SYLLABUS
Earth Science Outside – Geologic History, EDUC5215-382
Enrolls concurrently with USOE “OnTrack 34750 Earth Science Outside, GEOLOGIC
HISTORY, Wasatch Front.”
Summer Workshop – Taught in July
Note – this workshop is offered for diverse types of credit, USOE OnTrack, SUU, or WSU
with some modifications of expectations for homework. Read this syllabus for a general
sense of the workshop… know that some specifics are for SUU only.
For General Professional Development
1 – credit. 15.5 hours of contact time.
To qualify for credit, Southern Utah University requires that learners must complete 15 hours of
contact time per credit hour in any given course
Additional course information: http://www.earthscienceeducation.org
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:
Genevieve Atwood, PhD
801-534-1894; 801-647-8155 (cell)
Office: Earth Science Education, 30 U Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84103
GenevieveAtwood@icloud.com
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This Earth science course prepares teachers to go outside with their students and explain how
Earth science surrounds us, how landscapes are the product of geologic processes cumulative
over time, how sediments of the Wasatch Front record the history of present geologic
environments and how bedrock of the Wasatch Front records the history of deep geologic time.
The course is taught outside using Salt Lake County places and vistas as outdoor classrooms.
LEARNING MATERIALS:
Earth Science Education’s sponsors provide course materials. Teacher-participants receive about
$50 worth of classroom supplies such as the course text (looseleaf format also posted to website), CDs, and a geologic highway map of Utah.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1) Knowledge of the physical world
Participants will:
i. recall terminology
ii. categorize the relative age of diverse rock units seen at locales of the Wasatch Front
iii. articulate and illustrate fundamental Earth science principles, specifically, concepts of
superposition and cross-cutting relationships
2) Inquiry and analysis
Participants will:
i. value observation as a way to obtain knowledge of Earth system science
ii. demonstrate curiosity about nature and about science through questions about landscapes of
the Wasatch Front
iii. write a narrative that conveys curiosity about the geologic history of a place along the
Wasatch Front
iv tie their narrative to Utah’s science core and show relevance to students
3) Critical thinking
Participants will:
i. integrate knowledge of Earth systems to derive conclusions regarding relative age of rock
units of visible landscapes
ii. be able to articulate how the science of Earth science has changed with better understanding of
tectonics and climate.
COURSE ASSESSMENT TABLE:
Day 1
Day 2
exercises
exercises
and HW01 and HW02
Knowledge
Inquiry and
Analysis
Critical
thinking
Day 3
exercises
and HW03
Day 4
exercises
and HW04
Day 5
exercises
and HW05
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
HW06 -ties to
science
core
x
x
x
COURSE OBJECTIVES
After this course, teacher-participants will be able to go outside with their students, teach what
they see, and discuss how Earth processes change Earth’s materials. They will be able to role
model observation, curiosity, and wonder. They will recognize how rock units and landscapes
record geologic history of a place. They will apply concepts of Earth systems to recognize
relative age of rock units.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
REQUIREMENTS: Participants must attend all five sessions. The course assumes an hour of
homework for every class contact hour. Daily homework includes reading and written
assignments that culminate in a final project. The participant’s final project tells the story of a
rock they collect during the course. The narrative is for classroom use appropriate to grade. The
Earth science content of the story generally includes concepts of the rock cycle.
HW01 explores inquiry with respect to geologic history. It introduces some key terms with the
intent to inspire understanding versus jargon.
HW02 is a reading assignment begun the first day of class with worksheets (or alternative
approach). It should reinforce the major concepts of Earth science by narrating the geologic
history of Utah in nine chapters and abundant illustrations. Text is also available as
MP3/download.
HW03 outline the geologic history of a familiar, local landform.
HW04 Work collaboratively on each other’s narratives. Think critically about concepts of Earth
systems science expressed as rocks and sediments along the Wasatch Front. Review ways to
distinguish relative age. Collaborative learning should assure that HW05 will (a) excite students
to wonder about Earth’s past; (b) convey a concept of Earth science; and (c) succeed in their
classroom.
HW05 is the literary / other piece: a narrative, written and illustrated, appropriate to grade, tells
an aspect of how the Wasatch Front or a landform of the Wasatch Front (such as Mount
Olympus) came to be;
HW06 Identify and connect a concept from each day to the science core. This assignment
distinguishes requirements of EDUC5215-382 from USOE On-Track 34745 for relicensure.
RUBRICS for Earth Science Outside Summer Courses.
Evaluations explore learning objectives of: inquiry, analysis, critical thinking, and content knowledge.
Course grade:
60% on final project (narrative for classroom use)
25% on homework assignments
15% on in-class exercises and interactions.
Consistently Advanced: A
Intermediate to Advanced: AIntermediate: B
Novice: C
Non-responsive or Inadequate: D
INQUIRY: Demonstrate curiosity. Appreciate how questions drive science.
Advanced: Higher order inquiry about: the nature of applications syntheses, significance; or causal
relationships. “Analysis Inquiry”
Intermediate: Mid-order inquiry calling for clarification of definitions or effects. “Comprehension
inquiry”
Novice: Lower-order inquiry calling for facts. “Knowledge inquiry”
Non-responsive or Inadequate
ANALYSIS: Value observations; Communicate Earth science concept(s) logically; Tie course knowledge
to Utah science core
Advanced: Embrace observations and uncertainty; Use evidence to draw logical inferences; Use theory as
a guide to test inferences.
Intermediate: Systematically articulate and record observations; Distinguish patterns; articulate theory and
course concepts using own words.
Novice: Distinguish observations from interpretations; Follows logic of text and classroom assignments.
