GEOLOGY IS EVERYWHERE: USING THE FAMILIAR TO TEACH THE UNFAMILIAR

While telling the story of Earth’s dynamic nature though prime illustrations of ongoing processes, we commonly use examples from remote places, or places which seem remote to the average college student, leading students to mistakenly think that geology takes place “elsewhere.” The use of local geology not only immediately illustrates the concepts and processes being taught, it also gives context and brings deeper understanding to the classic examples and locales shown in textbooks and in class. Multiple strategies can be used simultaneously to infuse local geology into the classroom forming a direct geological connection to places students are familiar with, and creating a bridge to places and processes located farther away. Four methods used to emphasize local geology in an introductory geology course at San Jose State University, CA are: 1) references to/photos of local geology during lectures; 2) assignments that incorporate on-campus geology; 3) local (within ~10 miles of campus) field trips; and 4) research papers requiring research about and applying knowledge of local geology. Examples of using local geology around the university include: referring to a trip to the beach as, in fact, a trip to the Pacific Plate; showing photos of a prominent landslide that is easily visible from a commonly travelled road; conducting an urban geology field trip to downtown San Jose to learn to identify rock types and illustrate the industrial applications of geology; and having students research the predicted effects of a magnitude 6.5 earthquake on San Jose and neighboring cities. Applying the unfamiliar concepts of geology to familiar locations, students learn to see the geology that surrounds them. Students also realize that although there may be no Grand Canyon or Gros Ventre Landslide in San Jose, California, there are local rivers carving their own canyons and slope failures changing the landscape and affecting local homeowners. Ultimately, students learn that geology is not “elsewhere” but “everywhere.”