Theme & Essential
Questions for This Unit
Theme:
The Geologists
Specific Curriculum Outcomes to be
Addressed Throughout the Unit
(criteria)
USE OUTCOME NUMBERS
360-9 describe and give examples of how geologists study the earth
115-2 illustrate how science attempts to explain natural phenomena
Thematic Unit Curriculum Map - Unit 1 Intro to Physical Geology
How Students will Demonstrate
Their Understanding
Summative
Career Research
Strategies or Best Practices Used to Explicitly Teach
Skills & Concepts
Fields of geology
Geologists seek answers to many basic questions
1. Of what material is the planet composed?
2. Why are there continents and oceans?
3. How did the Himalayas, Alps, and Rocky Mountains rise to their great heights?
4. Why are some regions subject to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions while others are not?
5. How did Earth’s surface environment, and the life it contains, evolve over billions of years?
6. What changes are likely in the future?
Instructional Texts &
Resources
PowerPoint
1. Fields of Geology
Video

Handout
1.
Essential Questions :
1. What are the types of Geo-Science disciplines and careers?
Formative

petrology - is the branch of geology that studies rocks, and the conditions in which rocks form lithology focuses on macroscopic hand-sample or outcrop-scale description of rocks petrography - the speciality that deals with microscopic details.
Igneous petrology focuses on the composition and texture of igneous rocks (rocks such as granite or basalt which have crystallized from molten rock or magma). Igneous rocks include volcanic and plutonic rocks.
Sedimentary petrology focuses on the composition and texture of sedimentary rocks
(rocks such as sandstone, shale, or limestone which consist of pieces or particles derived from other rocks or biological or chemical deposits, and are usually bound together in a matrix of finer material).
Metamorphic petrology focuses on the composition and texture of metamorphic rocks
(rocks such as slate, marble, gneiss, or schist which started out as sedimentary or igneous rocks but which have undergone chemical, mineralogical or textural changes due to extremes of pressure, temperature or both)
Experimental petrology employs high-pressure, high-temperature apparatus to investigate the geochemistry and phase relations of natural or synthetic materials at elevated pressures and temperatures. Experiments are particularly useful for investigating rocks of the lower crust and upper mantle that rarely survive the journey to the surface in pristine condition. The work of experimental petrologists has laid a foundation on which modern understanding of igneous and metamorphic processes has been built. hydrogeology - the area of geology that deals with the distribution and movement of groundwater in the soil and rocks of the Earth's crust sedimentology - encompasses the study of modern sediments such as sand, mud (silt), and clay, and the processes that result in their deposition stratigraphy - a branch of geology, studies rock layers and layering (stratification mineralogy - is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals
Physical mineralogy is the specific focus on physical attributes of minerals.
Chemical mineralogy focuses on the chemical composition of minerals in order to identify, classify, and categorize them, as well as a means to find beneficial uses from them
Biomineralogy is a cross-over field between mineralogy, paleontology and biology. It is the study of how plants and animals stabilize minerals under biological control, and the sequencing of mineral replacement of those minerals after deposition palaeontology - is the study of prehistoric life, including organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments physical geography - is that branch of natural science which deals with the study of processes and patterns in the natural environment like the atmosphere, biosphere and

geosphere, as opposed to the cultural or built environment, the domain of human geography structural geology - is the study of the three-dimensional distribution of rock units with respect to their deformational histories. The primary goal of structural geology is to use measurements of present-day rock geometries to uncover information about the history of deformation (strain) in the rocks, and ultimately, to understand the stress field that resulted in the observed strain and geometries.
Petroleum geology refers to the specific set of geological disciplines that are applied to the search for hydrocarbons
Geophysics is the physics of the Earth and its environment in space. Its subjects include the shape of the Earth, its gravitational and magnetic fields, the dynamics of the Earth as a whole and of its component parts, the Earth's internal structure, composition and tectonics, the generation of magmas, volcanism and rock formation, the hydrological cycle including snow and ice, all aspects of the oceans, the atmosphere, ionosphere, magnetosphere and solar-terrestrial relations, and analogous problems associated with the
Moon and other planets.
Economic geology : the study of ore genesis, and the mechanisms of ore creation, geostatistics.
Engineering geology : application of the geologic sciences to engineering practice for the purpose of assuring that the geologic factors affecting the location, design, construction, operation and maintenance of engineering works are recognized and adequately provided for;
Geochemistry : the applied branch deals with the study of the chemical makeup and behaviour of rocks, and the study of the behaviour of their minerals.
Geochronology : the study of isotope geology specifically toward determining the date within the past of rock formation, metamorphism, mineralization and geological events
(notably, meteorite impacts).
Geomorphology : the study of landforms and the processes that create them
Isotope geology : the study of the isotopic composition of rocks to determine the processes of rock and planetary formation.
Marine geology : the study of the seafloor; involves geophysical, geochemical, sedimentological and paleontological investigations of the ocean floor and coastal margins. Marine geology has strong ties to physical oceanography and plate tectonics.
Palaeoclimatology : the application of geological science to determine the climatic conditions present in the Earth's atmosphere within the Earth's history.

Pedology : the study of soil, soil formation, and regolith formation.
Volcanology : the study of volcanoes, their eruptions, lavas, magma processes and hazards.