NAGT Activities at 2011 GSA Annual Meeting

NAGT is pleased to sponsor a variety of symposia and sessions at the Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America meeting held in Minneapolis, MN, October 9 - October 12, 2011. Please submit an abstract and plan to attend the following sessions highlighting key issues of importance to geoscience educators at all levels. You can also come by the NAGT booth to meet officers and other NAGT members and to learn more about you can be involved in your organization.

Information about Events, Receptions, and Organizational Business will be posted here as it becomes available. Be sure to check back here often!

Jump down to: Workshops | Field Trips | Topical Sessions

Meetings and Receptions

Dates and times for business meetings and receptions have been tentatively scheduled as follows. Location information will be posted as it becomes available. Be sure to check back soon for confirmation of times and locations.

  • Geoscience Educators' Social Reception - Saturday, October 8 - 5:00pm to 7:00pm, Minneapolis Convention Center, Seasons Room
  • NAGT Council Meeting (Agenda - log in required) - Sunday, Oct. 9th, 8-10am, Hilton, Marquette Ballroom III
  • NAGT and GSA Geoscience Education Division Awards Luncheon - Sunday, Oct. 9th 11:30am-1:00pm, Hilton, Duluth room
  • NAGT & USGS Internship Meeting - Sunday, Oct. 9th, 2-4pm, Hilton, Marquette Ballroom IV
  • NAGT Past Presidents Breakfast - Monday, Oct. 10th, 7:15-9:15am, Hilton, Director's Row 3
  • NAGT Research Group Reception - Tuesday, Oct. 11th, 6-8pm, Hilton, Minneapolis Grand Ballroom F


Workshops Early Registration Deadline: September 6, 2011

To sign up for a workshop, use the GSA meeting registration. You can add a short course to your meeting registration or attend a workshop as a stand-alone event without registering for the whole meeting.

Early registration ends on 6 September. After that date, course prices go up by $30. This is to encourage registrants to sign up prior to this date to ensure course viability. See the GSA Short Courses web page for further details and a complete list of all GSA short courses.

507. Preparing for the Tenure Process.
Fri., 7 Oct., 5 p.m.-8 p.m. $20; includes a light dinner. Limit: 35. CEU: 0.3.
Cosponsors: On the Cutting Edge, GSA Geoscience Education Division.
Kristen St. John, James Madison University; R. Mark Leckie, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

516. Teaching about Earth's Climate History.
Sat., 8 Oct., 8 a.m.–5 p.m. $50; includes continental breakfast and lunch. Limit: 35. CEU: 0.9.
Cosponsors: National Science Foundation; Wiley Blackwell Publishers; GSA Sedimentary Geology Division; GSA Geoscience Education Division.
Kristen St. John, James Madison Univ.; R. Mark Leckie, Univ. of Massachusetts–Amherst; Kate Pound, St. Cloud State Univ.; Megan Jones, North Hennepin Community College; Larry Krissek, Ohio State Univ.


519: This set of workshops is being cosponsored by NAGT and the Geoscience Education Division of GSA. The registration fee for one workshop is $35, but you can sign up for a morning (519A or 519B) and an afternoon (519C or 519D) and still pay only $35 to register for both.

Note that the registration for these workshops is separate from the other short courses on the GSA registration form. Look for it at the bottom of the page, below the other short course listings.

519A. Teaching Students How to Learn. (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 16MB Oct8 11) Sat, 8 Oct., 8 a.m.- noon. $35 for one course—or get two-for-one! —$35 for combined courses (add 519C or 519D); includes lunch. Limit: 40. CEU: 0.4.
Cosponsors: GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT).
Dexter Perkins, University of North Dakota; Karl Wirth, Macalester College.


519B. Teaching Climate Science with Active Learning Strategies. Sat, 8 Oct., 8 a.m.- noon. $35 for one course—or get two-for-one! —$35 for combined courses (add 519C or 519D); includes lunch. Limit: 40. CEU: 0.4.
Cosponsors: GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT).
Karin Kirk, Science Education Resource Center; Susan Buhr, CIRES


519C. Retooling Your Geosciences Class: Strategies to Assess Learning and Improve Student Success. Sat, 8 Oct., 1-5 p.m. $35 for one course—or get two-for-one! —$35 for combined courses (add 519A or 519B); includes lunch. Limit: 40. CEU: 0.4.
Cosponsors: GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers(NAGT).
David McConnell, North Carolina State University; David Steer, University of Akron


519D. Teaching with Google Earth. Sat, 8 Oct., 1-5 p.m. $35 for one course—or get two-for-one! —$35 for combined courses (add 519A or 519B); includes lunch. Limit: 40. CEU: 0.4.
Cosponsors: GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT).
Peter Selkin, University of Washington Tacoma; Declan De Paor, Old Dominion University.


