is geology. A few shy answers come out and with each one I give a short introduction describing how the local geology formed. As more students respond they feel more comfortable and realize they can identify geology around them.