Customizable Graphic Organizer for Earth Environmental Science Virtual

Customizable Graphic Organizer for Earth & Environmental Science Virtual Provided by Rea. L Earth System Fieldwork Science http: //virtualfieldwork. org/ http: //teacherfriendlyguide. org/ Adapted from work by Sarah R. Miller

With support from the National Science Foundation. • • This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant No. 0733303. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Support also provided by Commonwealth Connections Academy.

Table of Contents • • About This Template Connecting to Big Ideas & Overarching Questions Download the Most Recent Version! One More Thing. . . The Template (or click on the image in the lower left) • • • The effects of water on the landscape Are there valleys, mountains or hills? What do you think the climate is like here? Why? What types of rocks are there? Do the rocks seem to form a sequence? What effects have humans had on the landscape? Suggestions for improvement are welcome! Suggestions that haven’t been worked in as yet. . .

• • • About this template. . . This is a template for creating one sort of virtual fieldwork experiences (VFEs) of sites that are interesting from an Earth systems science perspective. It is not intended to be the only sort of VFEs, but rather might be thought of as an “entry level VFE. ” The kinds of explorations learners can do in this format are real and valuable but somewhat limited. For more information about VFEs, and to download the most recent version of this template as a Power. Point, Keynote or html file, see virtualfieldwork. org. Assessment materials are also available on the site. The pictures used in the template were taken in the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma in July of 2009 or at Chickies Rock County Park in Columbia, PA in June of 2011. The questions are intentionally written in such a way that they can be asked about any site.

More about this template. . . • • This is not intended as a presentation, but rather as something for learners to work through individually or in small groups. Teachers may adapt as they see fit, however. To use this as a template, simply replace the photos from the Arbuckles with photos from your own field site. All the arrows are hyperlinked. Click on them to go to a page with more on the question in the arrow. Blue boxes are hyperlinks. Links should work in all formats (html, Power. Point and Keynote). Some pictures and text box are also linked. Move the cursor around the different slides to find links.

Still more about this template. . . • • The template is a living document. We’re always looking for input to improve it. Comments in yellow boxes are either seeking feedback on the draft or suggesting ways slides are expected be changed. Those yellow boxes look like this. • Please send suggestions for additions and other improvements, including suggested photos of the Arbuckles, to: • Don Duggan-Haas at: dugganhaas@museumoftheearth. org.

Connect to Big Ideas & Overarching Questions • The next slide offers one (carefully developed) take on what are the most important ideas to understand about Earth. • For more on big ideas and overarching questions, see: http: //virtualfieldwork. o rg/Big_Ideas. html

Overarching Questions: Earth System Science Profound Ideas How do we know what we know? How does what we know inform our decision-making? The Earth is a System of Systems. The Flow of Energy Drives the Cycling of Matter. Physical and To Understand Life, including human chemical principles (Deep) Time and life, influences and is are unchanging and the Scale of influenced by the drive both gradual Space, Models environment. and rapid changes and Maps are in the Earth system. Necessary. The Earth is an Photosynthetic bacteria The Earth System is open system – it is reformulated the The use of models composed of and part of the constant flow of atmosphere making Earth processes is fundamental to a multitude of systems, solar radiation that habitable. Humans have (erosion, evolution or all of the Earth which cycle and interact powers most changed the lay of the plate tectonics, for Sciences. Maps resulting in dynamic surface Earth land, altered the example) operating and models aid in equilibrium (though the processes and distribution of flora and today are the same as the understanding system evolves). The drives the cycling of fauna and are changing those operating since of aspects of the Earth is also nested in most matter at or atmospheric chemistry in they arose in Earth system for larger systems including near the Earth’s ways that alter the climate. history and they are which direct the solar system and the surface. Earth’s Earth system processes obedient to the laws of observation is not universe. However internal heat is a affect where and how chemistry and physics. possible. Models there is an inherent driving force below humans live. For example, While the processes assist in the unpredictability in the surface. Energy many people live in the constantly changing the comprehension of systems, which are flows and cycles shadow of volcanoes Earth are essentially time and space at composed of an through the Earth because of the fertile fixed, their rates are not. both immense and (effectively) infinite system. Matter farmland found there, Tipping points are sub-microscopic number of interacting cycles within it. however they must keep a reached that can result scales. When parts that follow simple Convection drives constant vigil to maintain in rapid changes compared to the rules. Each system is weather and their safety. The human cascading through size and age of the qualitatively different climate, ocean impact on the environment Earth systems. universe, humanity from, but not necessarily currents, the rock is growing as population is a speck in space greater than the sum of cycle and plate increases and the use of and a blip in time.

