Credit:
Adapted from a previously published lesson plan (“Paper Cores and Problem Solving,” Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 45, 1997, p. 381) and used with permission of the author (Brian Poelker, Midwest Central Middle School, 121 N. Church Street, Green Valley, IL, 61546. E-mail: bpoelker (at) ntslink (dot) net).

Grade Level: 9 – 12

Purpose:
To apply geological concepts to a real-life problem-solving situation and to give students an appreciation of the three dimensional nature of rock strata.

Goals:

• Students will use rocks, fossils, and simulated cores to interpret the geology of an area.
• Students will apply their interpretations and make recommendations about the best site for building a subdivision.

Objectives:
On completion of this lesson, students should be able to:

• Work in cooperative groups to measure and analyze paper cores.
• Reconstruct the geological history of the land the paper cores represent.
• Create a topographic map of the area represented by the paper cores.
• Construct a Styrofoam model of the area.
• Assess the geological hazards of the area.
• Recommend the most suitable site for the construction of a suburban development.
• Assess their own work along with the work of his or her teammates.

Background:
Students can learn about topography from their observations of the landscape, but the geology of an area does not permit a view of the layers of rock buried deeply below the surface.

"Paper Cores" is a culminating activity that gives students an appreciation for the three-dimensional nature of rock strata and the chance to apply geological concepts studied in class to a new situation. In this activity, students work in cooperative teams to measure and analyze paper cores hanging from the ceiling of the classroom to determine the best site to build a community. The various colors of the cores represent different rock strata. Students identify rock samples and fossils present in the strata and reconstruct the geological history of the area. The height above sea level (the classroom floor) is measured, and a topographic map is made along with a Styrofoam model of the area, which is built to scale. Based on the data collected and the models, students assess the geological hazards of each site and submit all of the above plus a typed report of their recommendations regarding the most suitable location for the building of a suburban development. Each student assesses his or her own work and his or her team and teammates in a battery of evaluations at the end of the project.

Set-Up:
The most time-consuming part of this unit for the teacher is the one time preparation of the cores using construction paper of different colors cut to a width of about four inches. You can either recreate a locality based upon actual core samples or make representative cores to show various strata. The complexity of the cores can be varied depending upon the level of one's students. Once the cores have been assembled, they can be laminated for future use.

As shown in Figure 1 below, each core is given an identifying number, and the various strata present, their sequence, and their thickness are indicated. Each stratum is represented by construction paper of a unique color, and the thickness of the various strata are represented proportionally. The letter “F” followed by a unique number for each genus indicates occurrences of various fossils.

Figure 1.

The ceiling of the room is taken to represent a map of the area under study with each "core" hung from a point on the "map" that indicates its location in the study area (Figure 2). The elevations of the various strata above the floor represent their elevations above sea level. (There is, necessarily, vertical exaggeration.) The locations of the potential subdivisions are indicated by the position of hanging cards with the appropriate letter on them. In short, the students are provided with carefully scaled three-dimensional clues to the geology of the study area.

Figure 2.

A scale of 1cm:100m is used for the horizontal dimension; the vertical scale is 1cm:10m. The difference in scale causes compression of the horizontal axis compared to the vertical axis. Middle level students need to be reminded of this fact. The use of paper cores limits the resolution of the strata. At 1cm:10m on the vertical scale, it is easy to get some very thick coal seams that mining companies can only dream of.

Rock and fossil samples are placed on specimen tables at the sides of the room. The color of the construction paper beneath each rock indicates which stratum the rock represents. The fossils are labeled with the appropriate number. Students use keys and books to identify the fossils (Figure 3).

Figure 3.

Procedure:
1. Students are presented with the following problem: your company has been hired to select the best site for the building of an exclusive suburban development. The developers have purchased options on four sites (indicated by the letters A, B, C, and D). You and your team must examine the cores and make a detailed report for the developers about potential problems associated with each site based on the presence of steep slopes, weak rock types, and other potentially hazardous features.

