“YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT?” TEACHING TIPS FOR INTRODUCTORY GEOLOGY CLASSES FOR NON-SCIENCE MAJORS

“You Want me to do What?” Teaching Tips for Introductory Geology Lab for Non-Science Majors

Teaching an introductory geology class with lab to non-science majors can be a much different experience than teaching to a class with geology majors, and other science majors enrolled in it. These classes for non-science majors must be approached differently than they would otherwise be because the students often have very little formative background or interest in science. In order to overcome this, I have found that presenting the material (lab material in particular) to them in a way that it would be presented to a much younger student seems to work wonders. By introducing learning techniques that we typically see at the elementary school level such as flash cards, as well as using exercises or activities that are geared towards a younger audience, I am able to get the content across without them thinking that they’re getting all of the meddlesome science. Then, once they are actively participating, I kick things up a few notches to the “college level” by introducing application type questions, or advanced calculations. I will share with you a number of tips and activities that I have used, as well as welcome any input from the audience concerning successes and failures with this technique.