Glen Rose Glen Rose Formation Formation

VFEVFE

Provided by ReaL Earth System ScienceProvided by ReaL Earth System Sciencehttp://virtualfieldwork.org/ /

&&http://teacherfriendlyguide.org/ /

Adapted from work by Sarah R. Miller Adapted from work by Sarah R. Miller

Table of Contents• About This Template

• Connecting to Big Ideas & Overarching Questions

• Download the Most Recent Version!

• One More Thing...

• The Template (or click on the image in the lower left)

• The effects of water on the landscape

• Are there valleys, mountains or hills?

• What do you think the climate is like here? Why?

• What types of rocks are there?

• Do the rocks seem to form a sequence?

• What effects have humans had on the landscape?

• Suggestions for improvement are welcome!

• Suggestions that haven’t been worked in as yet...

About this template...• This is a template for creating one sort

of virtual fieldwork experiences (VFEs) of sites that are interesting from an Earth systems science perspective.

• It is not intended to be the only sort of VFEs, but rather might be thought of as an “entry level VFE.” The kinds of explorations learners can do in this format are real and valuable but somewhat limited.

• For more information about VFEs, and to download the most recent version of this template as a PowerPoint, Keynote or html file, see virtualfieldwork.org. Assessment materials are also available on the site.

• The pictures used in the template show interesting aspects of the Glen Rose Formation near San Antonio, Texas. They were taken in June of 2010.

• The questions are intentionally written in such a way that they can be asked about any site.

More about this template...• This is not intended as a

presentation, but rather as something for learners to work through individually or in small groups. Teachers may adapt as they see fit, however.

• To use this as a template, simply replace the photos from the Glen Rose with photos from your own field site. All the arrows are hyperlinked. Click on them to go to a page with more on the question in the arrow.

• Blue boxes are hyperlinks. Links should work in all formats (html, PowerPoint and Keynote).

• Some pictures and text box are also linked. Move the cursor around the different slides to find links.

Still more about this template...• The template is a living document.

We’re always looking for input to improve it.

• Comments in yellow boxes are either seeking feedback on the draft or suggesting ways slides are expected be changed.

• Please send suggestions for additions and other improvements, including suggested photos of the Glen Rose, to:

• Don Duggan-Haas at: dugganhaas@museumoftheearth.org.

Those yellow boxes look like this.Those yellow boxes look like this.

Connect to Big Ideas &

Overarching Questions• The next slide offers

one (carefully developed) take on what are the most important ideas to understand about Earth.

• For more on big ideas and overarching questions, see: http://virtualfieldwork.org/Big_Ideas.html

Overarching Questions:How do we know what we know? How does what we know inform our decision-

making?

The Earth is a System of Systems.

The Flow of Energy Drives the Cycling of

Matter.

Life, including human life,

influences and is influenced by the

environment.

Physical and chemical

principles are unchanging and

drive both gradual and

rapid changes in the Earth system.

To Understand (Deep) Time

and the Scale of Space,

Models and Maps are

Necessary.

The Earth System is composed of and part of a multitude of systems, which cycle and interact resulting in dynamic equilibrium (though the system evolves). The Earth is also nested in larger systems including the solar system and the universe. However there is an inherent unpredictability in systems, which are composed of an (effectively) infinite number of interacting parts that follow simple rules. Each system is qualitatively different from, but not necessarily greater than the sum of its parts.

The Earth is an open system – it is the constant flow of solar radiation that powers most surface Earth processes and drives the cycling of most matter at or near the Earth’s surface. Earth’s internal heat is a driving force below the surface. Energy flows and cycles through the Earth system. Matter cycles within it. Convection drives weather and climate, ocean currents, the rock cycle and plate tectonics.

Photosynthetic bacteria reformulated the atmosphere making Earth habitable.  Humans have changed the lay of the land, altered the distribution of flora and fauna and are changing atmospheric chemistry in ways that alter the climate.  Earth system processes affect where and how humans live. For example, many people live in the shadow of volcanoes because of the fertile farmland found there, however they must keep a constant vigil to maintain their safety. The human impact on the environment is growing as population increases and the use of technology expands.

Earth processes (erosion, evolution or plate tectonics, for example) operating today are the same as those operating since they arose in Earth history and they are obedient to the laws of chemistry and physics. While the processes constantly changing the Earth are essentially fixed, their rates are not. Tipping points are reached that can result in rapid changes cascading through Earth systems.

