Earth Science Extras (ESE2) for ESTEP Geos 499/599
A self-guided course of study in selected aspects of astronomy and geology
For Science Teachers who have completed ESE1
by Russ Colson
Description: This course provides a deeper exploration of human interactions with our environment and more advanced ideas of astronomy than addressed in Earth Science Essentials (ESE1). Selected upper-level concepts include soils and erosion, climate change, surface and groundwater hydrology, pollutant migration, resource distribution, phases of the Moon, seasons, H-R diagrams, nucleosynthesis, Keppler's laws, stellar distances, and others The course also offers a brief survey of the geology of Minnesota, including some review of plate tectonics, geological mapping, and paleogeographic reconstruction, with examination of selected features in northwest, southwest, southeast, east and northeast Minnesota. Like ESE1, this course is comprised largely of self-learning online experiences that address state licensure standards in earth science and is intended as partial preparation for teaching earth science at the high school level. Prerequisite for this course is successful completion of Earth Science Essentials (ESE1). The materials for this course are selected from the more extensive materials available at https://earthsci4teachers.com/ESE2/ESE2.html
Objectives:
1) Complete in-depth exercises, analysis, and discussion of selected concepts in environmental geology and astronomy along with a brief, selective survey of Minnesota geology.
2) Practice earth science thinking, including engagement with real-world research and application of understanding to real-world problems within a self-learning online context.
3) Discuss with colleagues the societal concerns and implications of selected environmental issues, including how to address those issues in class discussions.
4) Complete an independent research project, beginning with identification of a question, through field and lab work, data compilation, analysis, and interpretation, and ending with a report to colleagues.
This Course is Appropriate For:
1. Teachers who have taken ESE1 and want to examine more advanced earth science ideas and improve their understanding of earth science concepts in a way consistent with NGSS practices of science.
2. Experienced science teachers wanting to engage in science investigation at the frontiers of their own understanding in preparation for engaging high school students in investigation at their frontiers.
3. Someone prepared to commit 90-135 hours to complete. This is a rigorous course requiring meaningful time commitment following prior preparation in science at the college or graduate level.
Course Schedule
Earth Science Essentials (ESE2) for ESTEP Geos 599
Stories of Humans and the Earth
Soils and erosion
Soils Review and Processes: Lecture
Soils Review: Textures, Horizons, Orders
Agriculture and Erosion--Discussion Prompts
Problems in Wind Erosion-Interpreting Published Research: Interactive Text
Landscape Review with Human Impacts, Effect of Dams: Interactive Text
Soils in Stratigraphy, Climate, and Construction Engineering
Discussion: Erosion (synchronous online discussion)-- Read discussion prompts in Agriculture and Erosion, and Effects of Dams, and come prepared with a one-minute summary of something you find interesting or might include in your classroom. We will talk about engaging students in authentic discussion.
Climate Considerations
Isotopes, Geothermometers, and Climate: Interactive Text
Follow the Carbon--Geochemical Cycling: Interactive Text
Readings: Indigenous Perspectives on Climate Change--Interactive Text
People and Climate: Modeling and Impacts, with discussion prompts: Interactive Text
Discussion: (synchronous online discussion) Discussion about climate change and Native American perspectives. Complete the lessons Readings: Indigenous Perspectives on Climate Change--Interactive Text and People and Climate: Modeling and Impacts, with discussion prompts: Interactive Text, pick one of the discussion prompts to pursue online, and come prepared the share a 1-2 minute summary of something that you find. We will talk about engaging students in understanding perspectives other than their own.
Water Considerations
Surface and Ground Water: Lecture
Surface Water Hydrology: Interactive Text
Ground Water Hydrology: Interactive Text
Porosity and Permeability: Lab
You shouldn't just 'watch and read through" the porosity and permeability lab--but should record and graph the data, interpreting what it means. This lab includes watching a couple of videos of me doing experiments--you need to record data and do significant calculations which will take at least a couple of hours. It is possible to 'cheat' the lab and not do these calculations, but don't do that as it defeats the whole purpose of getting an education that makes you a better person and better prepared for life and learning.
Problems in Pollutant Migration: Interactive Text
Problems in Salt Water Incursion-Human and Climate Effects: Interactive Text, with discussion prompts.
Water Quality Exercises - Part 1, A Survey of EPA Water Quality Criteria: Interactive Text
Exam 1
Natural resources
Remote Sensing-Examination of Economic and Environmental Papers: Interactive Text
Discussion: (synchronous online) Sea level effects, water rights and natural resources (Complete the lessons on salt water incursion, water rights, and people and resources and come prepared for to offer a 1-minute summary of something you noticed or thought about in the prompts that could work as a discussion prompt in your classroom (30 minutes) ALSO, we will talk about the Experimental and Field Investigation of Soil Properties. (30 minutes).
Stories Through Real Investigation
An Experimental and Field Investigation of Soil Properties
Guidelines and Assignment for an Independent Experimental Investigation of Soils
An example Investigation and Report (This is an example independent investigation report done by me; Check it out when you have done some thinking and experimental designing for your own study but want some thoughts going forward.)
Telling Field Stories of Minnesota Geology
(these lessons presume that you understand rocks and stratigraphy from ESE1)
Structural Geology Part 1 Lecture
Structural Geology, Part 1, Plate Tectonics: Interactive Text
Structural Geology Part 2 Lecture
Structural Geology, Part 2, Spatial Thinking and Mapping: Interactive Text
The Paleogeography of North America: Lecture
The Paleogeographic Mapping of North America: Interactive Text
Selected Geology Stories from Minnesota, Part 1: Interactive Text
Selected Geology Stories from Minnesota, Part 2: Interactive Text
Exam 2
Stories of the Universe
The Universe is Big
Patterns and Predictability-Seasons
Patterns and Predictability-Phases of the Moon: Lecture
Patterns and Predictability-Phases of the Moon: Interactive Text
Measuring the Sky: Interactive Text
Measuring the Distance to the Sun with Aristarchus: Interactive Text
Note: The Aristarchus exercise above is a real-world study from over 2000 years ago. It is a math-heavy unit with lots of geometric visualization, and so provides an example of a Math-Science cross-over unit (at the upper college level!).
The Universe is Changing
Changes in Life--A Geologist's Perspective: Lecture
Changes in Life--A Geologist's Perspective: Interactive Text
Changes in Life--Changes in Life: Natural Selection and Genetics Simulation Lab
Changes in Stars--HR Diagrams and the Life Cycle of Stars: Lecture
Changes in Stars--HR Diagrams and the Life Cycle of Stars: Interactive Text
Changes in Galaxies and the Universe Itself: Interactive Text
Celestial Mechanics--Movements in Space and Kepler s Law: Lecture
Celestial Mechanics--Movements in Space and Kepler s Law: Interactive Text
The exercises in this lesson are quite math-heavy and to do properly will require a lot more effort than simply guessing at an answer. Don't cheat yourself by clicking though. Most failure at math is a matter of being too impatient to practice it through productive struggle, rather than innate inability to comprehend. This lesson should take hours to complete, not minutes.
Exam 3
Mini-Conference: Field and Experimental Studies of Soil Character and Properties (synchronous online meetings to be scheduled)
Depending on the size of our class, we will schedule one or two 1-hour mini-conference time slots on different days to report on the results of independent investigations. Your report should provide purpose of the investigation, methodologies, results (graphs are always good in science), and interpretations of those results, focusing mostly on the key conclusion and key observational evidence, but exploring side discoveries or unexpected results or problems as there is time. Please provide insight into challenges you would expect to have to overcome if you did this with your own students and how you might overcome those challenges.
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last updated 3/25/2025