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

A Revision of Historical Geology

Vicki HarderMary Dowse

Department of Natural Sciences

WesternNew Mexico University

Current Approach

• Geologic Principles

• History of Earth


The Problem

Students frequently don’t make the connection between the principles and history.


Big Ideas & Understandings

1. Science is based on evidence.



1. Science is based on evidence.2. Earth has a long history.



1. Science is based on evidence.2. Earth has a long history.3. Earth has changed through time.



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.


Significant Events

1. Formation of the Earth• Solar nebula• Differentiation of the Earth• Atmosphere and oceans• Meteorite bombardment


Significant Events

2. Appearance of Life• Archean environment• Nature of early life• Prokaryote to eukaryote


Significant Events

3. Snowball Earth4. Oxygenation of the atmosphere5. Rodinia6. Cambrian explosion7. Trilobites and brachiopods


Significant Events

8. Leaving the water9. Formation of Pangea10.Permian extinction11.Dinosaurs, ammonites, and flowers12.Cordilleran evolution


Significant Events

13.K-Pg extinction14.Evolution of mammals15.Evolution of hominids16.Pleistocene glaciation



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

Evide

nce?

Rocks tell a story

Evidence?

How do we know?

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


Revised Course Outline

Introduction to ClassNEW: Google Earth exercise, measure from where they work or live to the department.REVISED: Superposition exercise to cover the scientific method.



Introduction to Historical GeologyNEW: Reference LetterREVISED: Geologic time scale activities

Reading the Rocks: moved lithofacies exercise from Paleozoic.



Precambrian: ArcheanNEW: Meteorite impactsNEW: Chaos

LifeNEW: Evolution lab



Precambrian: ProterozoicNEW: miniGEEBITTNEW: Timeline (this was done for each era)

Plate TectonicsREVISED: Sea floor spreading activity converted to Google Earth exercise



Paleozoic EraNEW: Cayuga Lake Basin correlation of outcropsNEW: Biostratigraphy

ExtinctionsNEW: Mass extinction—needs revision



Cenozoic EraNEW: Evolution of the HorseNEW: Cenozoic climate analysis


Conclusions

• Student comprehension seemed to improve.• There was an emphasis on evolution but no

complaints.• The activities were interesting to the students

and instructor.• Won’t go back to the old method.


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

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