Investigating slope failure and landscape evolution with red beans and rice!
Tom Hickson, University of St. Thomas (MN)
Students investigate the behavior of a slope profile over geological timescales using a very simple experimental apparatus. The lab allows students to understand concepts of equilibrium, controls on slope profile, ...

Life and Death of Hawaiian Volcanoes: A Jigsaw Activity on the Hawaiian Ridge
Andrew Greene, Hawaii Pacific University; Michael Garcia, University of Hawaii at Hilo
This activity immerses students in the discovery and appreciation of the Hawaiian hotspot, and the growth and evolution of Hawaiian volcanoes. This engaging, interactive group activity uses a beautiful 25 foot long ...

Exploring the Link between Hurricanes and Climate using GCM Results
Cindy Shellito, University of Northern Colorado
This activity requires students to examine global climate model output available online and consider the potential impact of global warming on tropical cyclone initiation and evolution. As a follow-up, students ...

Introduction to hydrologic model calibration
Matin Rahnamay Naeini, University of California-Irvine
In this exercise, we introduce the concept of model calibration for rainfall-runoff models. We specifically employ a synthetic precipitation data as input to the hydrologic model to generate synthetic runoff. The ...

Reef Builders through Time
Peg Yacobucci, Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
Students will use the Paleobiology Database (PBDB) to explore the history of reef-building animals through time. They will document diversity and extinction patterns through time for seven reef-building marine ...

Constructing Phylogenetic Trees: The Whippo Story
Scott Cooper, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
An interactive lecture in which students use data on feeding habits and habitat, skeletons, and DNA sequences to draw phylogenetic trees. -

Red Beans and Rice: Slope failure experimental modeling
Tom Hickson, University of St. Thomas (MN)
Students replicate a slope failure experiment published in Science (Densmore et al., 1997) using a simple, acrylic slope failure box in an effort to forge a link between autocyclic processes, long-term landscape ...

Teaching Chaos and Complex Evolutionary Systems Theories at the Introductory Level
Lynn Fichter, James Madison University
This is a learning progression of 12 models leading to 19 learning outcomes designed to introduce chaos and complex systems theories concepts in 3 - 5 50 minute classes. Includes power points of class ...

Unit 2.1: Why are waves created and what is the point of them?
Sandra Penny, Russell Sage College
Waves are observable all over the place, so why do they exist? Students analyze properties such as wave speed, distance traveled, and time elapsed through their own explorations. They are introduced to new lab ...

What Lives Down There?
laStelshia Speaks, Baltimore County Public Schools
Learners will travel through a process of learning involving reading a book together, comparing video presentations to information within the book, utilize vocabulary to demonstrate expansion of retained ...