Dale EasleyUniversity of Dubuque

Telling Stories in ScienceIgneous Rocks and My Dad's Heart Attack

Felsic rocks are silicate rocks with more than 63%silica content by weight. They are light colored and low density. They melt at relatively low temperatures. Their magma has high viscosity. They occur mostly on continents. Example: granite.

Definition and Occurrence of Felsic Rocks

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Are your eyes glazing over yet?

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The State of Science Education

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My father in his World War II uniform

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Married life

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Cutting the fat

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Mafic and Felsic Rocks: Living on the fat of the land

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The Key Concepts: Differences in mafic and felsic rocks

Property Felsic(fat)Mafic(meat)

color lighter darker

melting point lower higher

density less(continents)more

(ocean bottoms)

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Niles Eldredge

“Scientists tend toreact in horror tothe suggestion thattheir results can berendered as merestories. But what’swrong…with goodwriting?”

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Multiple functions of stories

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So, what are the risks?

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“We need to cover it all!”

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What are the benefits? Now we’re reallykissin’ cousins!

Studentengagement Showing how

things are related

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Norman Maclean

"All there is to thinkingis seeing somethingnoticeable which makesyou see something youweren't noticing whichmakes you see somethingthat isn't even visible."