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2000-2001
2001-2002
* The Power of the Exponent
* A Treasure Lost
* Breathless
* Evolution: The Only Constant is Change
* Enzyme Activity and Computer Modeling
* Earth Fissures
* Aerobic Metabolism
* The Science of Survival
* Tailpipe Emissions
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2001-2002 SyRIS Science Module Collection
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| Module Title: |
| Earth Fissures: Arizona's Crack Problem |
| Faculty Team Members (Discipline): |
| Donna Benson (Geology), Suzanne Martin (Biology), John Weide (Chemistry), and Donald Yee (Engineering) |
| College: |
| Mesa Community College |
| Student Group Targeted: |
| Science (biology, geology, chemistry) and engineering non-majors. The module could be adapted for science and engineering majors. |
| How Will the SyRIS Goals Be Met? |
Interdisciplinary Component:Traditionally, geologic features such as earth fissures are studied only in geology classes. However, understanding how the environment interacts with both living and non-living things is central to all fields of science. Students typically do not see the connections between the different sciences and how they would interact with each other. It is important for students to be able to explore the relationships that exist between the sciences and how they relate to each other. We plan to develop instructional materials for use in all four disciplines to teach core concepts more effectively.
Using a real-world, field-based problem, we identified a set of core concepts common to biology, chemistry, engineering, and geology courses. Students are divided into teams. Each team consists of two students from each of the four disciplines working together to solve a problem. The teams integrate their field work with their individual classroom experiences to better understand each of the four disciplines and how they relate, using this knowledge to solve a problem. During the field exercise, we have the instructors from all four different disciplines as resources.
Active Learning Strategies:
- Field exploration
- Inquiry-based learning
- Hands on activities in the classroom, lab, and field
- Interdisciplinary collaborative learning groups (team building)
- Problem-based learning using "real world" applications to aid students in relating these concepts to experiences outside of the classroom
- Self and peer assessment opportunities
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| Module Overview: |
Background:
Geologic change and its affect on the environment is a difficult topic for students to grasp; it's a gradual process observed over long periods of time. How other disciplines such as biology, chemistry, and engineering directly affect land and its use also is not so intuitive to students. The interaction between these disciplines can be overwhelming to a student who is required to understand the relationships between them and to effectively use that information to solve a problem that they could come across. Giving students the opportunity to work on a multi-discipline problem that explores these relationships and is directly applied to a real world situation will give students a better appreciation for the different disciplines and how they relate to each.
Geologic features such as earth fissures are becoming a major environmental problem in Arizona today, especially in agricultural and urban areas where overpumping of the groundwater is occurring. Chances are you will never see an earth fissure "open up". However, there is a good chance you or someone you know will come in contact with these features if you plan to purchase a home sometime in the future. Environmental interactions (and their effects) are complex and difficult to understand without careful analysis. By using a field-based problem like earth fissures, we provide students the opportunity to experience a variety of learning activities in an interdisciplinary team to help them better understand the world around them.
Intended Use: Environmental interactions are currently addressed in all four courses to some degree. Some of the activities can be done in the classroom; others are limited to a laboratory or field setting. This module is an alternative (more inquiry, problem based) approach to a traditional lecture presentation of these concepts. The field component is intended as a supplement to existing laboratory activities. The module can be adapted to suit majors courses, and could easily be adapted for use in math, physics, and geography non-science major courses.
Potential Significance: Our relevant hands-on field and research activities provide students more concrete experiences with the central concepts of geologic change and environmental interactions (see module objectives below). They provide students with a better understanding of these relatively abstract concepts so that they will be more meaningfully applied in their daily lives, as well as in their study of other natural phenomena. The overall experience that the students receive by participating in this module includes:
- A better grasp of the key concepts by "doing" instead of just watching.
- The ability to apply material learned in the classroom to a real world situation and see that what they are learning is actually relevant and meaningful.
- The experience of working together as a team (especially using the skills that each student will bring to the group-each having some experience in one of the 4 different disciplines).
- Working in an environment similar to that experienced in industry, where a multi-disciplinary team is assembled to solve technical problems.
- A better understanding of how it takes knowledge from all four disciplines to effectively solve a problem.
- The experience of using critical thinking and problem solving skills both on an individual and team basis.
- The increased awareness of computer literacy by researching interdisciplinary topics on the Internet and by using various types of computer software.
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| Module Objectives |
Biology -- Students will be able to:
- Identify those organisms living in or near the earth fissure (from all Kingdoms).
- Identify and describe those traits that may be beneficial to the organisms living in or near the earth fissure.
- Predict how development near or "repair of" the earth fissure will affect the organisms living in the area.
- Describe the relationships among living organisms in or near the earth fissure
- Geology
- Collect and interpret data in the field that supports the difference between the earth fissure and other natural landforms and biological features.
- Describe how an earth fissure forms and where they would most likely develop using field observations and interpreting geologic cross sections.
- Analyze and interpret well data, C-diagrams, etc., and calculate percent compaction and subsidence rates. Predict how much the land would settle over a certain period of time in the future.
- Build a list of resource centers and web sites that could used to find additional information concerning earth fissures and the hazards associated with them.
Engineering -- Students will be able to:
- Use decision analysis techniques to arrive at a proposed solution to a problem.
- Use computer modeling to implement a proposed solution to a problem.
- Evaluate the results of a proposed solution to a problem.
- Document the results of the problem-solving process.
- Apply spatial visualization and freehand drawing skills to communicate ideas and design concepts visually.
- Develop an engineering design using graphical ideation techniques.
- Apply a computer-aided drawing tool to develop and describe an engineering design.
Chemistry -- Students will be able to:
- Identify the containers that are present in the earth fissure as illegally dumped environmentally hazardous materials. (Their identification should include the elements or compounds that make up the containers, the hazard associated with the decomposition of these containers, if any, and their rate of decomposition.).
- Identify illegally dumped, environmentally hazardous materials inside the containers present in the earth fissure. (Their identification should include the elements or compounds present, the hazard associated with these materials, if any, and their rate of decomposition.).
- Use common chemical reference manuals to determine the formulas of chemicals from their names or their names from their formulas. These manuals should include, but not be limited to, Merck Index, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Fire protection Guide on Hazardous Materials.
- Calculate the approximate quantities of hazardous materials present in the earth fissure in metric units.
- Use effectively MSDS (material safety data sheets) data to evaluate the environmental hazards.
Interdisciplinary -- Students will be able to:
- Work on a real world, interdisciplinary technical team.
- Use quality tools to facilitate team discussion, exploration of ideas, and decision-making.
- Determine the impact that the hazardous chemicals will have on the biological components present in the earth fissures, i.e. soil contamination resulting in the death of animals and plants in the immediate area.
- Determine the impact that the hazardous materials will have on the geology of the area, i.e. ground water contamination.
- Model the rate of decomposition of the hazardous materials in the immediate area and how to minimize their effects on the geological and biological environment in the immediate area.
- Evaluate the environmental impact of an earth fissure and to suggest alternative uses for the land other than residential buildings.
- Predict what will happen (environmental impact), if we build on a earth fissure.
- Apply this model to other situations and be able to make reasonable determinations, i.e. land fills.
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| Module Materials: |
 see full record from Maricopa Learning eXchange (MLX)
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