Teaching Activities

Arctic Climate Curriculum, Activity 1: Exploring the Arctic part of Climate Change:Activities
Karin Kirk, Freelance Science Writer and Geoscientist; Anne Gold, University of Colorado at Boulder
This activity introduces students to the Arctic, including different definitions of the Arctic and exploration of the Arctic environment and Arctic people. Students set out on a virtual exploration of the geography ...

Grade Level: Middle (6-8):Middle - 8, High School (9-12)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Lab Activity, Classroom Activity
Subject: Geography:Physical, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Meteorology:Measurements
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review, Peer Reviewed as Exemplary

Topographic Maps from the US Geological Survey part of Introductory Courses:Activities
Eileen Herrstrom, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
This activity takes place in a laboratory setting and requires ~1.5-2 hours to complete. Students learn how to interpret a topographic map. They read contour lines, construct a topographic profile, and calculate ...

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14):College Introductory
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Lab Activity, Activities
Subject: Geography:Physical
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review

Google Earth Investigations of Folded and Faulted Landforms part of Geodesy:Activities
Hillary Hamann, University of Denver
This activity utilizes Google Earth (the free downloadable version) to investigate folded and faulted landscapes and to review crustal deformation processes and associated landform features.

Grade Level: College Upper (15-16), College Lower (13-14), College Introductory
Resource Type: Activities: Activities, Lab Activity, Computer Applications
Subject: Geography:Geospatial, Geoscience:Geology:Tectonics, Geomorphology:Tectonic Geomorphology, Geoscience:Geology:Structural Geology:Folds/Faults/Ductile Shear Zones
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review

Selecting Sites for Renewable Energy Projects part of Teaching Methods:Teaching with Google Earth:Examples
Glenn Richard, SUNY at Stony Brook
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.

Grade Level: College Upper (15-16), College Lower (13-14), College Introductory
Resource Type: Activities: Activities
Subject: Environmental Science:Policy:Environmental Decision-Making, Geography:Geospatial, Human/Cultural, Environmental Science:Energy:Renewable & Alternative Energy, Environmental Science:Land Use and Planning
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary, Passed Peer Review

Boomburbs part of Complex Systems:Teaching Activities
Sarah Bednarz, Texas A & M University
A boomburb is a new urban phenomena that has emerged in the last 20 years along with the growth of the Sunbelt and its suburban-dominated forms of urbanization. Boomburbs are rapidly growing suburban cities and ...

Grade Level: College Upper (15-16), High School (9-12), College Lower (13-14)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity
Subject: Geography:Human/Cultural
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review

How myths form: Accounts from Mt. Pelee part of Environmental Geology:Activities
Lynne Elkins, University of Nebraska at Lincoln
This is a great activity for class sizes ranging from small seminars to lecture classes. It's particularly appropriate for courses that relate hazards/volcanism to culture, society, and human interest subjects ...

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity
Subject: Geography:Human/Cultural, Environmental Science:Natural Hazards, Sociology, Environmental Science:Natural Hazards:Volcanism
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review

The Amazing Race Geocache part of Geoscience in the Field:Activities
MICHELLE KINZEL, Southwestern College
This hands on activity sends participants along a pre-determined course, using handheld GPS units, clues, and math skills to search out visual locations. Students compete in teams using basic functions of a Garmin ...

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Field Activity
Subject: Geoscience, Geography:Geospatial
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review

Calculating surface temperature using Landsat thermal imagery part of GIS and Remote Sensing:Activities2
Abduwasit Ghulam, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and Center for Environmental Sciences, Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO 63103 Summary In this lab, students are walked through a hands-on exercise ...

Grade Level: College Upper (15-16), College Lower (13-14)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity, Lab Activity, Activities, Project
Subject: Geography:Geospatial
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review

Reflectance Spectra part of GIS and Remote Sensing:Activities2
Katherine McCarville, Upper Iowa University
Katherine McCarville, Upper Iowa University Summary Students use the ALTA reflectance spectrometer to understand concepts in active vs. passive remote sensing, reflectance, and the creation and relevance of ...

Grade Level: College Upper (15-16)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities, Lab Activity
Subject: Geography:Geospatial
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review

Introduction to EARDAS IMAGINE part of GIS and Remote Sensing:Activities2
Bingqing Liang, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Bingqing Liang, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Summary This exercise is designed to introduce students 1) how to prepare an image for Chemung County, Elmira, NY using one Landsat scene downloaded from USGS ...

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14), College Introductory
Resource Type: Activities: Activities, Problem Set
Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Geophysics:Geodesy, Geography:Geospatial
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review