Teaching Chemical Weathering Using Hands-on Guided-Inquiry Investigation Stations

Students can have difficulty understanding the connection between molecular level reactions and the macroscopic world they see and experience. Chemical weathering is a concept that lends itself to an integrated investigation at the molecular, microscopic, and macroscopic levels. It is also fundamental to various geosciences subdisciplines such as geochemistry and geomorphology. To facilitate students' conceptual understanding of chemical weathering, a sequence of hands-on guided-inquiry investigation stations was developed. The intended audiences for this sequence of investigation stations are introductory level geosciences high school and undergraduate students. The sequence can be incorporated into a 50- or 75-minute class meeting or lab session, for examples. Six different investigation stations and an associated worksheet guide students through a scaffolding exercise from describing what they are familiar with in their every day experiences (e.g. rocks in the natural and built environments) to the application of dissolution chemistry to make environmental predictions regarding changes in topography and urban development.