VFEs Are Question Driven • Ultimately, we want learners to be able to read the landscape: by looking at it’s shape, and the rocks and other materials that compose and move through it, a story can be unearthed. • “Why does this place look the way it does” is the driving question for the project. • Sub-questions vary in size, scale and purpose. Some questions may have a one or two word answer, but those questions should be followed with questions of how we know and what those simple answers imply. For all of these questions: • How do you know? (What evidence is there? ) • What does it tell you about past environments? • What does it imply about the future?

Download the most recent version! • This version was posted June 14, 2010. • If you are viewing the online version, you are looking at the most recent version. • URLs for download: • as html: • http: //virtualfieldwork. org/pp/customizable. V FEgraphicorganizer. htm • as Power. Point: • http: //virtualfieldwork. org/pp/customizable. V FEgraphicorganizer. ppt • As Apple Keynote: • http: //virtualfieldwork. org/pp/customizable. V

One more thing. . . • Virtual fieldwork is not a substitute for actual fieldwork! • If you’re a teacher, use the creation of a VFE as a stepping stone toward taking your students (perhaps not this year’s) into the field, and as a way to both prepare for and process the completion of fieldwork. • Consider having your students create VFEs so that they might teach other learners around the country and around the world about your environment.

And now. . . onto the actual template!

• • • Why does this place look the way it does? Describe th e shape of the land. d a h er pe? t a w sca s a nd h ts e la c ffe d th e n t ha ife a W n l o as life, h s t c e f f e What man life, u h g in d inclu he had on t e? landscap For all of these questions: • How do you know? (What evidence is there? ) • What does it tell you about past environments? D • What does it imply about the an escr ib d future? roc arra e the an ks nge typ d w an m e ha d se ents s ab t they dime of en out in nt vir d p i on ast cat e me nts. • • e ibe th Descr tem. s ecosy W clim hat e ate ffec an had t has d la o nd n th the sca e l pe ife ? • Are there mountains, valleys, or hills? What are the valley shapes? What can form valleys? What can cause mountains or hills to form? Are the mountains or hills young or old? What role do tectonics play in shaping the site? Is water depositing material, eroding material, or both? Is the action of water primarily chemical, primarily physical, or both chemical and physical? • • • How have plants shaped the landscape? How have animals generally, and humans in particular, changed the landscape? On what scale? Sediments & Sedimentary Rocks • Is it clastic or organic/chemical? • If clastic, what is the grain size? • If organic, what minerals is it made out of? • Are there fossils? • • Was the past climate different? What factors may have been affected or caused by climate? • • • Why do living things in the envi-ronment look the way they do? How do living things shape the environment? See questions on the next Metamorphic • Is it foliated or nonfoliated? • What was the parent Igneous • Did the rock form above or below ground? • Is it felsic or

• Need new questions… Why does this place look the way it does? Describ e how li fe shapes the lan d. For all of these questions: • • • r e at How do you know? (What evidence is there? ) What does it tell you about past environments? What does it imply about the future? • • and rocks e role system. ibe th Descr y in the eco a soil pl Ho w h sha as c eco ped limate sys the tem ? f w. o m e l ro ste e th cosy ibe e e r sc th e in D In what ways does water serve habitats? Another question or two… have s t c e f f e t Wha n the o d a h s human m? ecosyste • How have plants shaped the landscape? De arr scr • How have animals an ibe g generally, and an eme the t ima nts yp humans in particular, ind ls a of p es a nd changed the ica nd l a n en te ab what ts an landscape? viro ou th t p ey d • On what scale? n me nts ast . Plants • New question • • How is the climate reflected by living things at the site? More questions… • • • Why do living things in the envi-ronment look the way they do? How do living things shape the environment? New questions needed Animals • New question Other • New question?

