RADFORD UNIVERSITY
1998 GEOLOGY SUMMER FIELD SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE TEACHERS

The Radford University Geology Department is pleased to announce the fifth offering of the Summer Field School For Teachers (Geol 445/545). This popular course is for 6-semester hours credits at the 400 or 500 level. It is intended as in-service training for secondary school earth science teachers, middle school physical science teachers, and for pre-service teachers. This course is fully funded by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia under the Dwight D. Eisenhower Mathematics and Science Education Act and is being offered in conjunction with the Henry, Roanoke, and Washington County School Systems. The Field School has been approved by the Virginia Department of Education for earth science endorsement, retraining and recertification. Prerequisite is a year (two courses) in general geology or instructor consent.

Description:

The Field School consists of intensive training and hands-on experience in geological field techniques and in the geology of Virginia. The course is content-oriented, and provides an in-depth look at how geologists collect and analyze field data and observations. Emphasis is placed on field identification of rocks and minerals, use of topographic maps in mapping, collection of basic geological data including the use of a Brunton Compass, and in the understanding of the geology, geomorphology, geologic history, and environmental concerns of Virginia. Field exercises will include numerous day trips from the home base at Radford University to see the geology of the Valley and Ridge and Blue Ridge in detail. An actual geologic mapping project will be conducted by the course participants. The course will end with a 5-day Grand Virginia Tour of the geology of Virginia that will build the 'big picture' of Virginia's geology as we travel from mountains to sea. The Tour includes visits to the Piedmont of central Virginia, the Tidewater area including Seashore State Park, Northern Virginia including Great Falls, and the Mesozoic Basins. During the course, all of the geologic provinces of Virginia will be visited and discussed, along with the latest research and plate tectonic theories on the origin of Virginia rocks, especially in light of the recently published state geologic map. Participants will learn about the geology or their particular home region. There will be opportunities to collect rocks of all major classifications as well as numerous fossil species. Opportunities to photograph major landforms and geologic features will exist also. The philosophy is that to learn geology, one must do geology. The class spends most of its time outdoors and is geared for the rock-lover who doesn't mind getting his/her hands dirty. Warning: this class is demanding, challenging, and intellectually stimulating!!!

Tentative Dates:

(Dates will depend on the schedules of participant's school systems.)

The course begins with 2 correspondence exercises in May. The on-campus portion will run as follows:

• Week 1: June 22-26 Introduction to geologic field work
• Week 2: June 29-July 2 Valley and Ridge, Blue Ridge
• Week 3: July 6-10 Geologic Mapping Project
• Week 4: July 14-18 Grand Virginia Tour
• Week 5: July 21-24 End of course

List of topics:

1. Rock and mineral review in the lab and in the field.
2. Topographic maps, lab and field.
3. Principles of geology and data interpretation: Steno's Laws, principles of stratigraphy, folds and faults, structural geology, reconstruction of paleoenvironments.
4. Overview of Virginia geology.
5. Application of stratigraphy: field trips to visit the geologic column of the Valley and Ridge and the Appalachian Plateau.
6. Study of the geologic structure of the Valley and Ridge: field trip to Burkes Garden.
7. Study of the geology, tectonic history, and structure of the Blue Ridge: field trips to Mount Rogers and Floyd County near the Blue Ridge Parkway.
8. FIELD MAPPING EXERCISE: Geologic data collection, rock identification, interpretation of structure and geologic history, construction of geologic maps.
9. THE GRAND VIRGINIA TOUR: study of a mountain range, and the first-hand study of Virginia geology stressing plate tectonics.
10. Environmental geology: integrated into the numerous field trips are studies of the many environmental problems of Virginia. These include: flooding, landslides, karst, groundwater, and waste disposal.

Additional Information:

Enrollment is limited to 24 participants, so please return the application quickly as demand has been heavy in past years. The course requires some hiking over rough terrain, so participants must be in very good physical condition. Day schedules generally begin at 8 and end before 5, although due to extensive travel on the longer trips, we occasionally return in the early evening.

Funding:

Participants are encouraged to seek funding from their own school divisions for additional costs such as room and board at Radford University. For participants who are unable to secure funding from their school divisions, the Field School Eisenhower grant will provide room and board for some participants. Radford University will waive tuition charges. We will also offer a $500 stipend.

Comments from previous participants:

The Geology Field School has been very highly rated by past participants. A sampling of typical comments from the final evaluations from previous offerings is as follows:

• "Great course, great faculty! A real service to the Earth Science teachers of Virginia".
• "It is best to teach what you have experienced, not what you have read in books".
• "I feel it is extremely important for teachers within a subject area to have time together not only for a class, but to be able to exchange ideas on teaching. A class like the Field School allows for that type of interaction. SO DO IT AGAIN! PLEASE!"
• "I stayed up until 4 am for 3 consecutive nights prior to the exam, not to avoid failing, but because I wanted to learn everything. This is a sign of a great course."
• "I just want to add that the Geology Field School class was the best class I have ever taken in my many years of education. I not only gained in knowledge of geology and history of Virginia, but I had a BLAST doing it. I wish we could teach earth science like the Field School. In the field! It would solve any motivation problems."
• "I only wish I had had a course like this one sooner.ÉI had not taken a course specifically in Virginia Geology. I think it should be a requirement."

If you would like additional information, please call Dr. Jon Tso (540) 831-5638, or write to the Geology Department, Radford University, Box 6939, Radford, VA 24142. Our e-mail address is jtso@runet.edu . Visit us on the World Wide Web: http://www.runet.edu/~fldsch.html