MARGINS Mini-Lessons: Repurposing NSF-MARGINS Research for Geoscience Education

1. What’s new with the MARGINS Mini-Lessons? Jeffrey G. Ryan, Department of Geology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620(For Geoff Abers, Don Reed, Cathy Manduca, MARGINS Data in the Classroom PI’s)

2. The MARGINS Data in the Classroom project was a joint effort between SERC/Carleton College, San Jose State University, the University of South Florida, and the MARGINS Office to take the scientific fruits of the multi-disciplinary research that has been funded by the NSF-MARGINS and repurpose them as Web-deliverable classroom materials (called “MARGINS Mini-Lessons”) for use in undergraduate geoscience and ocean science courses. The funded project ended in 12/09. NSF-MARGINS Initiatives:

3. The MARGINS Mini-Lesson collection (32 and counting…) is hosted by the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College. Mini-Lessons target both introductory and upper-level courses, and range from “small” sets of annotated images and visualizations for lectures, to homework or laboratory exercises, multi-day student investigations, and “virtual voyages”, multimedia interactive Web modules intended to comprise the equivalent of several lecture/laboratory class sessions.

4. GeoMapAppTM A Java-based GIS and data visualization tool that is utilized heavily in MARGINS Mini-Lessons. Both "packaged” (i.e., global earthquake foci, volcanoes, bathymetry) and "raw" data (seismic surveys, magnetics, gravity) are accessible, along with WFS links to other resources, so one can fully characterize many regions of the ocean basins. Geospatially controlled data of all sorts can be imported into GeoMapApp, and GeoMapApp results can be ported to ArcGIS or Google Earth.

5. Plate Tectonics as Expressed in Geological Landforms and Events: An Exploration using Google Earth™ and GeoMapApp This Mini-Lesson uses data for global earthquakes available in GeoMapApp. The resource focuses on the Central America Focus Site, though one could very easily re-cast the exercise for any location. GeoMapApp images examining earthquake occurrences in progressively greater levels of detail are available as .kmz files for use in Google EarthTM, where they are contrasted with the locations of active volcanoes (based on the Smithsonian Global Volcanism network KMZ files).

6. Online Investigation of an Island Arc Volcano: Anatahan, Mariana Arc This Mini-Lesson is a directed research exercise, with learning goals aimed at understanding the petrology of arc magmas, and at gathering and interpreting data from the research literature. The 2003 Anatahan eruptions were fortuitously observed by a MARGINS-funded geophysics project, which led to “event response” studies, the results of which were published in 2005 (in the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research).

7. As part of the Anatahan Mini-Lesson, students make use of basic graphical analysis of geochemical data from the Marianas arc, and in particular from Anatahan. GeoMapApp permits direct access to IBM geochemical data through the MARGINS Data Portal and PetDB, and includes tools that permit one to scale or color-code points based on elemental concentration, and to produce basic X-Y diagrams. One can also import new datasets into GeoMapApp as Excel files to be able to look at them on a geographic base.

8. Chemical Inputs and Outputs at Subduction Zones In this Mini-Lesson students examine the chemical fluxes associated with subduction by compiling and analyzing data for MARGINS SubFac sites from the allied Earthchem databases (PetDb, SedDb, NAVDAT, Georoc, and the USGS). The data is visualized and interpreted using GeoMapApp.

9. MARGINS Data in the Classroom Partnerships with Data Resource facilities: MGDS, PetDB, SedDB Fruitful collaborations exist between MARGINS and several marine geoscience data management projects. The Marine Geoscience Data System houses the MARGINS Data Portal and operates GeoMapApp. PetDB and SedDB, operate out of L-DEO and are primary repositories of MARGINS scientific results. MGDS, PetDB, and SedDB staff presented at Mini-Lesson events, highlight the project at their outreach events, worked with creators to develop and refine Mini-Lessons, and contributed Mini-Lessons themselves.

10. Ongoing: Assessment of Mini-Lessons A critical ongoing part of the project is the testing and refining of the Mini-Lessons. Faculty adopting Lessons can report back on their impressions of the impact, completeness and effectiveness of the materials via a simple online form at the SERC website. Evaluation results have been generated on some lessons, with results reported back to creators who then revised the lessons based on user responses. Other lessons have been peer-reviewed by other geoscience educators as part of project workshops.

11. The Future of Mini-Lessons? • The MARGINS Data in the Classroom project has had two signature successes: • The development and testing of a large collection of Mini-Lessons, and • (more important!) The development of a “critical mass” of MARGINS researchers and faculty interested in an focused on geoscience education. The NSF MARGINS program underwent stellar Decadal Review, and the NSF has invited the community to develop and detail a Science Plan for a successor program, to be called GeoPrisms A critical aspect of the successor planning effort focused on education and outreach, and building upon the successes of the original MARGINS program. The new GeoPrisms program will have a national office with at least one dedicated E&O staff member, and funds to support the continuation of successful MARGINS programs – in particular the Mini-Lessons effort. SO – do be alert to invitations to new GeoPrisms workshops and activities related to Mini-Lessons!