What effects has water had on the landscape? • Is water depositing material, eroding material, or both? • Is the action of water primarily chemical, primarily physical, or both chemical and physical?

What effects has water had on the landscape? Link to a Zoom. Image of this photo. It is a high resolution photo that you can zoom in and pan around. Create your own Zoom. Image here.

Describe the shape of the land. • • • What can cause mountains or hills to form? Are the mountains or hills young or old? What is the valley’s shape? What can form valleys? What is the role of plate tectonics Would benefit from: • a picture of those nice folds near the base of the falls. in shaping the land? • Embedded links like on rock hammer pictures (in rock type slides ahead). • Add embedded tombstoning pictures. • Are these mountains or hills? How do you know? • Embedding panorama

What do you think the climate is like here? Why? • What factors influence the climate? • Identify features shaped or determined by climate. • Was the past climate different? How can you tell? • How is climate change likely to affect This would benefit from: this place? • More pics • swiss cheese rock • travertine • Is the overarching question the right one? • Carbon sequestration & GHG world. . .

What do the rocks indicate about past environments? A common question for all rock types: • What do the characteristics of the rock tell you about past environments? In this template, there is at least one page for each general rock type (metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary) • Many field sites have only one of these three types of rocks. Chart of common rock textures Sedimentary • Is it clastic or Metamorphic Igneous • Is it foliated or • Did the rock organic/chemical? • If clastic, what is the grain form above or non-foliated? • What was the below ground? size? • If organic, what minerals is • Is it felsic or it made out of? parent rock? mafic? • Are there fossils? • What do the rocks indicate about past environments?

Common Rock Textures Chart by Jim Ebert, SUNY Oneonta

What types of rock are there? Metamorphic

What types of rock are there? Igneous

What types of rock are there? Sedimentary • Is it clastic or organic/chemical? • If clastic, what is the grain size? • If organic, what minerals is it made out of? • Are there fossils? • What do rock characteristics tell you about past environments? Scheme for Sedimentary Rock ID

What types of rock are there? Sedimentary

Do the rocks seem to form a sequence? • Where would you find the oldest rocks? • Youngest rocks? • Are there different kinds of rocks at different outcrops? This would benefit from: • Folded stuff • tombstone • Is there tilting? If so, what does that imply? • What direction was the camera “looking? ” The pictures here were taken on opposite sides of the road. The tilting shown is all in the same direction. • Panorama -- looking west • Right -- looking east (double check that) • Link to GE file with all pics • Picture measuring dip and strike

What effects have humans had on the landscape? • On what scale? • Were the human impacts on the site done intentionally or were they done without thinking about consequences? This would benefit from: • Another question or two. (I just added the second one and it could stand editing) • A garbage shot. which is more what q 2 is about. • Rephrase second bullet. • Note that the curve is a result of the photostitching, not a curve in the road. • unintended consequences. . . cost/benefit analysis. . . • "What are the unintentional consequence of the human impact? "

Suggestions for improvement are welcome! • • There’s ample room for improvement! Please send suggestions for additions and other improvements, including suggested photos of the Arbuckles, to: • Don Duggan-Haas at: dugganhaas@museumoftheearth. org.

Suggestions that haven’t been worked in as yet. . . • • What would this place look like if _______ (some process or event) hadn’t happened? Please send suggestions for additions and other improvements, including suggested photos of the Arbuckles, to: • Don Duggan-Haas at: dugganhaas@museumoftheearth. org.