Describes an activity in which students are asked to write an essay on the Crustal Displacement hypothesis, an hypothesis that is inconsistent with the accepted understanding of crustal and mantle processes. The assignment is useful because it forces students to solidify their understanding of plate tectonics by applying their knowledge in a new…

Discusses the Maury River Alliance (MRA), a cooperative program developed at the Washington and Lee University that involved local colleges, high schools, government agencies, and conservation groups. Addresses the connection between land use and water quality with a creative merging of technical, social, and educational aspects of local watershed…

Discusses how to address the issue of a course becoming too popular. Uses as an example the Age of Dinosaurs course at the University of Texas at Dallas. Describes some issues that can arise such as classroom overflow, overwhelmed labs, cheating, testing methods, and asynchronous instruction. Recommends looking to web-based course management…

Describes using the evolution-creation controversy to introduce students to the scientific method by having them write a paper that summarizes arguments used by those who took a viewpoint opposite their own. Results indicate that most students learned about the controversy, focused their views on where they stood, and valued the learning…

Analyzes how textbooks define and describe an earthquake focus or hypocenter. Provides examples from textbooks that reflect an absence of precision in words and diagrams that can foster misconceptions. Discusses the origin of the problems. (DDR)

Part of a series which aims to promote the use of mathematics in the undergraduate geosciences curriculum. Focuses on mathematical set theory and classification of rocks. (Author/MM)

Points out that assessment of courses and curricula lags behind implementation and focuses on an evaluation project at the University of Arizona. Describes an effort to determine the effectiveness of science courses for non-majors. (DDR)

Describes the use of a scale analog model of an actual fractured rock reservoir to replace paper copies of fracture maps in the structural geology curriculum. Discusses the merits of the model in enabling students to gain experience performing standard structural analyses. (DDR)

Geoscience departments with graduate programs were surveyed to determine the courses required of entering graduate students. Most geologists consider the core curriculum to be that which is required or recommended by most graduate programs. In addition to geology courses, two semesters of calculus, physics, and chemistry were required by more than…

Describes the Proffit Mountain project, part of a senior-level class in applied geophysics that provides students with hands-on experience in applying principles and techniques learned in class. Students conduct magnetic, gravity, and radiometric studies over a diabase body which intrudes rhyolite at Proffitt Mountain in southeast Missouri.…

Argues that a term paper worthy of a high grade must be more than a quick literature review. It should be a research project on a subject narrowly focused enough that the instructor will learn new things and in which the writing process requires numerous drafts. Offers a short guide intended to be given to students as part of the term paper…