Construction of a Simple Conceptual Model
Scott Werts, Winthrop University
This homework assignment is designed to give the students practice in developing a simple conceptual model using reservoirs, fluxes, and simple calculations of sediment, carbon and nutrient accumulation in a ...

Soil Biogeochemical Cycles
Colin Robins, Claremont McKenna College
This group activity charges students with teaching their colleagues about the biogeochemical cycle of one key soil element (e.g., either C, N, S, P, Ca, or Fe). Students are given a single class period to summarize ...

Co-evolution of Life and Minerals
Penelope Boston, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Based on the 2010 Scientific American paper by Hazen, and the more technical 2008 paper of Hazen et al, both of which explore the effect of the biosphere on the tremendous number of mineral species that occur on ...

Systems Geobiology Powers of 10
Bruce Fouke, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Systems Geobiology is the study of complex interactions arising from the interplay of biological, geological, physical, chemical and even social systems across multiple spatial (microns to thousands of kilometers) ...

Teaching the nitrogen cycle and human health interactions
Margaret Townsend, University of Kansas Main Campus
This activity uses objects, pictures, and text in a matching game to define the nitrogen cycle and the environmental and human health impacts of nitrogen. The game can be used to associate useful and detrimental ...

Evolution of Whales
Mitchell Colgan, College of Charleston
The students read two articles on the evolution of whales and search the web. The students' writing assignment requires them to outline the evolution of whales using major fossil finds. Students start with ...

Watershed Management
Bruce Herbert, Texas A & M University
In this project, I ask students to use analogous reasoning to support the development of an accurate and rich conceptual model about a specific environmental issue using evidence collected from two watershed ...

Driving Through Geologic Time - An analogy
Eric Baer, Highline Community College
An analogy of the Earth's history to a cross-country drive.

Carbon in the Oceans
Amy Townsend-Small, University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
In this assignment, students in small groups are asked to interpret and explain a figure depicting one aspect of marine carbon biogeochemistry. Then a representative of each group explains the figure to the class.

Deep water circulation and chemistry jigsaw
Michele LaVigne, Bowdoin College
This activity is designed to introduce students to the way in which thermohaline circulation and the biological pump influence the distribution of nutrients, oxygen, carbon, and radiocarbon in the Atlantic vs. ...