This was only really a few hours escape from field camp to scout a potential project (which ended up working out really well) but I took enough interesting photos to justify a short post. On a slightly inaccessible side of the lake there is a strange and mysterious shoreline cut into soft rock. When Sara and I were scouting the location a heavy thunderstorm loomed nearby which only added to the drama.
I don't want to spoil the mystery (other than to say it is a geological phenomenon) but this turned out to be one of the best one-day activities I did with the students over summer field. Basically I gave the students zero warning of what they were going to see and marched them down to the beach. After Ooos, Ahhs, and WTFs subside, I told them their task is to observe, record, hypothesize, and ultimately to give a presentation later in the evening. They took measurements on the orientations of the columns, diameter, spacing, depth of erosion into the cliff, rock texture within and outside the pillars, height above lake level, etc, etc. Because it is so different then anything else they have ever seen, more than anything else it really inspired them to create hypotheses, challenge them as a group, and rule them out with observations and logic. It was really satisfying to watch it all come together and the students said it was one of their favorite projects. After they presented I gave my reasoned explanation for the phenomenon and gave them a chance to challenge my interpretations. A very neat place.
I don't want to spoil the mystery (other than to say it is a geological phenomenon) but this turned out to be one of the best one-day activities I did with the students over summer field. Basically I gave the students zero warning of what they were going to see and marched them down to the beach. After Ooos, Ahhs, and WTFs subside, I told them their task is to observe, record, hypothesize, and ultimately to give a presentation later in the evening. They took measurements on the orientations of the columns, diameter, spacing, depth of erosion into the cliff, rock texture within and outside the pillars, height above lake level, etc, etc. Because it is so different then anything else they have ever seen, more than anything else it really inspired them to create hypotheses, challenge them as a group, and rule them out with observations and logic. It was really satisfying to watch it all come together and the students said it was one of their favorite projects. After they presented I gave my reasoned explanation for the phenomenon and gave them a chance to challenge my interpretations. A very neat place.
No comments:
Post a Comment