524. Funding Opportunities for Two-Year College Faculty: Possibilities, Challenges, and Successes.
Sat., 8 Oct., 1–5 p.m.
$15; includes a light snack. Limit: 50. CEU: 0.4.
Cosponsor: National Association of Geoscience Teachers.
Eric Baer, Highline Community College; Heather Macdonald, College of William and Mary.



528. Common Misconceptions about Plate Tectonics, Earth's Interior, and the Rock Cycle, with Active Learning Approaches to Correct Them.
Sun., 9 Oct., 8 a.m.–12 p.m.
$20; includes continental breakfast. Limit: 40. CEU: 0.4.
Cosponsors: GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers.
Scott Clark, Univ. of Wisconsin–Eau Claire; Karen Kortz, Community College of Rhode Island; Jessica Smay, San José City College.


529. Hands-on, Inquiry-Based Activities in Earth Sciences: Workshop for Middle- and High-School Teachers
Sun., 9 Oct., 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
$20; includes continental breakfast and lunch. Limit: 25. CEU: 0.9.
Cosponsors: National Association of Geoscience Teachers; National Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics.
Lee Schmitt, Hamline Univ.; Katherine Pound, St. Cloud State Univ.; Karen Campbell, National Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics.

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Field Trips

There are a number of fantastic field trip opportunities being planned for the 2011 Annual Meeting. Two of these opportunities are being sponsored by NAGT. To see descriptions of all the others, see the Field Trips information page on the Annual Meeting website.

Pedagogical Strategies for Introductory Geology Field Trips Through an Examination of the Mississippi River Valley in the Twin Cities
Leaders: Kate Pound, Karen Campbell, Lee Schmitt
October 7, 2011: 8:00AM-5:00PM
Sponsor: National Association for Geoscience Teachers
Maximum Number of Participants 50
Description: In this field trip participants will evaluate geologic/geomorphic evidence for the history of retreat of St. Anthony Falls through examination of the landscape and examination of classic portions of the Paleozoic bedrock stratigraphy in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metro area. A variety of pedagogies will be used in order to stimulate discussions about approaches and problems associated with teaching Introductory-level students in the field. This field trip is part of a sequence of field trips in which participants visit classic Minnesota localities. Each trip is structured around the use and application of a variety of pedagogical styles in the field. This suite of trips aims to engage participants in discussions about teaching and learning geosciences in the field in situations that range from large introductory classes to more advanced classes. Additional Comments: This field trip is part of a sequence of field trips in which participants visit classic Minnesota localities. Each trip is structured around the use and application of a variety of pedagogical styles in the field. This suite of trips aims to engage participants in discussions about teaching and learning geosciences in the field in situations that range from large introductory classes to more advanced classes.

An Excursion to the Classic Bedrock Localities of Northern Minnesota With a Focus on Teaching and Learning in the Field
Leaders: Karl Wirth, Dexter Perkins, Alison Stokes
8:00AM October 6, 2011 - 6:00PM October 7, 2011
Sponsor: National Association for Geoscience Teachers
Maximum Number of Participants: 24
Description: The goal of this two-day field trip is to explore the opportunities and challenges of teaching geology in the field. The trip will use several classic bedrock localities within the scenic Lake Superior region of the Mesoproterozoic Midcontinent Rift of foster discussions about pedagogies that can be used for teaching students in the field. Extended visits to a world-class turbidite sequence, layered igneous intrusions, and well- preserved volcanic and sedimentary sequences will provide participants opportunities to experience learning geology as a student, and to explore new ways to improve student learning in the field.

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Topical Sessions Abstract Deadline - July 26, 2011

These educational sessions are sponsored in part by NAGT. For a full listing of the educational sessions at the meeting check out the GSA website or see below.

