Kaatje Kraft

Earthquake Case Study part of Cutting Edge:Introductory Courses:Activities
This activity is a multiple case study analysis of different earthquakes that leads to student interpretation of claims, evidence and prediction/recommendations.

Reflection on the process of science & geoscience part of Cutting Edge:Metacognition:Activities
This is an activity for early in the semester that asks student to reflect on their understanding of the process of science, participate in an activity about the process of science, and then re-reflect on their ideas.

Mercalli Earthquake Activity part of Cutting Edge:Introductory Courses:Activities
A jigsaw process that allows students to analyze first person descriptions of earthquakes and assess several earthquake features.

Introduction to the Black Canyon City Landslide part of NAGT:Teaching Resources:Teaching in the Field:Field Trip Collection
On this one day field trip, students will be exposed to some general introductory field methods by examining an active landslide. They will examine the relative ages of the units involved as well as identify the types of materials involved (bentonite, basalt, colluvium and alluvium). They will make an assessment as to what type of motion is occurring as well as a prediction for what types of hazards this may pose to the surrounding community.

Making the "black box" model more transparent part of Cutting Edge:Metacognition:Activities
Students will work with a "mystery box" to determine it's contents through an inductive reasoning process in order to better understand how models are used for geoscientific ways of knowing.

Geologic Disasters & the Environment part of Cutting Edge:Introductory Courses:Courses
This class teaches the essentials of geologic disasters and environmental geology to non-major students. Students examine human interactions with Earth and vice versa. This course is taught through a case study approach with a metacurriculum approach that integrates student understanding of content with the process of science.

Integrating Undergraduate Research into the Geosciences at a Two-Year College part of Integrate:Workshops:Broadening Access to the Earth and Environmental Sciences:Essays
Kaatje Kraft, Physical Science, Mesa Community College Research supports that undergraduate research (UGR) is critical for preparing students to be successful in STEM domains. In addition, there is evidence that ...

How can we broaden participation in the geosciences? part of SAGE 2YC:Supporting Student Success:Supporting Student Success in Geoscience at Two-year Colleges:Essays
Broadening participation in the geosciences is both an issue of equity and practicality. Current job projections indicate that more than 90% of all STEM jobs will require at least some college within the next decade (Carnevale et al., 2010). By 2050, the current underrepresented population (Hispanic, African-American, Asian and mix of 2 or more races) will comprise nearly half of the population (Day, 1996), as a result, the current majority White population will no longer be the dominant contributors to the job market. If Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) jobs currently held by the majority are not replaced and filled by individuals in the growing minority groups, the nation faces a possible crisis. In addition, those who obtain a college degree are more likely to be flexible as the job market shifts and changes with technological advances (Carnevale et al., 2010). Supporting students in the general education science classes to be successful becomes a critical step toward obtaining a college degree, particularly those who move into STEM fields.

Why do we teach geoscience to non-majors? part of Integrate:Workshops:Teaching the Methods of Geoscience:Essays
Why do we teach geoscience to non-majors? Kaatje Kraft, Physical Science, Mesa Community College In a recent homework assignment a student submitted about the nature of geoscience, he cited a webpage that ...

Kaatje Kraft part of Cutting Edge:Metacognition:Workshop 08:Participant Essays
Teaching Metacognition: Preparing Students to Be Successful by Kaatje Kraft, Physical Science Department, Mesa Community College As a faculty member at a community college I encounter a wide diversity of ...

Kaatje Kraft part of Cutting Edge:Affective Domain:Workshop 07:Workshop Participants
Physical Science, Mesa Community College Homepage What are the key issues related to the role of the affective domain in teaching geoscience that you would like to engage at the workshop? The cultural & ...

Geology at Mesa Community College, Mesa Community College part of Building Strong Geoscience Departments:Curricula & Programs:Curriculum Profiles
Information for this profile was provided by Kaatje Kraft, Mesa Community College. Information is also available on the program website. Students in this program are pursuing a associates degree. Program Design ...

Supporting Minority Students at Mesa Community College part of Integrate:Programs:Supporting Minority Students
Mesa Community College serves over 40,000 students a year, 21% of whom are Hispanic. We have two different geoscience pathways for students to pursue, geology (in the physical science department) and geography (in the cultural science department). Both programs serve over 600 students a year, only a handful of whom self-identify as majors. There are no geoscience degrees, so tracking the number of majors is difficult, however there is a geology club that has an active membership ranging from 10-30 members in any given year.

Making the "black box" model more transparent part of Integrate:Workshops:Teaching the Methods of Geoscience:Activity Supplement Collection
Kaatje Kraft, Department of Physical Science, Mesa Community College.Original authors: Kaatje Kraft, Annia Fayon, Merry Wilson, Erin Peters, Nicole LaDue, Christy Briles, Jim McDougall, and Ron NarodeThis page is ...

Geologic Disasters and the Enviroment part of Integrate:Workshops:Teaching the Methods of Geoscience:Course Supplement Collection
Kaatje Kraft, Department of Physical Sciences, Mesa Community College.This page is a supplement to the original course description found hereShort description of the course:This course teaches the essentials of ...

Hypothesis Formulation & Testing part of Starting Point-Teaching Entry Level Geoscience:First Day of Class:Activities
Kaatje Kraft, Mesa Community College Course: Introduction to Physical Geology ~50 students Students remember what they have seen and done much better than they remember what you have told them. The Activity In ...

Earthquake Analysis Paper part of Cutting Edge:Student Learning: Observing and Assessing:Activities
This activity requires students to link what they have learned in class to current earthquakes around the world. They are required to analyze two different earthquakes, and then compare the two for similarities and differences.