Using Univariate Statistics to Understand Regional Drainage Patterns part of Teaching Computation with MATLAB:Teaching with MATLAB 2015:Teaching Activities
Peter Adams, University of Florida
In this activity, students use MATLAB to compare two data sets of organic matter content in order to provide quantitative evidence that tests the null hypothesis that sediment samples have the same fluvial source. ...

Volume of oceans, and sea-level variations part of Teaching Computation with MATLAB:Teaching with MATLAB 2015:Teaching Activities
Charly Bank, University of Toronto
The activity combines aspects of Earth science (volume of oceans and ice sheets) with calculus (area of a 1x1 degree tile) and Matlab programming. Students calculate the volume of oceans and of ice sheets given the ...

Using Autocorrelation and Cross-correlation to Explore Links Between River Discharge and Regional Climate part of Teaching Computation with MATLAB:Teaching with MATLAB 2015:Teaching Activities
Peter Adams, University of Florida
Students conduct autocorrelation and cross-correlation analyses on river discharge and climate indices to test the hypothesis that coastal streams draining mountainous terrain are strong indicators of climatic ...

Sketching Block Diagrams part of Spatial Thinking Workbook:Teaching Activities
Carol Ormand Ph.D., Carleton College
Students watch a video of the instructor sketching two geologic block diagrams (of flat stratigraphy and of an upright anticline), then practice sketching additional geologic block diagrams.

Introduction to 3D Sketching part of Spatial Thinking Workbook:Teaching Activities
Tom Hickson, University of St. Thomas (MN)
This activity provides an introduction to 3D sketching. Students sketch a cube, boxes, and cylinders. They watch a video about how to sketch boxes and cylinders, and then sketch a few more.

Understanding Polyhedral Diagrams part of Spatial Thinking Workbook:Teaching Activities
Carol Ormand Ph.D., Carleton College
Students identify individual polyhedra in a variety of diagrams and answer questions about shared oxygens in diagrams of common silicate structures.

Visualizing Data from a Journal Article: A Critical Thinking Exercise part of Sedimentary Geology:Sedimentology, Geomorphology, and Paleontology 2014:Activities
Jeannette Wolak Luna, Tennessee Technological University
This is a take-home exercise for junior or senior-level students in a Sedimentation/Stratigraphy course. It may be used to bridge topics of geomorphology, depositional environments and clastic sedimentology. The ...

Finite difference modeling of hillslope diffusion part of Teaching Computation with MATLAB:MATLAB Workshop 2016:Teaching Activities
Dylan Mikesell, Boise State University
This activity introduces students to the finite difference solution of the hill-slope diffusion PDE. The students derive partial derivatives from Taylor Series expansions of the 2D topography function z(x,t). After ...

Theriak-Domino Exercise part of Petrology:Teaching Examples
Dexter Perkins, University of North Dakota-Main Campus
This multidimensional project involves using several different computer programs to calculate and interpret phase diagrams and pseudosections. So, students learn lots of skills at the same time. But, an overarching ...

Basic Chemistry Review part of Hydrogeology:Hydrogeology, Soils, Geochemistry 2013:Activities
Thomas Meixner, The University of Arizona
This assignment reviews basic of chemistry for students who should have had 2 introductory semesters of basic chemistry prior to enrolling in the Fundamental of Water Quality course for which the assignment is ...