T104. Urban and Suburban Lakes: Paleorecords of Human Impacts and Opportunities for Geoscience Education
GSA Limnogeology Division; GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Amy Myrbo, Kate S. Pound
Interdisciplinary research and/or pedagogical approaches using lake sediment cores covering the historical period. Includes student projects on records of development, pollution, remediation, watershed manipulation, and aspects of geochemistry, sedimentology, ecology, hydrogeology, history, public policy, etc.
Limnogeology; Geoscience Education; Environmental Geoscience
T146. Student-Involved Research Experience in Earth-System Science: An Effective Tool for Recruitment and Retention in the Geosciences (Posters)
National Association of Geoscience Teachers; GSA Geoscience Education Division; GSA Geology and Society Division
Nazrul I. Khandaker, Stanley Schleifer
This session will enable participating students to share their field-based earth-system science content knowledge by demonstrating research potential. Topics are wide open and may include global climate change, pollution, and natural hazards–related information.
Geoscience Education; Environmental Geoscience; Geoscience Information/Communication
T147. What Are Undergraduates Learning in/from Our Programs? (Posters)
National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Solomon A. Isiorho
Program review and information on learning outcomes are important in saving our programs.
Geoscience Education; Environmental Geoscience; History and Philosophy of Geology
T149. Virtual Reality in Geoscience Education (Digital Posters)
GSA Geoscience Education Division; GSA Geoscience Education Division; GSA Structural Geology and Tectonics Division; GSA Geoinformatics Division; GSA Planetary Geology Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers; Google Inc.; Oxford University Press; Minnesota Planetarium Society
Declan G. De Paor, Steven J. Whitmeyer, John E. Bailey
This session covers virtual reality in formal and informal geoscience education at all levels: Google Earth, OmniGlobe, LiDAR, GigaPan, full-dome digital planetaria, caves, and resources for handheld devices, such as iPads and smart phones. PLEASE CONTACT THE SESSION CHAIRS BEFORE SUBMITTING AN ABSTRACT TO THIS SESSION.
Geoscience Education; Geoinformatics; Structural Geology
T150. Teaching about Hazards in the Geoscience Classroom
National Association of Geoscience Teachers
John R. McDaris
Natural and environmental hazards are opportunities to get students interested in geoscience topics. This session encourages educators to share successful strategies for addressing both the geoscience content and the societal factors involved.
Geoscience Education; Geology and Health; Environmental Geoscience
T151. Engaging Early-Career Geoscientists and Geoscience Students in Outreach Activities
National Association of Geoscience Teachers; YES Network; American Geological Institute
Mary Seid, Tiffany A. Rivera
This session focuses on best practices for engaging geoscience students and early-career geoscientists in community outreach programs by demonstrating various field, lab, and digital activities that allow for the communication and promotion of the geosciences.
Geoscience Education; Geoscience Information/Communication; Geochemistry
T152. The Growing Role of Adjunct Faculty in the Earth Sciences
GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Earth Science Teachers Association; National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Sue Ann Finstick, Gwyneth Jones
The number of part-time, nontenurable faculty on campuses across the United States continues to increase. We encourage speakers who will explore the problems and potential solutions that arise as a result of the increase in contingent faculty.
Geoscience Education; Geoscience Information/Communication; History and Philosophy of Geology
T153. Effective Practices for Broader Impacts in K-12: How to Share Your Research and Make Meaningful Contributions
National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Nicole LaDue, Heather Pacheco
Presentations by K-12 educators, scientists, and outreach specialists will provide techniques for effectively reaching K-12 audiences. Presenters should provide examples of strong partnerships with K-12 educators that ensure that high-quality geoscience reaches K-12 students.
Geoscience Education; Geoscience Information/Communication; Public Policy
T157. Innovative Hands-on Geoscience Lab and Class Activities for use in Undergraduate Teaching (Posters)
National Association of Geoscience Teachers; National Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics
Kate S. Pound, Cathryn Manduca, Lee Schmitt
This session will serve as a showcase for active, hands-on, inquiry-based activities used in undergraduate teaching. Participants are required to make their hands-on activity available for the "Hands-on Gallery." Participants can also upload instructional materials to the SERC website.
Geoscience Education; Geoscience Information/Communication
T158. Sense of Place, Geoparks and National Parks: Strategies for Improved Earth Science Education
GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers
William I. Rose, Erika C. Vye, Mark F. Klawiter
This session investigates how sense of place affects our capacity to learn, drives advances in inquiry, and augments improved earth science literacy with existing National Park initiatives and the development of UNESCO Geoparks.
Geoscience Education; Geoscience Information/Communication
T159. Sense of Place, Geoparks, and National Parks: Strategies for Improved Earth Science Education (Posters)
GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers
William I. Rose, Erika C. Vye, Mark F. Klawiter
This session investigates how sense of place affects our capacity to learn, drives advances in inquiry, and augments improved earth science literacy with existing National Park initiatives and the development of UNESCO Geoparks.