Non-responsive or Inadequate
CRITICAL THINKING: Integrate theory with Earth science outside; Distinguish evidence outside using
categories from coursework; Compare and contrast nuanced processes;
Advanced: Gives examples beyond those of course; Clarify definitions; Articulate nuances. Abundant
specifics. Explores causal relationships.
Intermediate: Sees connections, can relate to personal experience, articulates contrasts.
Novice: States the obvious, Can give examples similar to those of course content. Desire to learn.
Non-responsive or Inadequate
CONTENT KNOWLEDGE: Recall terminology; Articulate Earth science concepts; Illustrate using one
or more learning modalities.
Advanced: Mastery. Can explain course content to others using more than one learning modality; Final
project conveys course concepts appropriate to grade with potential to interest students in Earth science
outside.
Intermediate: Solid work. Can explain course content and identify evidence in the field with coaching
from instructor. Draws conclusions using big concepts.
Novice: Getting there. Can rephrase course content using course verbiage.
Non-responsive or Inadequate
Attendance Policy: Students are required to attend all class times. Students may attend morning
or afternoon sessions and mix and match.
Emergency Management Statement: Outdoor classroom experiences have inherent risks.
Teacher-participants are expected to adhere and contribute to a safe environment including but
not limited to alerting instructor to concerns. Safety first.
Academic Integrity: Scholastic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the
fullest extent. You expected to have read and understood Policy 6.33 Academic Integrity and the
current issue of the student handbook (published by Student Services) regarding student
responsibilities and rights.
ADA Statement: Students with medical, psychological, learning or other disabilities desiring
academic adjustments, accommodations or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Southern Utah
University Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD), in Room 206F of the
Sharwan Smith Center or phone (435) 865-8022. SSD determines eligibility for and authorizes
the provision of services.
HEOA Compliance statement: The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P)
file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law. Detailed
information can be found at http://www.suu.edu/it/p2p-student-notice.html.
Disclaimer: Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments,
makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed
appropriate by the instructor.
PROGRAM OF STUDY
This introductory field-based Earth science course uses the magnificent display of rock units
along the Wasatch Front as an outdoor classroom. It teaches the concepts and ways that Earth
scientists determine relative age of rock units. The course goal is for teachers to gain confidence
to go outside, recognize the Earth science that surrounds them, and teach students what they see.
Each session is held outside and includes a walk of discovery, lecture, collaboration and in-class
exercises. Daily homework assignments solidify comprehension.
CONTENT: Earth science concepts of (a) historical geology of Utah; (b) structure of Earth,
Earth materials, fossils, tectonics and climate change; and (c) geographic concepts of
physiographic provinces including places names of Wasatch Front landmarks. The course
teaches how today’s scenery of the Wasatch Front results from cumulative effects of geologic
processes over time.
SESSION
TIME
PLACE
ADDRESS
8:30 – 11:30 AM OR
5 – 8 PM
8:30 – 11:30 AM OR
5 – 8 PM
8:30 – 11:30 AM OR
5 – 8 PM
Creekside Park pavilion
Session 4
8:30 – noon OR
5 – 8 PM
Session 5
8:30 – 11:30 AM OR
5 – 8 PM
Mouth of Parley’s Canyon
(south side), then Sugar
House Park
Herriman skateboard park
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Pleasant Green Park
UTA park-ride – Mouth of
Little Cottonwood Canyon
1630 East MurrayHolladay Road
3280 South 8400 West
Magna
4323 Little Cottonwood
Canyon Rd Sandy
84092
South side of canyon
and east of I-215.
2700 So Wasatch Blvd
5900 W 13400 So,
Herriman 84096
Session 1: Concept of relative age
 Learn how to read a geologic map and stratigraphic columns.
 Understand concepts of historical geology, the rules for deciphering a region’s geologic past.
 Apply the rules to determine relative ages of bedrock units of the Grand Canyon.
 Learn how fossils contribute to the understanding of Utah’s geologic past.
 Recognize characteristics of Utah: three physiographic provinces.
Session 2: Utah’s geologic past and evidence along the Wasatch Front
 Appreciate evidence of the history of our present landscapes
 Hear the geologic history of Utah, including dinosaurs, deserts, seas, basins, plate tectonics,
and how the landscape changed
 Recognize how fossils and rock types are clues to Utah’s geologic past
 Sediments of the past 20 million years tell the story of relatively recent environments.
 Global climate changes of the past few million years include cycles of glaciations, the
presence of large lakes (such as Lake Bonneville), and evidence for hotter / drier climate.
Session 3: FIELD EXPERIENCE #1 – mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon
 First part: Observe evidence. Distinguish major rock units; depict rock units and boundaries;
and transfer information into an orderly progression of rock units.
 Second part: Rough out the outline of the geologic history of features seen from teachers’
school. Identify theme of the literary piece.
Session 4: FIELD EXPERIENCE #2
 First part: major mapping exercise at the mouth of Parleys Canyon. Participants locate
features on a topographic map; distinguish major rock units; depict rock units and
boundaries; and transfer information into an orderly progression of rock units.
 Second part: Participants recognize different rock types of the Wasatch Range in Salt Lake
County as viewed from Sugarhouse Park. Review Lake Bonneville / Great Salt Lake and
how they came to be. Participants recognize the general sequence of chapters of Utah’s
geologic past and connect the sequence seen at Sugarhouse Park to the sequence of the
landscape of their literary piece.
Session 5: Review.
 Repeat to remember… remember to repeat.
 First part: recognize subtle evidence of rock units of the Oquirrh Mountains. Determine
relative ages of a few rock units.
 Second part: work collaboratively on narratives that relate, appropriate to grade, concept of
geologic history relevant to students.