CREATING AN EARTH SCIENCE COURSE THAT IS MORE RELEVANT TO TODAY'S STUDENT

It is becoming more challenging to capture student interest in introductory Earth Science courses with so many outside distractions. They typically find studying million-year-old rocks or features located in distant lands not as interesting as using their laptop. To better engage students, the local Orange County (OC) area is used as a major theme to illustrate key geologic concepts and theories. OC has a rich geologic setting with spectacular landscapes that has changed character many times over the last 200 million years. The area has a history of earthquakes, floods, landslides, beach erosion, groundwater exploitation, and petroleum exploration that has shaped its development. A textbook and laboratory manual has been specifically written to include local examples and where to find them. Students are assigned to drive one of two geologic road logs included in the textbook for a more detailed look at geologic features. The laboratory manual employs activities that examine local fossils, measure discharge of a nearby stream, review local topographic and geologic maps, determine beach erosion and analyze local rock suites. Current issues such as geologic hazards, pollution and politics can be added as are pertinent to that semester. By using regions that students are most familiar, we see a heightened level of interest in topics covered. As we continue to develop student learning outcomes, assessments will be made to quantify information retention and student success.