Geoscience Education; Geoscience Information/Communication
T160. Stories of Place: Place-Based Research Projects as a Vehicle for Geoscience Education and Service Learning
GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers; Council on Undergraduate Research
Sadredin C. Moosavi
This session seeks to highlight and share those classroom techniques, field methods, research projects, and service learning programs that use student knowledge and interest in specific places as a mechanism for broader geoscience education.
Geoscience Education; Geoscience Information/Communication
T161. The Transition from Student to Investigator: Promising Classroom Strategies and Best Educational Practices
Council on Undergraduate Research; National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Jeffrey Ryan, Elizabeth A. Heise
A critical change we seek in students is a shift in mindset from directed learning to that of an investigator. This session highlights successful strategies and best classroom practices for helping students become geoscience researchers.
Geoscience Education; Geoscience Information/Communication
T162. Increasing Accessible Opportunities in the Geosciences for Students with Disabilities: Current Research and Best Practices
GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Earth Science Teachers Association; National Association of Geoscience Teachers; GSA Diversity in the Geosciences Committee; International Advisory for Geoscience Diversity
Christopher Atchison, Sharon Locke
Geoscience educators and students are encouraged to disseminate research findings and experiences in making geoscience curriculum accessible for physically disabled participants. This session will also promote awareness of the need to increase accessibility in the geosciences.
Geoscience Education; History and Philosophy of Geology
T164. Challenges and Successes in Involving Undergraduates in Research on Climate Change and Energy Resources
Council on Undergraduate Research; GSA Geology and Society Division; GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Anne E. Egger, Christopher S. Kim
This session will highlight challenges, successful strategies, and rewards for engaging undergraduate students in research on naturally interdisciplinary and often controversial topics that have immediate social relevance, particularly climate change and energy resources.
Geoscience Education; Public Policy; Geoscience Information/Communication
T165. Geoscience for All: Strategies for Effectively Teaching a Broad Student Population: Lessons Learned from Two-Year Colleges and Other Open-Door and Diverse Institutions
GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Eric M.D. Baer, Joy M. Branlund, Robert H. Blodgett
Teaching students with a wide range of backgrounds is critical at all institutions, but especially open-admission schools like community colleges. This session will focus on successful models for teaching and supporting all geoscience students.
Geoscience Education; Public Policy; Geoscience Information/Communication
T167. Time, Events, and Places: Understanding Temporal and Spatial Learning in Geoscience Education
National Association of Geoscience Teachers; Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center
Thomas Shipley, Steven Semken, Carol J. Ormand
Students have trouble learning about and reasoning with large temporal and spatial scales. This session will present geoscience education and cognitive science research on spatial and temporal thinking to offer possible ways to improve learning.
Geoscience Education; Public Policy; Geoscience Information/Communication
T168. Overcoming Threats to Earth and Space Science Instruction at K-12 Levels
National Association of Geoscience Teachers; National Earth Science Teachers Association; American Geological Institute
Jacqueline E. Huntoon, Carol A. Engelmann
This session will focus on some of the factors that influence whether earth science is taught in K-12 classrooms, with emphasis on issues that are not directly related to the earth-science "content."
Geoscience Education; Public Policy
T169. Geo-Workforce Preparation for 21st-Century Challenges
GSA Geoscience Education Division; GSA Geophysics Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Marilyn J. Suiter, Lina C. Patino, David J. Matty
This session will provide a forum for exploring geoscience programs in energy and climate change regarding student preparation for the workforce, gathering evidence of program outcomes, and sharing information about similar curricula and professional development.
Geoscience Education; Public Policy
T172. Geocognition Research in Classroom, Laboratory, and Informal Environments
GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Sheldon P. Turner
This session focuses on empirical research in cognition and learning sciences applied to the geosciences in laboratory, classroom, and informal environments, including visualization, problem solving, conceptual understanding, and the nature of expertise.
Geoscience Education
T173. Geocognition Research in Field-Based Environments
GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Eric M. Riggs
This session focuses on empirical research in cognition and learning sciences applied to the geosciences in field environments, including navigation, decision making and problem solving, visualization, and the nature of expertise.
Geoscience Education
T174. Identifying and Addressing K-16 Student Misconceptions in the Earth-Science Classroom
National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Laura A. Guertin, Tanya Furman, Jason Petula, Scott McDonald
K-16 student misconceptions range from factual and conceptual misunderstandings of content to the nature/process of scientific knowledge to what scientists are like. We seek presentations that highlight research and share classroom/laboratory activities addressing these misconceptions.
Geoscience Education
T176. Innovative Methods for Broadening Participation in the Geosciences through In-Service Teacher Professional Development
