BRINGING NSF-MARGINS SCIENCE TO THE UNDERGRADUATE CLASSROOM

The MARGINS program focuses on the coordinated, interdisciplinary investigation of four fundamental research initiatives: the Seismogenic Zone Experiment (SEIZE), the Subduction Factory (SubFac), Rupturing Continental Lithosphere (RCL), and Sediment Dynamics and Strata Formation (Source to Sink). An educational and outreach program began in 2005 to broadly communicate the impact of MARGINS science to the wider earth sciences community and general public. Current educational activities include, but are not limited to, web-delivered resources for use in undergraduate education, and specific programs and events, such as student paper awards, workshops for developing educational resources, and a visiting distinguished lectureship series.

MARGINS mini-lessons are web-based undergraduate teaching modules that use cutting-edge resources to bring MARGINS science to the classroom. Each mini-lesson includes an educator’s guide, information on the data sets and resources, suggested assessment rubrics and a link for evaluation/feedback. Thirty mini-lessons can now be accessed through the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College (http://serc.carleton.edu) with more additions planned in the near future. The mini-lessons are scaled for use ranging from short, in-class, interactive activities or illustrations to multi-session units, and span both introductory and upper division geoscience classes. Examples of mini-lesson topics include: chemical inputs/outputs at subduction zones, sediment production and distribution across margins, ocean topography and flexural rigidity, volcanic arcs of Central America and the Izu-Bonin-Mariana system, continental margin morphology, and the East African Rift. A multi-session activity includes a virtual voyage based on the NanTroSEIZE project to drill the seismogenic zone in the Nankai Trough, which introduces students to the evolution of a MARGINS research project through the use of short video clips, virtual data acquisition and linked questions. Students gain experience with data analysis and interpretation resulting in the creation of professional-quality scientific abstracts. The Geosciences (GEO) and Education and Human Resources (EHR) directorates of the National Science Foundation support the MARGINS research program and educational outreach, respectively.