A Revision of Historical Geology Vicki Harder Mary Dowse Department of Natural Sciences Western New Mexico University

Current Approach Geologic Principles History of Earth Western New Mexico University

The Problem Students frequently dont make the connection between the principles and history. Western New Mexico University

Big Ideas & Understandings 1.Science is based on evidence. Western New Mexico University

Big Ideas & Understandings 1.Science is based on evidence. 2.Earth has a long history. Western New Mexico University

Big Ideas & Understandings 1.Science is based on evidence. 2.Earth has a long history. 3.Earth has changed through time. Western New Mexico University

Big Ideas & Understandings 1.Science is based on evidence. 2.Earth has a long history. 3.Earth has changed through time. 4.The history of Earth is recorded in the sedimentary archives. Western New Mexico University

Significant Events 1.Formation of the Earth Solar nebula Differentiation of the Earth Atmosphere and oceans Meteorite bombardment Western New Mexico University

Significant Events 2.Appearance of Life Archean environment Nature of early life Prokaryote to eukaryote Western New Mexico University

Significant Events 3.Snowball Earth 4.Oxygenation of the atmosphere 5.Rodinia 6.Cambrian explosion 7.Trilobites and brachiopods Western New Mexico University

Significant Events 8.Leaving the water 9.Formation of Pangea 10.Permian extinction 11.Dinosaurs, ammonites, and flowers 12.Cordilleran evolution Western New Mexico University

Significant Events 13.K-Pg extinction 14.Evolution of mammals 15.Evolution of hominids 16.Pleistocene glaciation Western New Mexico University

Western New Mexico University Science is based on evidence! Significant Events Earth has a long history! Earth has changed! History is in the sediment How do we know? Lots has happened! Potential for great change Evidence? Rocks tell a story Evidence? How do we know? Observations

Revised Course Outline Introduction to Class Introduction to HG Reading the Rocks Precambrian: Archean Life Precambrian: Proteorzoic Geologic Time Plate Tectonics Paleozoic Era Mesozoic Era Extinctions Cenozoic Era Western New Mexico University

Revised Course Outline Introduction to Class NEW: Google Earth exercise, measure from where they work or live to the department. REVISED: Superposition exercise to cover the scientific method. Western New Mexico University

Revised Course Outline Introduction to Historical Geology NEW: Reference Letter REVISED: Geologic time scale activities Reading the Rocks: moved lithofacies exercise from Paleozoic. Western New Mexico University

Revised Course Outline Precambrian: Archean NEW: Meteorite impacts NEW: Chaos Life NEW: Evolution lab Western New Mexico University

Revised Course Outline Precambrian: Proterozoic NEW: miniGEEBITT NEW: Timeline (this was done for each era) Plate Tectonics REVISED: Sea floor spreading activity converted to Google Earth exercise Western New Mexico University

Revised Course Outline Paleozoic Era NEW: Cayuga Lake Basin correlation of outcrops NEW: Biostratigraphy Extinctions NEW: Mass extinctionneeds revision Western New Mexico University

Revised Course Outline Cenozoic Era NEW: Evolution of the Horse NEW: Cenozoic climate analysis Western New Mexico University

Conclusions Student comprehension seemed to improve. There was an emphasis on evolution but no complaints. The activities were interesting to the students and instructor. Wont go back to the old method. Western New Mexico University