Customizable Customizable Graphic Graphic

Organizer for Organizer for Virtual Virtual

FieldworkFieldworkProvided by ReaL Earth System Provided by ReaL Earth System

ScienceSciencehttp://virtualfieldwork.org/ /

&&http://teacherfriendlyguide.org/ /

Adapted from work by Sarah R. Miller Adapted from work by Sarah R. Miller

Connect to Big Ideas &

Overarching Questions• The next slide offers

one (carefully developed) take on what are the most important ideas to understand about Earth.

• Read the Big Ideas and connect them to what you see in your study of the environment.

Overarching Questions:How do we know what we know? How does what we know inform our decision-

making?

The Earth is a System of Systems.

The Flow of Energy Drives the Cycling of

Matter.

Life, including human life,

influences and is influenced by the

environment.

Physical and chemical

principles are unchanging and

drive both gradual and

rapid changes in the Earth system.

To Understand (Deep) Time

and the Scale of Space,

Models and Maps are

Necessary.

The Earth System is composed of and part of a multitude of systems, which cycle and interact resulting in dynamic equilibrium (though the system evolves). The Earth is also nested in larger systems including the solar system and the universe. However there is an inherent unpredictability in systems, which are composed of an (effectively) infinite number of interacting parts that follow simple rules. Each system is qualitatively different from, but not necessarily greater than the sum of its parts.

The Earth is an open system – it is the constant flow of solar radiation that powers most surface Earth processes and drives the cycling of most matter at or near the Earth’s surface. Earth’s internal heat is a driving force below the surface. Energy flows and cycles through the Earth system. Matter cycles within it. Convection drives weather and climate, ocean currents, the rock cycle and plate tectonics.

Photosynthetic bacteria reformulated the atmosphere making Earth habitable.  Humans have changed the lay of the land, altered the distribution of flora and fauna and are changing atmospheric chemistry in ways that alter the climate.  Earth system processes affect where and how humans live. For example, many people live in the shadow of volcanoes because of the fertile farmland found there, however they must keep a constant vigil to maintain their safety. The human impact on the environment is growing as population increases and the use of technology expands.

Earth processes (erosion, evolution or plate tectonics, for example) operating today are the same as those operating since they arose in Earth history and they are obedient to the laws of chemistry and physics. While the processes constantly changing the Earth are essentially fixed, their rates are not. Tipping points are reached that can result in rapid changes cascading through Earth systems.

The use of models is fundamental to all of the Earth Sciences. Maps and models aid in the understanding of aspects of the Earth system for which direct observation is not possible. Models assist in the comprehension of time and space at both immense and sub-microscopic scales. When compared to the size and age of the universe, humanity is a speck in space and a blip in time.

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VFEs Are Question Driven•Ultimately, we want learners to be able to read the landscape: by looking at it’s shape, and the rocks and other materials that compose and move through it, a story can be unearthed.

•“Why does this place look the way it does” is the driving question for the project.

•Sub-questions vary in size, scale and purpose. Some questions may have a one or two word answer, but those questions should be followed with questions of how we know and what those simple answers imply.

For all of these For all of these questions:questions:

•How do you know? How do you know? (What evidence is (What evidence is there?)there?)•What does it tell you What does it tell you about past about past environments?environments?•What does it imply What does it imply about the future?about the future?

These are These are important important questions!questions!

When scientists work in the field...• ...answers are often

unclear as to why a place or thing came to be the way it is.

• That’s true here too.

• This virtual fieldwork is intended to raise questions for you to explore.

•Was the past climate Was the past climate different?different?

•What factors may have been What factors may have been affected or caused by affected or caused by climate?climate?

•Are there mountains, Are there mountains, valleys, or hills?valleys, or hills?

•What are the valley What are the valley shapes?shapes?

•What can form valleys?What can form valleys?•What can cause What can cause

mountains or hills to form?mountains or hills to form?•Are the mountains or hills Are the mountains or hills

young or old?young or old?•What role do tectonics What role do tectonics

play in shaping the site? play in shaping the site? •How have plants shaped How have plants shaped the landscape?the landscape?

•How have animals How have animals generally, and humans generally, and humans in particular, changed in particular, changed the landscape?the landscape?

•On what scale?On what scale?

•Where would you find the oldest Where would you find the oldest rocks?rocks?

•Youngest rocks?Youngest rocks?•Are there different kinds of rocks Are there different kinds of rocks

at different outcrops?at different outcrops?

For all of these For all of these questions:questions:

•How do you know? How do you know? (What evidence is (What evidence is there?)there?)•What does it tell you What does it tell you about past about past environments?environments?•What does it imply What does it imply about the future?about the future?

