Central Section

Section Activities

Upcoming Activities

• 68th Annual Tri-State Geological Field Conference
  October 5-7, 2007
  River Falls, Wisconsin
  Conference Information and Registration Form (Acrobat (PDF) 57kB Aug23 07)
• GLS-SEPM Field Conference
  October 5-6, 2007
  Southeast Ohio
• North-Central GSA Meeting
  University of Southern Indiana
  Evansville, IN, April 24-25, 2008
  
  CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
  Deadline: January 29, 2008
  

  NAGT Sponsored Theme Sessions:

  • Program Development and Assessment—Step 1: Identifying Learning Objectives
    A number of geoscience departments are redesigning their curriculum in an effort to attract more majors. At the same time, their university administration is requiring they develop program assessment plans. Identifying and clearly defining a programs' learning objectives is essential to the successful completion of both these tasks. (Annabelle Foos, University of Akron, convenor)
  • Initiating a Dialogue on Dealing with Resistance to Teaching the Geologic Time Scale and Fossil Record
    This session seeks to initiate a broad discussion of strategies for creating tolerant and open K-16 science classrooms in which critical scientific concepts such as the geologic time scale and fossil record are presented accurately without allowing them to become divisive based on an individual's cultural or religious background. We especially encourage contributions from K-16 educators, scientists, scholars, school officials, and spiritual and community leaders interested in sharing techniques, triumphs and challenges encountered in this area. (Sadredin C. Moosavi, Tulane University; Kurt A. Shoemaker, Shawnee State University; Helen Greer, University of Southern Indiana, co-convenors)
  • Inquiry-based, hands-on, class and lab demonstrations
    Demonstrations depicting earth science phenomena can clarify abstract concepts and reinforce the process of scientific inquiry. Eye-opening and exciting inquiry based demonstrations can be a memorable science experience for students. This session features engaging, easy to set up, inexpensive, and safe demonstrations. Guidelines are suggested for having students recognize independent, dependent, and confounding variables associated with demonstrations. (Mark Francek, Central Michigan University, convenor)

  K-16 Geoscience Educator Workshop:

  Cheap and Easy Hands-On Earth Science Investigations (Carrie Wright, University of Southern Indiana, Debbie Vannatter, Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation)
  24 April, 4pm-6pm
  Cost: US $15. Max.: 40
  Have you ever wondered how to capture student interest when teaching concepts such as glaciers, streams, rocks and minerals, etc.? Let us show you how! This workshop is intended for K-16 earth science educators interested in hands-on activities/demonstrations/labs that encourage student participation and active learning of earth science concepts. Several activities will be demonstrated for elementary, middle and high school grade levels, as well as labs appropriate for college courses. Participants will have the opportunity to test out the activities, get ideas for how to teach them, and will also receive some materials to take back to their classrooms. All activities are aligned with Indiana and national science education standards.

  Field Trip

  Building Stones and Cultural Geology of Evansville (Joe Hannibal, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Sabina Thomas, Baldwin-Wallace College)

  Business meeting and luncheon

  Friday, 25 April, 12 noon

Past K-16 Activities

• North-Central and SOUTH-CENTRAL GSA MEETING
  Lawrence, Kansas
  April 11-13, 2007
  NAGT Central Section sponsored two theme sessions:
  Community-Based Service Learning in the Geosciences
  Issues in Geoscience Education
• Workshop and Sessions (oral and poster) on Inquiry-based, hands-on, classroom exercises, lab demonstrations, and field investigations in geoscience education, at North Central GSA Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, 2005
• Click here for a collection of teaching materials submitted by session attendees.
• Workshop on mammoths with hands-on activities, at Principia College, near St. Louis, MO, 2004
• Field trip on local geology, Kansas City, MO, 2003
• Workshop on Inquiry-based learning, Lexington, KY, 2002

Past Field Conferences

• Joint GLS-SEPM 2006 and 67th TriState Fall Field Conference
  New Perspectives on Paleozoic Epeiric Seas and Carbonate Platforms of the Iowa and Illinois Basins
  Saturday September 30th, 2006
  Rock Island, Illinois
  (Announcement and Registration Information (Acrobat (PDF) 112kB Jun30 06))
• 2005 Tri-State Field Conference
  ROCKIN' IN THE HEARTLAND: The Paleozoic/Quaternary Geology and Hydrogeology of Central Iowa