Wakemup Pluton part of GET Spatial Learning:Teaching Activities
Students work through a set of questions about a geologic map of an igneous intrusion and surrounding rock units. These questions focus students' attention on the topography, geomorphology, lithology, and ...

Google Earth Exercises for Structural Geology part of Visualization:Examples
Students use imagery taken from Google Earth to create photo-geologic maps of areas with various structural styles. Concepts include basic geologic mapping principles, remote data set interpretation, ...

Identifying Symmetry in 2-D Drawings part of Mineralogy:Activities
These three activities are problem sets that make students think about symmetry in 2-D. They all involve identifying symmetry from drawings. I purposely omitted jargony words/phrases such as lattice, unit cell, ...

Introduction to Modeling Faults part of GET Spatial Learning:Teaching Activities
Students use Play-Doh to explore the map patterns created by faulting + erosion. We begin with simple scenarios and progress to more complex possibilities.

Introduction to Modeling Folds part of GET Spatial Learning:Teaching Activities
Students make Play-Doh models of synclines and anticlines, including one of a plunging fold. They use these models to answer questions about what these structures look like in map view and cross-sectional view.

Isopach Maps part of GET Spatial Learning:Teaching Activities
Students complete several short, in-class exercises related to understanding isopach maps. We use Play-Doh models to illustrate features revealed in the isopach maps and to support student understanding of the ...

Rivers and Floods in Tampa FL on the Sulphur Springs Quadrangle part of Hydrogeology:Activities
This activity takes place in a laboratory setting and requires ~1.5-2 hours to complete. Students study a topographic map, draw drainage divides, calculate recurrence intervals for two streams, create a recurrence ...

Introduction to Igneous Intrusions part of GET Spatial Learning:Teaching Activities
Students make Play-Doh models of sills and dikes.

Introduction to Structure Contours part of GET Spatial Learning:Teaching Activities
Students construct structure contour lines for a "dipping bed" in our classroom and on a geologic map. In my class, this is a multi-day activity. In part 1 of this exercise, students use "topographic ...

Modeling Folds: Block Diagrams and Structure Contours part of GET Spatial Learning:Teaching Activities
Working in small groups, students build Play-Doh models of 3 folds (one upright, one vertical, one plunging). They slice each of their models to create 3D block models, sketch block diagrams of each fold, and ...

3D Model of a Geologic Map part of GET Spatial Learning:Teaching Activities
Students analyze a geologic map of an angular unconformity that truncates a pair of dikes, with some topography. When students have deciphered the map and constructed a cross-section, I show them a Play-Doh model ...

How Many Is A Million? part of Rates and Time:Visualizations with Teaching Notes
Roger Steinberg, Department of Natural Sciences, Del Mar College 5000 Dots by Computer (Click image to enlarge and download.)

Visualizing Global Earthquakes – Where and Why do Earthquakes Occur? part of Visualization:Examples
In this activity students visualize the distribution and magnitude of earthquakes at and below the surface of Earth and how their distribution is related to plate boundaries. Earthquakes are visualized on a 3D ...

Global Earthquakes: Teaching about Earthquakes with Data and 3D Visualizations part of Visualization:Examples
In this series of visualizations and accompanying activities, students visualize the distribution and magnitude of earthquakes and explore their distribution at plate boundaries. Earthquakes are visualized on a 3D ...

Visualizing Earthquakes at Divergent Plate Margins part of Visualization:Examples
In this activity students visualize the distribution and magnitude of earthquakes at divergent plate boundaries. Earthquakes are visualized on a 3D globe, making it easy to see their distribution within ...

What is it? part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, Geophysics, and Tectonics 2012:Activities
This classroom activity involves students interpreting geologic structures presented in photos during lecture. Photos are shown either after topics or towards the end of class and one student is called upon to ...

Recognizing and mapping faults using lidar and field data part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, Geophysics, and Tectonics 2012:Activities
In this activity, students create a geologic map and cross-section of the Fish Springs cinder cone and surrounding area in the Owens Valley, CA, using a high-resolution DEM developed from airborne lidar data as a ...

Exploring Evidence of Plate Tectonics Using GeoMapApp part of Integrate:Workshops and Webinars:Teaching the Methods of Geoscience:Activities
This activity requires students to explore a range of datasets that help substantiate Plate Tectonic Theory. Students investigate plate tectonic environments (convergent, divergent, transform boundaries), topography/bathymetry of continents and ocean basins, the distribution and pattern of earthquakes, the distribution of volcanoes, as well as ages of the sea-floor, and more.

Relative Geologic Time and the Geologic Time Scale part of Paleontology:Activities
Group simulation of the development of the geologic time scale illustrating concepts of correlation and relative time. Extremely effective for teaching the significance of the geologic time scale.

Selecting Sites for Renewable Energy Projects part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Teaching with Google Earth:Examples
Students use Google Earth to investigate appropriate locations for a variety of renewable energy projects in the United States. These include projects that use solar energy, bioenergy, hydroelectricity, tidal power, wind energy, wave energy, and geothermal energy.