DEVELOPING GEOLOGICAL EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS FOR BLM'S SLOAN CANYON NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA: PRESENTING THE MIOCENE VOLCANIC HISTORY OF THE NORTHERN MCCULLOUGH MOUNTAINS, SOUTHERN NEVADA TO THE PUBLIC

The Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA), located south of Las Vegas in the northern McCullough Mountains, is currently being developed by the BLM. This new NCA provides an opportunity to encourage public interest and education in the geology southern Nevada. To aid the BLM in planning this project we are reconstructing the Miocene volcanic history of the NCA to provide materials for public displays, interpretive signs, geologic maps, booklets, and classroom materials. The McCullough Mountains preserve a unique record of Miocene volcanism. The first recorded volcanism produced dacite and basalt of the Cactus Hill, Eldorado Valley, McCullough Wash, and Colony volcanoes (18.5-15.2 million years old-Ma). The next event produced the dominant volcanic construct, the McCullough stratovolcano that accumulated over 400 m of andesite lava and breccia (15.58 Ma). Eruptions occurring after 15.2 Ma include (1) the McCullough Pass caldera and outflow tuff (14.1 Ma), (2) Hidden Valley andesite including 300 m of andesite lavas erupted from local centers (mainly cinder cones), (3) four volcanoes of the Sloan section (13.05 Ma), and (4) the Henderson dome complex. This volcanic history will be presented to the public by way of interpretive signs and interactive displays in the proposed Sloan Canyon visitors center along with booklets describing geologic events and processes, a geologic map of the northern McCullough Mountains and several 7 ½ minute quadrangle maps. In order to involve elementary school students who may not have the opportunity to visit the Sloan Canyon NCA, we are also producing a "traveling trunk.” The trunk will include lesson plans and activity materials for teaching basic geology and the geology of the NCA. Lessons include (1) plate tectonics, (2) the rock cycle, (3) mineral and rock identification, (4) volcanoes, and (5) the geology of Sloan Canyon NCA. The trunk will be available for elementary school teachers to check out from the NCA and bring to their classrooms. Several of the lessons will have separate activities for students in grades 3-6 and additional exercises for students in grades 6-8.