GeoMapApp LEARNING ACTIVITIES: "OFF THE SHELF" LEARNING ACTIVITIES FOR THE GEOSCIENCE CLASSROOM
Supported by NSF GeoScience Education award 1035036, and driven by the knowledge that high school instructors' planning time is limited and precious, the authors have created a number of guided inquiry learning activities designed to expose students to content and concepts typical of high school earth science courses and introductory undergraduate geoscience courses. Everything the teacher needs is included with each Learning Activity - student instructions in either .pdf or on-line form, student answer sheets designed for efficient evaluation of student learning, pre- and post- objective quizzes that can be used in a variety of ways, video tutorials and instructions that shorten and flatten the GeoMapApp learning curve, alignment with science learning standards, and an annotated teachers edition with teaching tips, additional content, and suggestions for going further. The Learning Activities are hosted at SERC, and complete, ready to use lessons can be accessed with just a few clicks. Illustrated, step by step instructions efficiently lead students through GeoMapApp's menus and displays, minimizing the need for teacher intervention and maximizing the time spent on productive exploration and learning
GeoMapApp Learning Activities go beyond the mere display of information typical of many technology based lessons. Inquiry is carefully guided as students use the same tools that "real scientists" use to collect and analyze their own unique data, and they are encouraged to discover and explore patterns and details that reveal and illustrate important geophysical content and concepts.