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Science Explorations In Geology An Enrichment Program For Middle School Girls. Paul Mayer and Patricia Coorough Burke Milwaukee Public Museum. Science Explorations Program. NSF funding Sue Borkin, Carla Penz, Nicky Espy, and Patricia Coorough
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Science Explorations In Geology An Enrichment Program For Middle School Girls Paul Mayer and Patricia Coorough Burke Milwaukee Public Museum
Science Explorations Program • NSF funding • Sue Borkin, Carla Penz, Nicky Espy, and Patricia Coorough • Targets minority middle school girls in Milwaukee: an at risk group • Three year program • First year geology and zoology (sixth graders) • 12 weeks • Second year botany (seventh graders) • 6 weeks • Third year biodiversity (eighth graders) • 6 Weeks
The Geology Program • After school program for geology • Four schools participated • Jackie Robinson Middle School • Grand Avenue Middle School • Sarah Scott Middle School • Notre Dame Middle School • For each school we: • Met twice a week for 6 weeks • Two-hour sessions • 24 hours total instruction • Transportation and snack included
Activities Developed for Geology Program • 12 meetings • 4 geologist and 2 educators. • Highlighting three activities • 77-foot geologic timeline • Biodiversity count of a Silurian reef diorama • Super stratigraphic cake of science
Geologic Time Line • 77 feet long, 3 feet wide • One inch represents 5 million years • vinyl • Wisconsin rocks, minerals and fossils placed next to timeline • Archean • Penokean • Baraboo • Wolf River • Keweenawan • Paleozoic
Summary ofGeologic Timeline • Cost about $600 to print • Large space to set up • Lots of rocks samples, especially large specimens, gets student’s attention • Very good at showing geologic time • Lots of information can be included or can focus on one time or set of rocks. • Works well with geologic map.
Biodiversity of Silurian Reef Diorama • Give tour of Silurian Reef Diorama • Show students data from paper on Silurian reef diversity (Watkins, 1980) • Ask question: “Is the diorama accurate?” • Have students come up with way to test this
Summary of Silurian Reef Biodiversity Project • Needs a diorama • Lengthy, hands-on activity • Ecology and fossil identification studied • Links diorama to real fossils • Can use scientific method • Laser pointer very useful.
Super Stratigraphic Cake of Science • Lessons in stratigraphy and baking
Summary • Scientific method used • Lengthy prep time • Can be messy • Helpful to link with cores and faults • Do not use straws