Elementary School
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Cave Science! Have you ever wanted to explore a cave? So many different kinds of scientists work in caves—explorers and cartographers, geologists, physicists, biologists, and chemists—all you need is your curiosity and some protective clothing to help you stay safe. Let’s check out that gear, crawl around, and find out what it’s like to be a speleologist! Presenter: Rachel Bosch (graduate student, MS Geoscience, BA Physics) Contact: boschrf@mail.uc.edu Invisible Worlds There is a lot more to the world than what we can see with the unaided eye. Many life forms and minerals are too small to see and microscopes help us explore this otherwise invisible world. In this presentation, we will examine the microscopic world around us, including minerals in rocks, tiny plants and animals, and even your own cells! Students will learn how to build their own microscope with a few simple parts (and a cell phone with a camera). Presenter: Dr. Andy Czaja (Assistant Professor) Contact: andrew.czaja@uc.edu What are Fossils?
We can learn a lot from fossils. They are the remains of ancient organisms. But they are also important clues about the Earth! Fossils tell us that life was very different in the past and show us how it has changed over time. This presentation will give an overview of what can become a fossil, how fossils are formed, and the kinds of things we can learn from fossils. Students will also be able to see and touch a variety of fossils from the Cincinnati area. Presenter: Tim Patton Contact: patontr@mail.uc.edu Bones
What can bones tell us about an animal? There is a lot we can learn from bones. This hands-on activity will reveal some of the ways we can identify an animal’s diet using its skull or other bones. Presenter: Dr. Brooke E. Crowley (Assistant Professor) Contact: crowlebk@ucmail.uc.edu Yellowstone National Park
This presentation can be tailored to focus on one of a variety of geoscience topics including: hot springs and the extreme life that inhabits them, the 4 billion year geologic history of the Yellowstone area, and the cultural history of exploration that led to the formation of the park. Students will learn about research that occurs in the park, fundamental geologic and geochemical principals associated with the topic, see many pictures from the park, explore data that has been collected through scientific research conducted in the park, and get to hold and examine sample specimens collected from the region. Presenter: Dr. Jeff Havig (Postdoctoral Researcher) Contact: jeffhavig@gmail.com Volcanoes
Learn how a volcano works. Where do we find volcanoes? What is an active and what is a dormant volcano? Are all volcanoes the same? Do they all produce big explosions? In this hands on presentation students will learn all the important facts of how, where and why volcanoes form. Presenter: Shannon Neale (graduate student, BSc Geology) Contact: nealesn@mail.uc.edu Rock Types
Learn the three different rock types and the processes that prompt forming these rocks. What rocks occur in Ohio and what are the most common rocks on Earth? In this hands on presentation students will get to know a variety of rocks and learn how to discriminate between them. Presenter: Sonia Sanchez-Lohff (graduate student, BSc Geology) Contact: sanchesk@mail.uc.edu |
Middle School and High School
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Plate Motion and Earthquakes
Learn about the basics of plate tectonics and the driving mechanisms of plate motion. Students will learn how seismic waves are generated and how scientists use them to study the structure of Earth's interior. Natural hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis will be investigated on case studies. (I can cater to your learning objectives). Presenter: Dr. Eva Enkelmann (Assistant Professor) Contact: eva.enkelmann@uc.edu Fossils
Learn about what a fossil is, how it formed, and what it can tell us about the past. Students will learn about different radiation and extinction events that occurred during Earth’s history and how the fossil record can help us learn about these events. Students will also use samples to learn about different forms of preservation and all the major groups of animals. Presenter: Tim Patton Contact: patontr@mail.uc.edu Landscapes and People of the Himalaya
This presentation will introduce students to the physical processes that are responsible for creating the highest mountain range in the world. The course will discuss the role of glaciers and rivers within Himalayan landscapes and the affect that global warming has upon these processes. The presentation will go on to describe the way in which the Himalayas has shaped the cultures and people of this environment. Presenter: Elizabeth Orr (graduate student, MSc Geology) Contact: orreh@mail.uc.edu Water in the Desert
What do volcanoes, flamingos, and deep space astronomy have in common? Why are all three found in the Atacama Desert? The answer depends on how water moves through one of the driest landscapes on Earth. This presentation focuses on the dry climate of the Atacama Desert and will touch on basic geology of the volcanoes, glaciers, lakes, and landscapes of the Andes past and present. The presentation can be tailored to emphasize one of these topics to suit your learning objectives, and may include an activity in which students calculate the difference in rainfall and river runoff between the Cincinnati area and the Atacama Desert using real data. Presenter: Dr. Dylan Ward (Assistant Professor) Contact: dylan.ward@uc.edu Time and Space