The use of models is fundamental to all of the Earth Sciences. Maps and models aid in the understanding of aspects of the Earth system for which direct observation is not possible. Models assist in the comprehension of time and space at both immense and sub-microscopic scales. When compared to the size and age of the universe, humanity is a speck in space and a blip in time.

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Download the most recent version!•This version was posted

June XX, 2010.

•If you are viewing the online version, you are looking at the most recent version.

•URLs for download:•as html:

•http://virtualfieldwork.org/pp/customizableVFEgraphicorganizer.htm

•as PowerPoint:

•http://virtualfieldwork.org/pp/customizableVFEgraphicorganizer.ppt

•As Apple Keynote:

•http://virtualfieldwork.org/pp/customizableVFEgraphicorganizer.key

Update URLs!!!Update URLs!!!

One more thing...• Virtual fieldwork is not a

substitute for actual fieldwork!

• If you’re a teacher, use the creation of a VFE as a stepping stone toward taking your students (perhaps not this year’s) into the field, and as a way to both prepare for and process the completion of fieldwork.

•Consider having your students create VFEs so that they might teach other learners around the country and around the world about your environment.

And now...onto the actual template!

•Was the past climate Was the past climate different?different?

•What factors may have been What factors may have been affected or caused by affected or caused by climate?climate?

•What is the valley’s What is the valley’s shape?shape?

•What can form What can form valleys?valleys?

•What can cause What can cause mountains or hills to mountains or hills to form?form?

•Are the valleys, Are the valleys, mountains or hills mountains or hills young or old?young or old?

•How have plants shaped How have plants shaped the landscape?the landscape?

•How have animals How have animals generally, and humans generally, and humans in particular, changed in particular, changed the landscape?the landscape?

•On what scale?On what scale?

•Where would you find the oldest Where would you find the oldest rocks?rocks?

•Youngest rocks?Youngest rocks?•Are there different kinds of rocks Are there different kinds of rocks

at different outcrops?at different outcrops?

For all of these For all of these questions:questions:

•How do you know? How do you know? (What evidence is (What evidence is there?)there?)•What does it tell you What does it tell you about past about past environments?environments?•What does it imply What does it imply about the future?about the future?

SedimentarySedimentary•Is it clastic or organic/chemical?Is it clastic or organic/chemical?•If clastic, what is the grain size?If clastic, what is the grain size?•If organic, what minerals is it If organic, what minerals is it made out of?made out of?•Are there fossils?Are there fossils?MetamorphicMetamorphic•Is it foliated Is it foliated or non-or non-foliated?foliated?•What was What was the parent the parent rock?rock?

IgneousIgneous•Did the rock Did the rock form above or form above or below ground?below ground?•Is it felsic or Is it felsic or mafic?mafic?

Are there Are there valleys, valleys, mountains, or

mountains, or hills?hills?

Are there Are there valleys, valleys, mountains, or

mountains, or hills?hills?

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What

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What

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landsc

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What effects has life,

What effects has life,

including human life,

including human life,

had on the had on the

landscape?landscape?

What effects has life,

What effects has life,

including human life,

including human life,

had on the had on the

landscape?landscape?

Why does this place look the way it does?

•Is water depositing material, Is water depositing material, eroding material, or both?eroding material, or both?

•Is the action of water Is the action of water primarily chemical, primarily primarily chemical, primarily physical, or both chemical physical, or both chemical and physical?and physical?

Do th

e rocks seem

Do th

e rocks seem

to form a

to form a

sequen

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sequen

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o the rocks seem

Do th

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to form a

to form a

sequen

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sequen

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What types of

What types of

rock are there?

rock are there?

What types of

What types of

rock are there?

rock are there?

What effects has water had on the landscape?

• Is water depositing material, eroding material, or both?

• Is the action of water primarily chemical, primarily physical, or both chemical and physical?

What effects has water had on the landscape?

View ZoomImages of these photos by clicking on the images. ZoomImages are high resolution photo that you can zoom in on and pan around. They allow exploration of the images.

Create your own ZoomImages here.

The ZoomImages need to be resized. They’re too small right now for this to be worth the trouble.

The ZoomImages need to be resized. They’re too small right now for this to be worth the trouble.

•What can cause mountains or hills to form?

• Are the mountains or hills young or old?

•What is the valley’s shape?

•What can form valleys?

Are there valleys, mountains or hills?

Canyon Lake Gorge, just above South Access Rd., June 2010

•Was the past climate different?

•What factors may have been affected or caused by climate?

•What factors influence the climate?

