In this activity, students work in groups to put a set of cartoon cards in order, much in the way that we might assemble a geologic history. The primary goal of the activity is to explore the nature of science in general and the nature of geoscience or historical science specifically, without requiring any content knowledge.

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Students are introduced to sedimentary rocks through field observations and measurements of sediments in different environments. This allows them to proceed from processes to products and engages them through field work in the local area.

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Students will research and learn about the process the industries use to get food from farm to table.

In a field investigation to Interstate State Park, students determine lava flow boundaries and observe an ancient rift valley. They also examine differential erosion rates that create a waterfall, and examine the local basalts for evidence of glaciation, including the world-famous potholes.

In this structural geology activity, students are faced with a problem whose solution requires an understanding of faults. Using inductive reasoning and a set of wood blocks, students discover a general rule about faults and then apply that rule to the specific problem.

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Dive into the multifaceted landscape of inclusive excellence in STEM education with Fostering Communities of Transformation in STEM Higher Education. This scholarly work examines transformative initiatives from Virginia Tech, Radford University, Trinity Washington University, and Towson University, showcasing their role as catalysts in cultivating inclusive excellence across diverse STEM disciplines. Take inspiration from their projects and guidance from their lessons learned with this collection.

This textbook is a Fundamentals of Communication Textbook that includes intrapersonal communication, interpersonal communication, group communication, conflict management, and public speaking. 

What can we learn about science and technology–and what can we do with that knowledge? Who are “we” in these questions?–whose knowledge and expertise gets made into public policy, new medicines, topics of cultural and political discourse, science education, and so on? How can expertise and lay knowledge about science and technology be reconciled in a democratic society? How can we make sense of the interactions of living and non-living, humans and non-humans, individual and collectivities in the production of scientific knowledge and technologies?
The course takes these questions as entry points into an ever-growing body of work to which feminist, anti-racist, and other critical analysts and activists have made significant contributions. The course also takes these questions as an invitation to practice challenging the barriers of expertise, gender, race, class, and place that restrict wider access to and understanding of the production of scientific knowledge and technologies. In that spirit, students participate in an innovative, problem-based learning (PBL) approach that allows them to shape their own directions of inquiry and develop their skills as investigators and prospective teachers. At the same time the PBL cases engage students’ critical faculties as they learn about existing analyses of gender, race, and the complexities of science and technology, guided by individualized bibliographies co-constructed with the instructors and by the projects of the other students. Students from all fields and levels of preparation are encouraged to join the course.

This is a work in progress.
We make decisions every day in our lives as earth scientists, many of which have ethical implications. In this activity, students apply their growing body of knowledge and skills to a real-world geoscience case, with the opportunity to make explicit the ethical aspects of the scientific work involved, as well as ethical aspects of working with individuals and the greater society, while also exploring their own values and ethics. Making explicit the ethical issues involved in turn leads to practicing ethical decision-making skills in the context of the problem addressed, through small group problem-solving and class discussion. The case presented is a pilot study on metals in urban soils, and takes the students through the thinking processes involved from project set up to end. The case specifically addresses ethical decision-making at the beginning of a pilot project (involving scientific, societal and personal ethical concerns), throughout the project (involving scientific and personal ethical concerns), and in the communication of the results to the public (involving scientific, societal and personal ethical concerns).

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Lesson seeds are ideas for the standards that can be used to build a lesson.  Lesson seeds are not meant to be all-inclusive, nor are they substitutes for instruction.  This lesson seed provides a compelling question and a bank of sources to use to drive an inquiry based lesson or a potential Evidence Based Argument Set (EBAS).  When developing lessons from these seeds, teachers must consider the needs of all learners. Once you have built your lesson from the lesson seed, teachers are encouraged to post the lesson that has emerged from this lesson seed and share with others. Essential Question:  How effectively did George Washington respond to domestic and foreign challenges?EL Modifications:  Image source:  "George Washington" by Gilbert Stuart from the Clarkart.edu. Item is in Public Domain

Data Carpentry’s aim is to teach researchers basic concepts, skills, and tools for working with data so that they can get more done in less time, and with less pain. Interested in teaching these materials? We have an onboarding video available to prepare Instructors to teach these lessons. After watching this video, please contact team@carpentries.org so that we can record your status as an onboarded Instructor. Instructors who have completed onboarding will be given priority status for teaching at centrally-organized Data Carpentry Geospatial workshops.

Students analyze the geology and geophysics of a simple fabricated flat planet to analyze its tectonics, deepening their understanding of plate tectonics concepts and discovering for themselves some of the more counter-intuitive aspects of the theory of plate tectonics.

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Lesson to introduce Drive and Google Docs to advanced level adult ESL students. Students create their own bio using a template. They will center and left justify, explore different fonts, sizes and colors, use bold and italicize, and insert an image to produce a bio with one-paragraph text.

Students apply knowledge of genres to identify different genres from "reading-alouds of excerpts" from selected books representing different genres.

The “Beginner’s guide” introduces foundational concepts, such as the chronology of Byzantine history, sacred imagery, and wearable objects. Subsequent sections are arranged chronologically, covering the Early Byzantine period (c. 330–700), the Iconoclastic Controversy (c. 700s–843), the Middle Byzantine period (843–1204), the Latin Empire (c. 1204–1261), and the Late Byzantine period (c. 1261–1453) and beyond.

These sections include thematic essays on Byzantine art and architecture, essays that focus on key works (subtitled artworks in focus or architecture in focus), and essays that explore Byzantium’s relationships with other cultures (subtitled cross-cultural perspectives). Finally, we have included questions for study or discussion to encourage teachers, students, and other readers to engage with videos and other content on the Smarthistory website which could not be included in this book format but which we believe richly compliments what is presented here.

Lesson seeds are ideas for the standards that can be used to build a lesson.  Lesson seeds are not meant to be all-inclusive, nor are they substitutes for instruction.  This lesson seed provides a compelling question and a bank of sources to use to drive an inquiry based lesson or a potential Evidence Based Argument Set (EBAS).  When developing lessons from these seeds, teachers must consider the needs of all learners.  Once you have built your lesson from the lesson seed, teachers are encouraged to post the lesson that has emerged from this lesson seed and share with others. Compelling Question: Is gerrymandering inconsistent with our representative democracy?EL Modifications: identify key vocabulary and add images to improve comprehension; consider adapting content, process and/or product based on Can Do WIDA Descriptors Image source: "Election" by OpenClipart-Vectors on Pixabay.com

Lesson seeds are ideas for the standards that can be used to build a lesson.  Lesson seeds are not meant to be all-inclusive, nor are they substitutes for instruction.  This lesson seed provides a compelling question and a bank of sources to use to drive an inquiry based lesson or a potential Evidence Based Argument Set (EBAS).  When developing lessons from these seeds, teachers must consider the needs of all learners.  Once you have built your lesson from the lesson seed, teachers are encouraged to post the lesson that has emerged from this lesson seed and share with others. Compelling Question: Support or Refute: The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment support the Declaration clause of “all men are created equal.”EL Modifications: identify key vocabulary, add images to improve comprehension.  graphic organizer, talk aloud before writing. Consider adapting Content, process and/or product based on Can Do WIDA Descriptors Image source: "Declaration of Independence" from Air Force Photos