Compared to us the Earth is very large and very old. The universe is even larger and even older. If you are 50 years old, you have only been alive for one millionth of one percent of the age of the Earth, an extremely small fraction. For most, it is difficult to comprehend lengths and durations other than those we deal with every day, e.g., inches to miles and seconds to decades. In this presentation, we will attempt to understand miniscule and massive measurements through hands-on demonstrations illustrating the vastness of Earth and space, and of geologic time. Presenter: Dr. Andy Czaja (Assistant Professor) Contact: andrew.czaja@uc.edu The stories snail shells hold
There is a large variety of snails that live in different environments. We can study these fascinating creatures and particularly their shells can tell us stories about the past. Presenter: Dr. Yurena Yanes (Assistant Professor) Contact: yanesya@ucmail.uc.edu |
Image: Peter Sawyer (Smithsonian)
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Global Warming
What is global warming? This presentation will cover the basics of global warming, including future implications, geared towards the younger generation. The presentation will incorporate real data from ice sheet records, include a basic description of past climate change events, and a discussion of what we expect to see in the next century. Presenter: Stephanie Heath (graduate student, MSc Geology) Contact: heathsi@mail.uc.edu Glaciers in Ohio
We always hear plenty about the massive Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, but what about the ice sheets that no longer exist? This presentation reviews the ice sheet that once covered most of Ohio. I will discuss when it came and went, and what was left behind. Additionally, I will talk about why it is important, and what we can learn from studying it. Presenter: Stephanie Heath (graduate student, MSc Geology) Contact: heathsi@mail.uc.edu Rivers and Climate Change
Should we be worried about the affect of climate change upon our rivers? This presentation will explain how river processes are responding to climate change today and the hazards associated with them. In addition to the Ohio River, this course will discuss how climate change is starting to affect some of the largest river systems in the world. Presenter: Elizabeth Orr (graduate student, MSc Geology) Contact: orreh@mail.uc.edu The Early Earth Was An Alien Planet
The Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago and since that time it has changed quite a lot. The environments we see today are not the same as those of the ancient Earth. Early on, the sun was dimmer, the Earth spun faster, there was no oxygen to breathe, and meteor impacts and volcanic eruptions were much more common. It was under these conditions that life first originated and evolved on Earth. This presentation will explore how the Earth has changed and how, by understanding these strange, alien conditions of the distant past, we can better search for other planets in the universe that might be able to support life. We will also discuss ongoing missions to search for such alien planets. Presenter: Dr. Andy Czaja (Assistant Professor) Contact: andrew.czaja@uc.edu Comparative Osteology
Bones are fascinating. Have you ever found a bone and wondered what it is? Skeletons preserve information about what an animal ate, how it moved, and other aspects of its life long after death. This hands-on activity will help students learn how to distinguish bones from mammals and birds as well as identify bones from animals that are common in the Ohio River Valley. Presenter: Dr. Brooke E. Crowley (Assistant Professor) Contact: crowlebk@ucmail.uc.edu Life in the Universe
The search for alien life, once the stuff of science fiction, is now a worldwide endeavor led by space agencies across the globe. The study of Astrobiology focuses on the origin, evolution, distribution, and potential for life in the universe. This presentation explores the following questions: How can we use Earth to study other planets? Where might there be life elsewhere in the Universe? What might it look like? What active Astrobiological research is underway today, and what is planned for the future? Presenter: Andrew Gangidine Contact: gangidaj@mail.uc.edu Yellowstone National Park
This presentation can be tailored to focus on one of a variety of geoscience topics including: hot springs and the extreme life that inhabits them, the 4 billion year geologic history of the Yellowstone area, and the cultural history of exploration that led to the formation of the park. Students will learn about research that occurs in the park, fundamental geologic and geochemical principals associated with the topic, see many pictures from the park, explore data that has been collected through scientific research conducted in the park, and get to hold and examine sample specimens collected from the region. Presenter: Dr. Jeff Havig (Postdoctoral Researcher) Contact: jeffhavig@gmail.com |
