G-CAMP: PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS AT MEMORIAL JUNIOR HIGH, EAGLE PASS, TEXAS

Participating in G-Camp has greatly improved my teaching. Having never taken a geology course in college, I felt somewhat unprepared to fully explain the more abstract and complicated geologic process to my students. I now have the knowledge and hands on experience that better allows me to bring geology into my classroom. Not only has G-Camp made it so much easier to explain concepts to my 7th graders, but I now have rock and sediment samples my kids can actually touch and feel. These samples allow them to experience the world outside their home town. They are better able to grasp concepts like the rock cycle, weathering, erosion, and deposition. Recently I shared samples from the K-T Boundary while discussing catastrophic events and impact events. I have also been able incorporate samples collected during G-Camp into existing labs. Students are better able to discern the differences between rocks and sediment and understand the processes that caused their formation because they are able to closely examine actual samples. During G-Camp we were also able observe glacial valleys, we saw evidence of volcanic activity, studied cave and fossil formation, explored a mine, and examined the role geology plays in natural resources. All of these experiences have been brought into my classroom through photographs, videos, and hands –on lab activities. G-Camp lived up to all that I hoped for. It provided me with immense background knowledge and has allowed me to share my geologic knowledge, understanding, and experience with my students.