Using Field Data and a Hybrid Jigsaw to Represent the Geologic History of the Pacific Northwest
Initial Publication Date: December 31, 2016
Summary
This hybrid jigsaw activity will start with students doing field research during a class field trip, then each student will use the data to formulate their own geologic history paper. After I return the graded paper, students will use their information to complete the final three steps of the hybrid jigsaw; first, working in a small specialty group focused on one aspect of the topic and representing that aspect with a whiteboard sketch, then engage in peer teaching, and to finish the jigsaw, individually collect new information. The jigsaw's primary outcome is for students to deepen their understanding of the topic through communication between students and with the instructor.
Learning Goals
Goals include the following:
- Understand and use the principles of relative age to interpret geologic history
- Critical thinking about the relationship of geologic data and the geologic processes that occurred long ago to form that data
- Synthesize a connection between data and concepts learned in class to formulate a geologic history paper
- Students will work on improving field observation skills and describing data, paper writing, and oral communication in small groups as well as one-on-one with other students and the teacher.
- Understand and use the principles of relative age to interpret geologic history
- Critical thinking about the relationship of geologic data and the geologic processes that occurred long ago to form that data
- Synthesize a connection between data and concepts learned in class to formulate a geologic history paper
- Students will work on improving field observation skills and describing data, paper writing, and oral communication in small groups as well as one-on-one with other students and the teacher.
Context for Use
This activity is designed for an introduction to physical geology course (Geology 101) at a community college. The activity extends over several weeks, starting with a field trip (five hours on Saturday), one class session as a post field trip lab activity using rocks, sediments and fossils from the trip, to help formulate a relative age sequence of events, and concludes with a whole class session to complete the hybrid jigsaw. Before the field trip there are lab sessions focused on identifying rock and interrupting their history, and lecture and homework activities that explore the principles of relative age and the concepts of geologic history. This activity can be adapted to any level of geology class that has access to earth materials that have a location context. It might even be possible to do this activity without an actual field trip.
Description and Teaching Materials
This hybrid jigsaw includes the following steps and materials:
1. Students attend a class field trip or use a self-guided worksheet to complete the trip on their own, and/or use the worksheet and an online Virtual Field Trip presentation
2. Formulate a geologic history paper and submit it for grading (Critical Thinking Assignment)
3. With the return of the graded paper students will form a small (3-4 students) specialty groups, and with the help of a Specialty Worksheet focus on a narrow aspect of the geologic history and represent that history on a large (3'x4') portable whiteboard
4. Share your whiteboard with the entire class and engage in a peer teaching activity as students circulate around the class and view all the whiteboards
5. Individually, students will collect and record new information from all the whiteboards. Student handout for Geologic History Hybrid Jigsaw Activity (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 17kB Dec9 16)
Student handout for Crtical Thinking Assignment (Acrobat (PDF) 10kB Dec9 16)
Specialty Group Worksheet - Complete Geologic History (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 24kB Dec9 16)
Specialty Group Worksheet - Glacial Marine Drift (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 25kB Dec9 16)
1. Students attend a class field trip or use a self-guided worksheet to complete the trip on their own, and/or use the worksheet and an online Virtual Field Trip presentation
2. Formulate a geologic history paper and submit it for grading (Critical Thinking Assignment)
3. With the return of the graded paper students will form a small (3-4 students) specialty groups, and with the help of a Specialty Worksheet focus on a narrow aspect of the geologic history and represent that history on a large (3'x4') portable whiteboard
4. Share your whiteboard with the entire class and engage in a peer teaching activity as students circulate around the class and view all the whiteboards
5. Individually, students will collect and record new information from all the whiteboards. Student handout for Geologic History Hybrid Jigsaw Activity (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 17kB Dec9 16)
Student handout for Crtical Thinking Assignment (Acrobat (PDF) 10kB Dec9 16)
Specialty Group Worksheet - Complete Geologic History (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 24kB Dec9 16)
Specialty Group Worksheet - Glacial Marine Drift (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 25kB Dec9 16)
Specialty Group Worksheet - Tectonic Setting (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 23kB Dec13 16)
Online Virtual Field Trip Presentation (Acrobat (PDF) 3.5MB Dec13 16)
Teaching Notes and Tips
On the field trip it is important that the field worksheet guides students to observe and record data, rather than the instructor giving them a "show and tell" type of field trip experience. Also, useful on the field trip, is a mid field trip session where student sit down and formulate a relative age sequence based on what they have observed.
In the classroom, while students are in the specialty groups I think it is useful to remind student to refer to class notes, assignments, labs and field trip notes and diagrams they have collect throughout the course and on the field trip.
In the classroom, while students are in the specialty groups I think it is useful to remind student to refer to class notes, assignments, labs and field trip notes and diagrams they have collect throughout the course and on the field trip.
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Assessment
An active assessment occurs as the specialty group is preparing their whiteboard sketch.
Final assessment occurs when students write essays (in a test format) to describe a narrowly focused aspects of geologic history. Expectations for level of detail will be greater than in the Critical Thinking Assignment paper.
Final assessment occurs when students write essays (in a test format) to describe a narrowly focused aspects of geologic history. Expectations for level of detail will be greater than in the Critical Thinking Assignment paper.
References and Resources
I have created all the material myself. The only online resource for the hybrid jigsaw is the Virtual Field Trip presentation and that is posted on the internal class site on Canvas.