Field Experiences for Introductory Geoscience Students

1. Field Experiences for Introductory Geoscience Students By Ron Metzger—Southwestern Oregon CC

2. Field Trip Courses at Southwestern Oregon CC • For credit or non-credit. • Introductory students required to take at least 1 day of field trip each term. • Ability to utilize extensive outcrops in the area. • Focus on overarching processes rather than detail. • Incorporate other disciplines: Cultural Anthropology, History, Biology, Art.

3. The Background Work: • Determine Expectations and Outcomes: geologic processes, measuring sections, collecting, etc. • When, Where and How. • Assessment of student learning.

4. Results for Geology Field Classes: My Personal Focus: • Getting students to understand geologic processes that may impact their lives. Example: Cove Creek Slide on Hwy 101

5. Concept: Cascadia earthquakes. Students contemplating stumps at different localities caused by subsidence. Student contemplates 1200 ybp stump at Sunset Bay. Above-students view 4100 ybp stump at Beverly Beach State Park

6. Coastal Processes Hands on-students measuring the longshore current at Horsfall Beach.

7. Where: What types of localities are available to you. • Physical Outcrops • Processes • Urban Settings-building stone • Coos Bay: we are within a few hours of: the Pacific, Coastal Parks, Cascades, faults, folds, igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, earthquake evidence and more.

8. When… Depends on the trip. We offer four trips a term, timing attempts to coordinate potential weather and tides.

9. How-Logistics • Transportation-what is available and what is the cost. We have access to a bus and a variety of vans, and local bus rental. • Students drive themselves-liability. • Localities-what vehicles will fit safely at different stops. • Test runs-covers timing, mileage, etc.

10. Forms/Liability • Hold Harmless-liability (in notebook). • Student Conduct Agreement (in notebook). • Driver authorization. • Fee waivers-for parks, etc. if available for educational groups.

11. The Trip Crater Lake, Agness Divide and Lobster Creek Bridge on the Rogue River

12. The Trip Astoria Fm. at Beverly Beach, Prayer Pole and Schonchin Butte at Lava Beds National Monument.

13. Documenting Change Lava Beds-May 2008 Lava Beds-May 2007

14. One of the questions: How much to share?

15. Linking Oral History to Geology • The Coquille Tribe has a limited oral tradition, however, the legend of Face Rock relates “sense of place” and knowledge of ones region within a context that is interpreted as being associated with a Cascadia subduction event.

16. Geology meets Botany • Darlingtonia californicus Tectonic terranes and serpentine result in a unique variety of plants, especially in the Kalmiopsis wilderness

17. Make it informative and fun.