UTILIZATION OF LOCAL GEOLOGY IN THE INTRODUCTORY COURSE

As at many liberal arts colleges our introductory course Principles of Geology serves both as an introduction to the geology major as well as to satisfy a general education requirement for non-majors. In order to make the course more relevant to prospective majors and non-majors alike, and to give them a better feel for the "field-based" nature of the discipline, we have designed laboratories for the course that utilize local geology. While laboratories in the first half of the semester are fairly traditional, mostly rock and mineral oriented, we draw on that background to explore the local geology for much of the remaining semester.

After a standard introduction to topographic maps, students are introduced to geologic maps by having them produce a geologic map of the local area. Students spend two laboratory sessions in the field learning how to make observations and how to record geologic information on the base topographic map. A third session is spent in the laboratory where students finalize their map and are then shown how to construct a cross section. After completion of the map and cross section students are assigned a three-page paper summarizing pertinent points including geologic history, development of local landforms (which correspond very nicely to underlying geology), and aspects of the local economic geology.

A second exercise asks students to determine the100-year flood level on the Minnesota River for the St. Peter area using USGS hydrological records, and to construct a flood hazard map for the city. This exercise introduces students to the nature of real data, graphical analysis, probability, and the uncertainty inherent in the prediction of natural events.