To prepare a report, your team will need to:

• Construct a geological column containing all of the rock layers, in order, that have been deposited over the entire area.
• Identify specific geological processes that have occurred near each site.
• Create a topographic map of the entire area and locate the sites on the map (Contour lines of 100 m elevation are recommended for middle-level students.).
• Build a Styrofoam model of the area to scale using 100m contour intervals.

2. Students must develop a plan of action that will allow them to complete the tasks and have it approved by the teacher. Before beginning this project, students in my class have already experienced much work in cooperative teams encountering problem-solving situations. In the previous unit of study, the students worked with geologic processes, rocks and fossils, geologic history, and time scales (GSA, The Earth Has a History). They come into the unit equipped with the tools to begin working on the problem but not knowing the answer.

Students could use the DAPIC (Define, Assess, Plan, Implement, Communicate) problem-solving approach that is widely used in the technology industry. In the DAPIC process, students define (D) and restate the problem. They assess (A) the situation to determine the materials and equipment that will be needed to solve the problem. Students must ascertain what information is already known about the problem and what they need to know to solve the problem. They develop a plan (P) to solve the problem and then implement (I) the plan. Students finally communicate (C) their results to classmates and others concerned.

Since students have already been presented with the problem, their first task is to restate it in their own words. Next, they must assess the problem. As they survey the room, they observe cores hanging from the ceiling and rocks and fossils at identification tables. Based on what they see in the room and the problem statement, the students prepare a list of things that they know and need to know.

Student teams then prepare a plan that will solve their problem. Tentative plans are submitted for approval. (Note; planning is often difficult for students and teacher guidance may be required.) If the plan is good enough to successfully begin the project, it is approved. During the implementation phase, students often find that some step has been omitted. In this case, the plan is modified as needed, and they proceed with the project. As students implement their plan, they also update their assessment of the problem daily. The "know" column becomes a summary of what they have learned in the project. The "need to know" column provides a continuing goal for students to achieve each day.

The students make a list of characteristics of the rocks (grain size, texture, color, hardness, reaction with acid) and use the results of their data to identify the rocks using a key that contains unfamiliar terms. As problems with terminology arise, the words are listed in the “ if need to know" column. Upon resolving the problem, students add the new information to the "know" column. They come to know the terms and their importance by constant use in a real setting.

When all of the rocks have been correctly identified, teams write a short research report on each one. Fossil locations are also indicated in the cores. Students use a variety of reference materials to identify the fossils and gain clues to the age of the strata.

Students measure the cores in detail, recording the thickness of the strata and the location of the fossils within particular layers. After they have collected all of the data from all of the cores and correctly identified the rocks and fossils, they are ready to interpret the data. The students organize the elevations and dimensions of the area to produce a topographic map (see Web Resources below). Upon completing the map, they use it as the basis for building a scale model of the area.

Students arrange the strata into a geologic column on the basis of the law of superposition and the ages of the fossils. The distribution of the strata allows the students to deduce the geological processes that have occurred in the area. The rocks identified on the surface are immediate clues to building suitability. Student teams research the rocks and processes associated with each site, looking for possible geological hazards such as steep slopes, proximity to a river channel, weak foundation materials, or potentially active faults. This information becomes part of their report to the developers.

Teacher as Facilitator:
The teacher assumes the role of science coach and facilitator. Each step in the team's plan is reviewed upon completion. If all is well, the students proceed to the next stage. This process allows errors and misconceptions to be recognized and corrected promptly. The teacher is free to move among teams and help as problems arise. Ample resources are available for students to find answers to the questions they pose. Students also complete a mid- point team evaluation form.

Assessment:
Upon completion of the project, students evaluate themselves, their team, and teammates using the self, team, and teammate assessments shown in Table 1*. Evaluation instruments are discussed with students in detail at the beginning of the project, and students should be required to document their work and that of their teammates throughout the project. Table 2* shows the basis for evaluating the work produced by individuals and teams.

