CONCEPTS OF SPACE AND TIME: IMPORTANT TAKE-HOME MESSAGES FOR NON-GEOLOGY STUDENTS IN A GEOLOGY COURSE

For college students with no geology background and no intent to continue on in geology, arguably the most important concepts to take from an introductory geology course are those of space and time. Understanding scale from a geologic perspective, both spatially and temporally, can help students see their own lives in a more informed context. Furthermore, learning about rates of geologic processes provides stark contrast to rates of modern, anthropogenic environmental change. Most decisions in policy and environmental planning are made with timescales of years, and at most decades, in mind; however, Earth processes operate on much longer time scales which are often misunderstood or ignored by those lacking a deep-time perspective. Exploring a geologic perception of space and time is a helpful skill for all students, especially those who may only take one geology course, and will provide them with a context to understand and interpret human interactions with the Earth.

During January of 2011, we taught a course at Middlebury College in Vermont to an audience of predominately non-science students who may never take another science course during their college career. Although the theme of the class was Vermont landscape evolution, we focused heavily on understanding the concepts of space and time from a geologic perspective. We explored geologic time and rates of geological processes through in-class exercises, and evaluated every field trip location through three different temporal lenses: tectonic processes (operating over millions of years), surficial processes (operating over tens of thousands of years), and anthropogenic modifications (operating for the past several hundred years). We also explored the variability of geologic features over space, helping students understand the scales over which different processes operate (e.g., outcrop to mountain scale). Tackling these concepts allowed students to develop a broader view of their orientation in space and time, which are perspectives they will carry long beyond the end of the course. Maybe the most valuable take-home message from a geology course, therefore, is not the material but instead how to think and see the world as a geologist does.