GeoMapApp LEARNING ACTIVITIES: GRAB-AND-GO INQUIRY-BASED GEOSCIENCE ACTIVITIES THAT BRING CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY TO THE CLASSROOM

NSF-funded GeoMapApp Learning Activities (http://serc.carleton.edu/geomapapp) provide self-contained learning opportunities that are centered around the principles of guided inquiry. The activities allow students to interact with and analyze research-quality geoscience data to explore and enhance student understanding of underlying geoscience content and concepts. Each activity offers ready-to-use step-by-step student instructions and answer sheets that can be downloaded from the web page.

Also provided are annotated teacher versions of the worksheets that include teaching tips, additional content and suggestions for further work. Downloadable pre- and post- quizzes tied to each activity help educators gauge the learning progression of their students. Short multimedia tutorials and details on content alignment with state and national teaching standards round out the materials that comprise each “grab-and-go” activity. The step-by-step instructions and guided inquiry approach lead students through each activity, thus reducing the need for teacher intervention while also boosting the time that students can spend on productive exploration and learning. The activities can be used, for example, in a classroom lab with the educator present or as self-paced assignments in an out-of-class setting. GeoMapApp Learning Activities expose students to content and concepts typically found at the high school, community college, and introductory undergraduate levels.