I use single, euhedral, natural crystals of minerals extensively when teaching basic concepts of crystallogtaphy. Wooden or paper models, showy museum-quality crystal clusters, colorful pictures in a book, or even computer images simply cannot compete with the beauty and awe-inspiring mystery and educational value of genuine, individual mineral crystals when held in your (or your students') hands.
In my Mineralogy course, I use single, well-formed crystals in all aspects of basic crystallography inlcuding measurement of interfacial angles, determination of symmetry elements, recognition of crystal system and class, determination of forms, stereographic projections and stereograms, recognition of common twins and pseudomorphs, and even SHAPE plots - these are just some of the possibilities.

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This activity helps student learn to convert within the metric system and begin learning about process skill necessary for working in groups.

Create a laser by pumping the chamber with a photon beam. Manage the energy states of the laser's atoms to control its output.

This course discusses theoretical concepts and analysis of wave problems in science and engineering. Examples are chosen from elasticity, acoustics, geophysics, hydrodynamics, blood flow, nondestructive evaluation, and other applications.

NOTE: This activity has NOT been attempted yet in class, and therefore still needs significant refinement. It will be updated once it has been developed further.

Brief three-line description of the activity or assignment and its strengths:
This is a two-part exercise. Part I is designed to train students in the technical use of the VEPP website and to train them to use observations from multiple datasets (GPS, tilt, seismic, physical behavior) to draw conclusions about the volcano's physical behavior. Part II involves a month-long monitoring exercise using real-time data from Pu'u O'o followed by interpretation of those data.
Full length description:
This is a two-part exercise. The main goal is to provide as realistic a volcano monitoring experience as possible given classroom constraints. Part I is designed to provide students with the ability to work with the VEPP website to generate plots of GPS, seismic, and tilt data, as well as access webcam images and make movies from them. In the process, they will be interpreting data from the July 21 2007 dike injection and eruption event and focusing on deformation concepts.

Part II is an exploratory exercise, with the goal of reproducing the monitoring process a volcanologist would use for this volcano. The students are going to be responsible for monitoring the behavior of Pu'u O'o for one month. This process entails gathering data on a daily basis (all available data sources: GPS, seismic, physical observations, tilt), so as to accumulate a month-long record of the behavior of the volcano. Each week they will have to produce a report summarizing the behavior of the volcano, including plots of all measurements with time and correlations between different variables (e.g., seismic events vs horizontal movement from GPS). At the end of the month, the final report will also include calculations about changes in magma volume and comparisons to estimates of erupted volume. Students will also address several interpretive questions, including: a) how does magma storage volume (calculated from deformation data) compare with eruptive volume over the same period; b) how do the various monitoring parameters relate to each other; c) how does the behavior of Pu'u O'o during the month they observed it compare to the July 2007 behavior they analyzed in Part I; and c) comparison of the fluctuations and magnitudes of Pu'u O'o measurements to other types of volcanoes.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

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(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Try the new "Ladybug Motion 2D" simulation for the latest updated version. Learn about position, velocity, and acceleration vectors. Move the ball with the mouse or let the simulation move the ball in four types of motion (2 types of linear, simple harmonic, circle).

The purpose of this resource is to have students observe their lilac plants and identify the five phenophases (first leaf, full or 95% leafed, first bloom, full bloom and end of bloom) for each lilac plant. During the growing season, students will observe their lilac plants and identify the five phenophases (first leaf, full or 95% leafed, first bloom, full bloom and end of bloom) for each lilac plant.

This activity utilizes kinestetic learning by having students make models of geologic concepts, landscapes and processes using playdough in the classroom.

Key words: kinestetic learning, playdough

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Students learn about slope, determining slope, distance vs. time graphs through a motion-filled activity. Working in teams with calculators and CBL motion detectors, students attempt to match the provided graphs and equations with the output from the detector displayed on their calculators.

In this lesson, students complete a Myers-Briggs Type Inventory of their personality type as an introductory step to understanding what green jobs might suit their personal styles. From the information on this online tool, they look at different green jobs to explore possible careers.

In this video segment adapted from NOVA, scientist Mike Garcia draws lava samples at the foot of the active Kilauea volcano to see if it is related to its neighboring volcano, Mauna Loa.

Movement of ions in and out of cells is crucial to maintaining homeostasis within the body and ensuring that biological functions run properly. The natural movement of molecules due to collisions is called diffusion. Several factors affect diffusion rate: concentration, surface area, and molecular pumps. This activity demonstrates diffusion, osmosis, and active transport through 12 interactive models.

See how the equation form of Ohm's law relates to a simple circuit. Adjust the voltage and resistance, and see the current change according to Ohm's law. The sizes of the symbols in the equation change to match the circuit diagram.

As science extension activities, this book of problems introduces students to mapping the shape of the Milky Way galaxy, and how to identify the various kinds of galaxies in our universe. Students also learn about the shapes and sizes of other galaxies in our universe as they learn how to classify them. The math problems cover basic scientific notation skills and how they apply to working with astronomically large numbers. It also provides exercises in plotting points on a Cartesian plane to map the various features of our Milky Way.

This lesson allows students to practice capsizing in a safe environment. They will also learn how to perform self rescues and partner rescues to get back into their kayak once they have capsized.

1st grade science key vocabulary English/Spanish translations (space to add drawing as well).

Welcome to Astronomy 1020 Lab 1! The Introduction to Stellarium Software lab will cover the installation, navigation, and use of Stellarium, the software which will be used to complete ASTR 1020 lab work.Stellarium [Copyright © 2004-2011 Fabien Chereau et al.]

In this activity, students learn how to contour topographic data from three-dimensional models that they create for themselves. Students examine how topographic contour lines differ based on different topographic features.

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This video segment adapted from NOVA illustrates why carbon is at the center of life on Earth. It also asks whether carbon-based life might exist on other planets.