* Tables 1 and 2 are available in the PDF download version of this lesson.

The warm-up activities are needed to ensure that students have enough background information to be able to begin the problem. Since this is a culminating activity students should have some prior knowledge of rocks, fossils, stratigraphy, geological processes, topographic maps, and geological hazards. The video, The Earth Has A History provides an excellent introduction to this unit. Constant observation of student work as they proceed with the problem enables the teacher to provide additional help to individuals and teams as needed. Repeated measuring of cores brings a level of familiarity to the patterns. Using all the data as clues, students are able to make inferences and reconstruct the geological history of the entire area. They transform the data on paper into a physical reality in the form of a topographic map and a Styrofoam scale model of the area. They submit a typed report, identifying the potential geological hazards of each site and offer their opinion as to the safest location upon which to build a subdivision, based on hard facts and sound evidence.

Print and Video Resources:

• Creath, Wilgus. 1996. Home Buyer's Guide to Geologic Hazards. American Institute of Professional Geologists. Denver, CO: Mido Printing Company.
• Nuhfer, Ed. The Citizens Guide to Geologic Hazards. American Institute of Professional Geologists, 7828 Vance Drive, Suite 103, Arvada, CO 80003. Phone: 303-431-0831. $19.95.
• Geological Society of America. 1989. The Earth Has A History (video). Geological Society of America, P.O. Box 9140, Boulder CO 80301. Available for $25.00 (15 percent discount to educational institutions for prepaid orders on letterhead or purchase order) from the Geological Society of America; phone 1-800-GSA-1988.

Web Resources:

• ISM Geology Online
  http://geologyonline.museum.state.il.us/
• Idaho Museum of Natural History
  Teaching Resources – Lesson Plans – Making a Topographic Map http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/teach/lsnplns/topmaplp.htm
• Society for Sedimentary Geology
  K-12 Earth Science - Customized Topographic Maps and Relief Models
  http://www.beloit.edu/~SEPM/Maps/customized_topographic.html

Lesson Specifics:

• Skills: analyze, interpret, compare, synthesize, cooperate as a group member, report, problem solve, communicate
• Duration: author suggests 3 weeks. Can be adapted.
• Group size: small groups and whole class
• Setting: classroom

Illinois State Board of Education Goals and Standards:

• 3.B.3a: Produce documents that convey a clear understanding and interpretation of ideas and information and display focus, organization, elaboration and coherence.
• 3.B.3b: Edit and revise for word choice, organization, consistent point of view and transitions among paragraphs using contemporary technology and formats suitable for submission and/or publication.
• 5.A.3a: Identify appropriate resources to solve problems or answer questions through research.
• 5.A.3b: Design a project related to contemporary issues (e.g., real-world math, career development, community service) using multiple sources.
• 6.B.3a: Solve practical computation problems involving whole numbers, integers and rational numbers.
• 6.B.3b: Apply primes, factors, divisors, multiples, common factors and common multiples in solving problems.
• 6.D.3: Apply ratios and proportions to solve practical problems.
• 7.B.3: Select and apply instruments including rulers and protractors and units of measure to the degree of accuracy required.
• 7.C.3a: Construct a simple scale drawing for a given situation.
• 7.C.3b: Use concrete and graphic models and appropriate formulas to find perimeters, areas, surface areas and volumes of two- and three-dimensional regions.
• 11.A.3c: Collect and record data accurately using consistent measuring and recording techniques and media.
• 11.A.3f: Interpret and represent results of analysis to produce findings.
• 12.E.3a: Analyze and explain large-scale dynamic forces, events and processes that affect the Earth's land, water and atmospheric systems (e.g., jetstream, hurricanes, plate tectonics).
• 13.B.3c: Describe how occupations use scientific and technological knowledge and skills.
• 13.B.3d: Analyze the interaction of resource acquisition, technological development and ecosystem impact (e.g., diamond, coal or gold mining; deforestation).