Earth & Space Systems - Field Examination


This course concludes with an integrative assessment in the form of a practical field examination. Students are taken to a previously undisclosed location demonstrating geologic features characteristic of the field trips conducted earlier in the semester. The pre-service teachers are asked targeted questions testing their ability to:
  • Identify Earth Materials
  • Indicate Methods of Formation
  • Suggest Methods of Subsequent Alteration
  • Indicate Approximate Age & Environment in which Materials Formed
  • Suggest Source Areas for Glacial Materials
  • Determine the Relative Sequence of Events Visible at the Site
  • Create Stratigraphic Reconstructions at Different Time Periods
  • Correctly Identify the True Cause of Misleading Observations Relating to a Geologic Test (False Positive for Acid Test on Sandstone caused by Secondary Stream Deposit of Calcite)
  • Identify Geologic Processes Acting Today
  • Predict Future Evolution of the Site

The examination provides students a quality summary of the geologic concepts they should master and strive to impart to their students as appropriate to their respective grade levels.