ANALOG MODELS FROM THE MODELING AND EDUCATIONAL DEMONSTRATIONS LABORATORY AT UCLA

Since 2005, the MEDL (Modeling and Educational Demonstrations Laboratory) Group has been developing hands-on analog physical models for earth and space science undergraduate courses as well as education and outreach programs. These models have helped deepen students’ understanding of non-observable events in nature. At GSA 2011, we plan to make available a few such models covering topics such as magnetism, plate tectonics, topographic maps, and convection. Attendees are encouraged to try out these models. Pre-analogy steps will be presented to supplement them. A pre-analogy step is a cognitive support activity a teacher can assign to a student before the student is introduced to a particular target.