PAIRED PROJECT-BASED FIELD TRIPS TO THE STARVED ROCK AREA, MATTHEISSEN AND BUFFALO ROCK STATE PARKS, AND THE ILLINOIS AND MICHIGAN CANAL STATE TRAIL – ILLINOIS

As pedagogies in undergraduate education shift toward an emphasis on discovery- and project-based learning, incorporating field-based exercises into field trips and field trip guidebooks can enhance the application of project-centered instruction. By nature, field investigations require simultaneous application of multiple geological concepts and pedagogies (e.g., hypothesis development, data collection, application of content knowledge, interpretation, graphical/spatial analyses), and demonstrate the relevance of geo-scientific concepts in local and regional contexts.

We have developed a pair of field-based projects that make use of State Parks and Natural Areas in the Starved Rock area near LaSalle, IL, including excellent exposures in Mattheissen State Park, Buffalo Rock State Park, and the Illinois & Michigan Canal State Trail. Our intent is to give students level-appropriate experience in approaching real field problems and themes. We have used these field-based projects for all levels of geology students, and pre- and in-service teachers – sometimes revisiting or adding to previous projects to support student learning at a variety of levels. The projects are independently scalable in the sense that the breadth and length can be modified to accommodate different learning levels, student populations, and time allotments. They can also be paired - providing opportunities for scaffolding of geologic concepts from basic observation in two dimensions at the local scale to interpretations in three-dimensional space at the regional scale, and provide a reflective component where intellectual advancement can be demonstrated. Proximity of many Midwestern institutions to the Starved Rock area makes it an ideal location around which to develop this project.