Sediments & Sedimentary RocksSediments & Sedimentary Rocks•Is it clastic or organic/chemical?Is it clastic or organic/chemical?•If clastic, what is the grain size?If clastic, what is the grain size?•If organic, what minerals is it If organic, what minerals is it made out of?made out of?•Are there fossils?Are there fossils?MetamorphicMetamorphic•Is it foliated Is it foliated or non-or non-foliated?foliated?•What was What was the parent the parent rock?rock?

IgneousIgneous•Did the rock Did the rock form above or form above or below ground?below ground?•Is it felsic or Is it felsic or mafic?mafic?

Describe the Describe the shape of the shape of the land.land.

Describe the Describe the shape of the shape of the land.land.

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What

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What

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clim

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landsc

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What

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What

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has

the

clim

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had

on t

he

clim

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had

on t

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landsc

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landsc

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What effects has life,

What effects has life,

including human life,

including human life,

had on the landscape?

had on the landscape?

What effects has life,

What effects has life,

including human life,

including human life,

had on the landscape?

had on the landscape?

Why does this place look the way it does?

•Is water depositing material, Is water depositing material, eroding material, or both?eroding material, or both?

•Is the action of water Is the action of water primarily chemical, primarily primarily chemical, primarily physical, or both chemical physical, or both chemical and physical?and physical?

Do th

e rocks seem

Do th

e rocks seem

to form a

to form a

sequen

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sequen

ce?D

o the rocks seem

Do th

e rocks seem

to form a

to form a

sequen

ce?

sequen

ce?

What types of

What types of

rock are there?

rock are there?

What types of

What types of

rock are there?

rock are there?

What effects has water had on the landscape?

• Is water depositing material, eroding material, or both?

• Is the action of water primarily chemical, primarily physical, or both chemical and physical?

What effects has water had on the landscape?

Link to a ZoomImage of this photo. It is a high resolution photo that you can zoom in and pan around.

Describe the shape of the land.

• What can cause mountains or hills to form?

• Are the mountains or hills young or old?

• What is the valley’s shape?

• What can form valleys?

• What is the role of plate tectonics in shaping the land?

What do you think the climate is like here? Why?

•What factors influence the What factors influence the climate?climate?

•Identify features shaped or Identify features shaped or determined by climate.determined by climate.

•Was the past climate Was the past climate different? How can you tell?different? How can you tell?

•How is climate change likely How is climate change likely to affect this place?to affect this place?

What types of rock are there?

SedimentarySedimentary•Is it clastic or Is it clastic or organic/chemical?organic/chemical?•If clastic, what is the If clastic, what is the grain size?grain size?•If organic, what If organic, what minerals is it made out minerals is it made out of?of?•Are there fossils?Are there fossils?•What do the rocks What do the rocks indicate about past indicate about past environments?environments?

MetamorphicMetamorphic•Is it foliated Is it foliated or non-or non-foliated?foliated?•What was What was the parent the parent rock?rock?

IgneousIgneous•Did the Did the rock form rock form above or above or below below ground?ground?•Is it felsic Is it felsic or mafic?or mafic?

In this template, there is at least one page for In this template, there is at least one page for each general rock type (metamorphic, igneous, each general rock type (metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary)and sedimentary)•Many field sites have only one of these three Many field sites have only one of these three types of rocks. types of rocks.

A common question for all rock types:A common question for all rock types:•What do the characteristics of the rock tell you What do the characteristics of the rock tell you about past environments?about past environments?

Chart of common rock Chart of common rock texturestextures

Common Rock Textures

Chart by Jim Ebert, SUNY Oneonta

What types of rock are there?Metamorphic

What types of rock are there?Igneous

What types of rock are there?Sedimentary

SedimentarySedimentary•Is it clastic or Is it clastic or organic/chemical?organic/chemical?•If clastic, what is the grain If clastic, what is the grain size?size?•If organic, what minerals If organic, what minerals is it made out of?is it made out of?•Are there fossils?Are there fossils?•What do rock What do rock characteristics tell you characteristics tell you about past environments?about past environments?Scheme for Sedimentary Scheme for Sedimentary Rock IDRock ID

What types of rock are there?Sedimentary

Do the rocks seem to form a sequence?

•Where would you find the oldest rocks?

• Youngest rocks?

• Are there different kinds of rocks at different outcrops?

What effects have humans had on the landscape?

•On what scale?

•Which human impacts were intentional?

•Which human impacts were unintentional?

Suggestions for improvement are

welcome!

• There’s ample room for improvement!

• Please send suggestions for additions and other improvements, including suggested photos of the Arbuckles, to:

• Don Duggan-Haas at: dugganhaas@museumoftheearth.org.

Suggestions that haven’t been worked in as yet...

• What would this place look like if ______________ (some process or event) hadn’t happened?

• Please send suggestions for additions and other improvements, including suggested photos of the Arbuckles, to:

• Don Duggan-Haas at: dugganhaas@museumoftheearth.org.