TEACHER-FRIENDLY GUIDES LINKING REGIONAL GEOLOGY TO STANDARDS-BASED CLASSROOM CURRICULA

Regional and local geology provide concrete examples of generalized Earth science concepts that are an essential step toward the adoption of Earth science standards calling for hands-on, inquiry-based learning. Popular geology literature and discussions of local geology in the classroom often focus on a particular state or concentrated area. Focusing on too small an area, teachers and students often fail to comprehend how their local geology fits into a regional picture and historical geologic context. Understanding the big picture of regional geology increases awareness of the application and relevance of Earth science to every day life, and provides students and teachers the tools to make better sense of local geology.

The Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) has created a model for incorporating regional and local geology into existing standards-based curricula for middle and high school Earth science resulting in The Teacher-Friendly Guide to the Geology of the Southeastern U.S. The guide was written with input from the professional geologists within the southeast working in concert with pedagogical experts at PRI. The Southeast Guide is based on The Teacher-Friendly Guide to the Geology of the Northeastern U.S., which was published in October 2000 and extensively evaluated before and after publication. This model is applicable to all regions of the United States in which teachers use regional geologic history as a framework for classic geology topics. Regional geology guides help students discover why certain rocks, fossils, and other geologic features are found in certain regions, and enhances comprehension of the relationships between the processes that shaped a particular region, how a region records geologic time, and why seemingly disparate geologic features occur in the same region.