Science Explorations In Geology An Enrichment Program For Middle School Girls

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Science Explorations In Geology An Enrichment
Program For Middle School Girls
Paul Mayer and Patricia Coorough Burke Milwaukee
Public Museum
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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

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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

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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

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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

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Summary ofGeologic Timeline

• Cost about 600 to print
• Large space to set up
• Lots of rocks samples, especially large
  specimens, gets students 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.

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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

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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.

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Super Stratigraphic Cake of Science

• Lessons in stratigraphy and baking

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Summary

• Scientific method used
• Lengthy prep time
• Can be messy
• Helpful to link with cores and faults
• Do not use straws