Our 4th grade year has become known as "the field trip year", with over 10 trips carefully aligned with learning units across the year. This article describes the first trip of the year, which in many ways sets the stage for students' effective use of field trips as engaging extensions and applications of classroom learning. The Pike's…

The timing and processes of development of the high topography and high relief of the southern Rocky Mountains of Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico has been controversial for over a hundred years. This study applies several different methodologies towards understanding the timing and relative importance of the events that uplifted and shaped the…

Rivers are important surficial geologic processes that shape Earth's landscape. Students' conceptions of river features and processes serve as a foundation for their learning of new river concepts. Despite the importance of rivers and students' conceptions of them, little research has focused on identifying students' river conceptions. This study…

During the summer of 2012, the Louisiana State University (LSU) field camp program was affected by close proximity to the large Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado Springs, CO, as well as by a fire incident on the field camp property. A mapping exercise was created that incorporated spatial data acquired on the LSU property to investigate research…

Geology is increasingly involved in the planning and implementation of community development projects throughout the globe. A partnership among the Water For Life organization, Wheaton College in Illinois, and the village of Tushile in Kosovo during the past few years has proven to be successful in potentially sustainable improvements, including…

Geospatial skills are critical to effective geologic mapping, and many geoscience students experience challenges in developing good geologic interpretation and projection skills. A physical (non-virtual) underground mine mapping simulation in a building on the Adams State College campus in Alamosa, Colorado, provides an excellent cost-effective…

Do students really enroll in Introductory Geology because they think it is "rocks for jocks"? In this study, we examine the widely held assumption that students view geology as a qualitative and remedial option for fulfilling a general education requirement. We present the first quantitative characterization of a large number of…

The GetWET Observatory was developed as part of an overall course redesign of the Introductory Geology Laboratory at Colorado State University to improve student learning of key surface and groundwater concepts for nonmajors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Consisting of six groundwater monitoring wells, the GetWET Observatory…

Provides written tour of Colorado Rockies along San Juan Skyway in which the geological features and formation of the mountain range is explored. Discusses evidence of geologic forces and products such as plate tectonic movement and the Ancestral Rockies; subduction and the Laramide Orogeny; volcanism and calderas; erosion, faulting, land…

The Elk Range located in the very center of the Colorado Rocky Mountains is described in this guide to the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area. Near the ghost town of Marble, Colorado, this wilderness area is described as 66,000 acres 150 miles outside Denver encompassing 25% of all established wilderness in Colorado, 130 miles of marked trails,…

Introduces a paleontology curriculum that focuses on the concepts of observation and inference, setting up an experiment, collecting data, and developing and testing a hypothesis. Features units such as Nature of Science, Paleontology of Florissant, and Evolution. (YDS)

Explores the natural forces that created the Colorado Plateau, examines a few of the myriad plants and animals inhabiting the six life zones on the plateau, and provides an overview of the challenges faced by land managers seeking to care for the plateau's extraordinary life and land forms. Contains 17 references. (WRM)

In the introductory assignment, each randomly assigned group spends about 10 to 15 minutes at each station. The author incorporates as much sensory stimulation in the activity as possible. At the first station, students view a PowerPoint show from a geology class the author participated in at the Grand Canyon. At station two, students look at a…

This engaging, informative "Educators Guide" provides detailed background information about the Colorado Watershed. Its reference section contains 25 science-based, multidisciplinary, hands-on activities that teach about hydrology, geography, geology, ecology, tribes, history, cultures, economics, management issues and resource…

Colorado's Pawnee Grasslands are well suited for a wide range of academic study, from astronomy to zoology. Designed for educators and youth leaders seeking to integrate an alternative experience into their curriculum or recreation program, this guide is intended to give leaders of excursions to the Grasslands a sense of what's out there and some…