THE GEOLOGY OF WAR--A SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECT IN AN ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY COURSE

A semester-long project on the geology of war was developed to allow students to explore the geologic factors that cause war (e.g. distribution and control of resources), that influence war (e.g. physiography, climate), and the environmental consequences of war (e.g. agent orange defoliation, nuclear waste disposal). The results of the project were presented as a poster session in a public forum on campus. Students worked in small groups to select their topic with guidance from the instructors, and used web-based resources to develop their presentations. Check points were built into the course to ensure that the topic was well-defined, supporting materials were appropriate and prioritized, design elements were well-conceived, and there was a final quality check before the presentation went public. Topics ranged from historical wars (e.g. the Second Punic War, Napoleon and Waterloo, Battle of Verdun, Vietnam) to contemporary conflicts (Kashmir, Iraq, Sudan), and to the long-term legacy of environmental issues related to war. This exercise extended communication skills to include graphical/visual presentations, in addition to written and verbal skills normally used in this class. The poster session was well-received by the community, including faculty from liberal arts departments who expressed interest in developing collaborative projects to link geology and the social sciences and humanities. Assessments included the overall quality of the presentations (content and presentation), personal assessments by the students (reflections of the experience), and intra-group assessments of peer participation (i.e. equitable work by all). Students gained important life-long learning skills, and reported on their increased confidence to engage a dialogue on public issues. Public presentations related to similar topical issues are an effective way to demonstrate the currency and relevance of the geosciences to society.