HR: 1400h
AN: ED73B-04    [Abstracts]
TI: Geoscience Garden: an outdoor teaching installation at the University of Alberta
AU: * Waldron, J W
EM: john.waldron@ualberta.ca
AF: University of Alberta, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, ESB 1-26, Edmonton, AB T6G2E3, Canada
AU: Locock, A
EM: alocock@ualberta.ca
AF: University of Alberta, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, ESB 1-26, Edmonton, AB T6G2E3, Canada
AB: Spatial awareness, and the abilities to position observations and inferences on a two-dimensional map and within the three-dimensional environment of the Earth's crust, are some of the the larger challenges facing beginning Earth Science students. Studies have shown that outdoor observations of outcrops are vital in the development of these spatial skills. However, teaching the techniques of field geology to Earth Science students is challenging in many parts of the continental interior, where nearly flat-lying, weakly consolidated, poorly exposed sedimentary rocks may be concealed beneath recent soils and Quaternary sediments. At the University of Alberta, these problems are offset by field courses at distant locations in more varied terrains during the spring and summer, but the distances (~300 km) and climate make fieldwork difficult during a busy teaching year that extends from September to April. The Geoscience Garden will be a unique landscaped area within the University of Alberta campus in which large (1 - 5 m), boulders and rock slabs will be built into oriented, simulated outcrops. These will be arranged in a layout that represents the geology of western and northern Canada in condensed form. The Garden, currently in the process of installation, will provide an artificial field environment in which Earth Science students can develop observational skills, and construct a simple geological map. They will be able to interpret the mapped area in terms of a three-dimensional structure, and make stratigraphic inferences about the order of deposition of the units and the environmental changes that occurred during the geologic history of the simulated area. In addition to more common rock types, the Garden will also display specimens of mineral deposits in geological context, and illustrate their importance to rural and northern communities. A buried boulder that has high magnetic susceptibility will provide a target for introductory geophysical field surveys. The project will add a unique capability for teaching basic field skills to students in a local environment, and will prepare students for field courses at more senior levels in more remote locations. In addition to use in a variety of courses and programs within the university, the Geoscience Garden will be open for use by K-12 school groups. These groups currently frequently visit the department's indoor museums; the Garden will provide a practical, hands-on extension to these visits. Instructional materials targeted towards groups at various grade levels will be developed. The success of the installation will be evaluated by surveys of student and user experiences, carried out before and after installation of the Garden.
DE: 0805 Elementary and secondary education
DE: 0810 Post-secondary education
DE: 0815 Informal education
DE: 0820 Curriculum and laboratory design
DE: 0850 Geoscience education research
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2009 Joint Assembly