What do you think the climate is like here? Why?

This would benefit from:•More pics•swiss cheese rock•travertine•Is the overarching question the right one?•Carbon sequestration & GHG world...

This would benefit from:•More pics•swiss cheese rock•travertine•Is the overarching question the right one?•Carbon sequestration & GHG world...

•Was the past climate Was the past climate different? How can you tell?different? How can you tell?

•What factors may have been What factors may have been affected or caused by affected or caused by climate?climate?

•What factors influence the What factors influence the climate?climate?

What types of rock are there?This would benefit from:•TX instead of OK pics!•More pics of more rocks.•Fossils -- •Sed add question about past environment•Rocks should be multiple slides

This would benefit from:•TX instead of OK pics!•More pics of more rocks.•Fossils -- •Sed add question about past environment•Rocks should be multiple slides

SedimentarySedimentary•Is it clastic or Is it clastic or organic/chemical?organic/chemical?•If clastic, what is the If clastic, what is the grain size?grain size?•If organic, what If organic, what minerals is it made out minerals is it made out of?of?•Are there fossils?Are there fossils?•What What

MetamorphicMetamorphic•Is it foliated Is it foliated or non-or non-foliated?foliated?•What was What was the parent the parent rock?rock?

IgneousIgneous•Did the Did the rock form rock form above or above or below below ground?ground?•Is it felsic Is it felsic or mafic?or mafic?

In this template, there is at least one page for In this template, there is at least one page for each general rock type (metamorphic, igneous, each general rock type (metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary)and sedimentary)•Many field sites have only one of these three Many field sites have only one of these three types of rocks. types of rocks. •A simple rock identification chart will be A simple rock identification chart will be embedded in a later version of the template. embedded in a later version of the template.

A common question for all rock types:A common question for all rock types:•What do the characteristics of the rock tell you What do the characteristics of the rock tell you about past environments?about past environments?

What types of rock are there?Metamorphic

What types of rock are there?Igneous

What types of rock are there?Sedimentary

SedimentarySedimentary•Is it clastic or Is it clastic or organic/chemical?organic/chemical?•If clastic, what is the grain If clastic, what is the grain size?size?•If organic, what minerals If organic, what minerals is it made out of?is it made out of?•Are there fossils?Are there fossils?•What do rock What do rock characteristics tell you characteristics tell you about past environments?about past environments?Scheme for Sedimentary Scheme for Sedimentary Rock IDRock ID

What types of rock are there?Sedimentary

Do the rocks seem to form a sequence?

•Where would you find the oldest rocks?

• Youngest rocks?

• Are there different kinds of rocks at different outcrops?

This would benefit from:•Image showing more tilting.•Is there tilting? If so, what does that imply?•What direction was the camera “looking?”

This would benefit from:•Image showing more tilting.•Is there tilting? If so, what does that imply?•What direction was the camera “looking?”

What effects has life, including human life, had on the

landscape?

• On what scale?

• How has nonhuman life changed the environment?

• Were the human impacts on the site intentional or were they done without attention to consequences?

• Were there unanticipated consequences for human action?

Note that this image links to a panorama of the Canyon

Lake Dam. It is a large QTVR file.

The fern in the cave?Deb’s succession pics -- this should be two slides

The fern in the cave?Deb’s succession pics -- this should be two slides

This would benefit from:•Another question or two. (I just added the second one and it could stand editing)•A garbage shot. which is more what q2 is about.•Rephrase second bullet.•Note that the curve is a result of the photostitching, not a curve in the road. •unintended consequences... cost/benefit analysis... •"What are the unintentional consequence of the human impact?"

This would benefit from:•Another question or two. (I just added the second one and it could stand editing)•A garbage shot. which is more what q2 is about.•Rephrase second bullet.•Note that the curve is a result of the photostitching, not a curve in the road. •unintended consequences... cost/benefit analysis... •"What are the unintentional consequence of the human impact?"

Suggestions for improvement are

welcome!

• There’s ample room for improvement!

• Please send suggestions for additions and other improvements, including suggested photos of the Glen Rose Formation field sites, to:

• Don Duggan-Haas at: dugganhaas@museumoftheearth.org.

Suggestions that haven’t been worked in as yet...

• What would this place look like if ______________ (some process or event) hadn’t happened?

• Please send suggestions for additions and other improvements, including suggested photos of the Glen Rose Formation field sites, to:

• Don Duggan-Haas at: dugganhaas@museumoftheearth.org.