ARSC/GEOL 2110
Physical Science of the Earth System
Course Field Project
Fall 2001

The course project is an independent investigation of a field site that you choose.  As a class, we will learn techniques for investigating water, soil, rocks, air, weather, etc.  You will sign out equipment kits for use at your own site.  Kits will be available at the Grandview Terrace building where Sandra’s office is located.  You will apply these techniques and some of your own choosing to your site and relate your observations about your site to larger regional and global scale phenomena.  At the end of the class, you will present your site assessment at an exciting and festive scientific occasion, the poster session.

Learning goals:

·        to gain field skills (techniques you might use with students, if you become a teacher)
·        to make observations of natural phenomena.
·        to relate site-specific observations to larger-scale phenomena
·        to consider how humans affect their environment
·        to improve scientific communication skills and critical thinking about scientific information.

Site selection criteria:

·        Water is present (pond or stream).
·        The soil and water are accessible for testing
·        The site is on public land or land you have permission to visit from the owner.
·        The site is safe, convenient, and pleasant for you to visit.  You leave it in as good shape (or better) as you found it. 
·        The site is your own and does not overlap another student’s site.

Field notebook:

Keep detailed observations in a notebook.  Your notebook should be neat, thorough, and written in ink on numbered pages.

·        Date and time
·        verbal description of site at each visit, changes since last visit
·        measurements and data, with enough detail that you can repeat them the same way.  Note any problems or issues with measurements.
·        written observations.  Just sit quietly for a while, notice and document what is going on around you.
·        sketches, photos, maps, diagrams
·        small samples of field materials (rocks, leaves, soil, etc.) as long as you can remove them without destroying anything or killing the plant.
·        interpretation of what you see, ideas for data analysis
·        questions about your site, ideas for future study, things you need to look up

Poster and poster session:

The project report will be in the form of a scientific poster, presented at a class poster session.  Poster sessions are very common and efficient ways for scientists communicate results and discuss issues.  You will get more details about the poster session later, but keep in mind the type of information that should be on it now, for use in preparing your poster.  Your analysis of your site should be supported by evidence from your observations and measurements.

·        Site description and location
·        Documentation of site visits:  date, time, type of observations and measurements made
·        Analysis of diurnal and seasonal cycles observed at your site.
·        Analysis of connections between spheres of the Earth system (atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, geosphere) that are observable at your field site
·        Analysis of how your observations at the local field site relate to regional or global patterns on a larger scale (e.g. connection to local watershed, observation of typical Front Range weather or geology, etc.)
·        Analysis of human impact on your site
·        Links to communication and education, from one of the two choices below:

a)      For future teachers and others interested in education:  Discussion of how the “lessons learned” from this study apply to teaching science to children.

b)      Option for non-teachers:  Discussion of how the “lessons learned” from this study apply to communicating with the general public about environmental issues.

Grading:

Grades for the project will be based on successful completion of these items, the quality of analysis (see Poster components list), and the field notebook.  Project requirements:

·        At least six visits to your field site, spread over the semester.
·        GPS coordinates of your site and contribution of GPS coordinates to class map.
·        Verbal description of your site.
·        Standard set of measurement and observations:  These include the soil, water, weather, and geological parameters we will learn in class.
·        Comparative measurements of at least one parameter set in distance and/or time
·        An investigation of your choice OR a more in-depth study of something we study together in class.  This can be something you are interested in, something we discuss in class, something you find in your text—be creative!  Talk to us about your ideas, so we can help.
·        Interpretation of data drawing on appropriate resources (books, Internet resources, etc.).