GSA Geoscience Education Division; American Geological Institute; National Association of Geoscience Teachers; National Earth Science Teachers Association
Carol Engelmann, William I. Rose, Jacqueline E. Huntoon, Mark F. Klawiter, Erika Vye, Stephen R. Mattox, Ann E. Benbow
This session presents geoscientists with innovative methods for working with K-12 teachers on campus and in the field and also provides guidance and support for planning geoscience professional development with teachers.
Geoscience Education
T177. Place-Based Education, Traditional Knowledge, and Research on Tribal Lands: Special Considerations for Collaborating with Native Communities on Geoscience Research (Posters)
National Association of Geoscience Teachers; National Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics; LacCore/Limnological Research Center; University of Minnesota
Holly Pellerin, Amy Myrbo, Lowana Greensky, Diana Dalbotten, Emi Ito
This session highlights projects that incorporate traditional knowledge, successful collaboration on research in the geosciences on Native lands, and excellent examples of place-based education in action.
Geoscience Education
T178. Reaching the Next Generation: Tales of Successful Strategies and Frustrating Challenges from Teaching Earth-Science Courses For Pre-Service Elementary Teachers
GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Kyle Gray, Ann Bykerk-Kauffman
Content courses specifically designed for pre-service elementary teachers often present unique challenges for instructors. This session includes effective course designs, lessons, methodologies, and research findings on factors that improve student learning within this context.
Geoscience Education
T180. Solitary Geoscience Faculty: Collaborating Outside Our Programs
National Association of Geoscience Teachers; GSA Geoscience Education Division
Kyle C. Fredrick, Abigail M.S. Domagall, Janis D. Treworgy
Solitary geoscience faculty collaborate with departments and institutions outside their program through doing research with undergraduates. If you are one of these faculty, collaborators, or students, consider sharing the successes and challenges of your experience.
Geoscience Education
T181. Teaching and Learning in the Field: Helping Students to "Read the Record" and "Tell the Story of Earth"
GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers; GSA Structural Geology and Tectonics Division; GSA Sedimentary Geology Division; GSA Hydrogeology Division; GSA Mineralogy, Geochemistry, Petrology, and Volcanology Division
David W. Mogk, J.W. Geissman, Christopher Bailey, Miriam Barquero-Molina
This session will focus on the instructional strategies, methods, and assessments that can be used to effectively support teaching and learning in the field at all instructional levels to help students to think as geoscientists.
Geoscience Education
T182. Teaching Geoscience Online
GSA Geoscience Education Division; National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Karin B. Kirk, William H. Hirt
Teaching geoscience in an online format offers a new frontier for connecting with our students. This session will provide examples of successful courses, activities, and pedagogic strategies for teaching geoscience online.
Geoscience Education
T183. Teaching Students to Learn
National Association of Geoscience Teachers; GSA Geoscience Education Division
Dexter Perkins, Karl Wirth
This session will include general discussion of the importance of helping students develop metacognitive and self-regulated learning skills and also will include examples of effective classroom activities that promote better learning skills in general.
Geoscience Education
T184. The 21st Century Geoscience Classroom: Creating Learner-Centered Environments for Undergraduates (Digital Posters)
National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Candace L. Kairies Beatty, William Lee Beatty, Jennifer L. Piatek
This session focuses on the innovative ways that instructors are using technology (Google Earth, gigapixel imagery, GIS, Web 2.0 tools, etc.) to create interactive environments that promote learning through experience rather than memorization.
Geoscience Education
T185. Truth in Advertising: Do Students Gain Conceptual Awareness of Science in General Education Curricula?
National Association of Geoscience Teachers; GSA Geoscience Education Division
Edward Nuhfer, Julie Libarkin
Students in required general or liberal education courses constitute the largest group of geoscience students. The requirement exists to produce science literacy, but does such learning occur? How do we know?
Geoscience Education
T206. STEMming the Tide: How Can We Promote Science Literacy?
GSA Geology and Society Division; American Geological Institute; American Geophysical Union; Geology and Public Policy Committee; GSA Engineering Geology Division; GSA Geoscience Education Division; American Association of State Geologists; National Association of Geoscience Teachers
J.E. Fryxell, David W. Szymanski, James F. Davis
As geoscientists, we need to make communicating with the public a high priority to improve how scientific concepts and constraints are incorporated into wise education and policies to help America to thrive in coming years.
Public Policy; Environmental Geoscience; Geoscience Education
T208. Developing Resource Policies Informed by Geoscience: Applications from the Classroom to the Capitol
GSA Geology and Society Division; GSA Geology and Public Policy Committee; National Association of Geoscience Teachers; GSA Geophysics Division; GSA Geoscience Education Division
Michael A. Phillips, David W. Szymanski
As we enter the Anthropocene, we face the depletion of many important resources. This session will explore ways to ensure the geologic perspective on resource use and depletion is included in coursework and in policy making.
Public Policy; Geoscience Education; Economic Geology
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