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Illinois EarthScope Contact Information
Dr. Robert
“Skip” Nelson Illinois State University
rsnelso@ilstu.edu
Dr. William Hunter Illinois State University whunter@ilstu.edu 309 838 1777 Mary Ann Quivey ROE 45 mquivey@roe45.org 618 939 5650 X 113 10 days in July-August and 4 days of follow-up during 2010-11 Dates: MTWRF August 2- 13
Food and Housing
Provided Stipend $100 per day 2 graduate credit hours of GEO 393 To be involved contact Dr. Nelson ASAP. Schedule (Where, What and When)
EarthScope Overview EarthScope is the largest continental geology project ever funded by the National Science Foundation in partnership with the United States Geological Survey, and with the collaboration of UNVARCO Inc., Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (lRIS), Stanford University, and NASA. Its goal is to explore the geologic structure and evolution of the North American Continent and understand the processes controlling earthquakes and volcanoes. EarthScope will look into the earth and reveal the inner workings of the planet (State Goal 13.A.4c), much like the Hubble Telescope is revealing the early history of the universe. In just two years, from 2011 to 2013, Illinois teachers and students will have the opportunity to be part of EarthScope’s scientific effort as 30 transportable seismic stations and several ultra-high resolution GPS stations will be in operation in Illinois. The 30 transportable seismic stations are part of USArray and are to be located at suitable locations within a 15 km radius of node at 70 km grid (See Table A at end of narrative for node locations) during the fall of 2011. For two years, every school in the state of Illinois will be within 50 km of a first-order seismometer. In our proposed project, Illinois EarthScope, we will help site these stations at middle and high schools in Illinois and train teachers to use data from these stations with their students. The same instrumentation and data used by professional earth scientists will be used by teachers and students to study the nature of the Earth’s crust. This will be a great opportunity to incorporate Illinois Learning Standard 12.d.1-5a. Illinois EarthScope is a statewide partnership which includes, Illinois State University, ROE #45 (Monroe-Randolph), Cairo Unit School District #1, and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale as academic units and the Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers as an industry partner. The partnership was formed for three specific reasons: The high needs for mathematics and science achievement on the part of students in the district, and region (one), the high level of interest in plate tectonics and crustal movement along the Cottage Grove, Dixon Springs, Ste Genevieve, Rough Creek, and Wabash Valley fault systems in southern Illinois and the New Madrid Fault System in Arkansas and Missouri. Cairo USD #1 is surrounded by these faults systems. Nineteen magnitude 4 or greater earthquakes occurred within 50 km of Cairo (including the 1887 earthquake directly beneath Cairo). ROE #45 is situated over the north end of the Ste Genevieve Fault System. Thirty small earthquakes have occurred along that fault system. The third reason for the partnership is that Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers represents the quarry and gravel pit operators throughout the state. The IAAP provided the list of 47 teachers from across the state who were contacted for the needs assessment. Several operator members of IAAP will provide access to three gravel pits and quarries for Illinois EarthScope. IAAP member, Anna Quarry Inc. will host a production blast for the workshop. Our Summer Workshop will use EarthScope data within the context of Illinois Learning Standards 11, 12 c-f, and 13, to address critical shortfalls in teacher knowledge and student achievement. Students and teachers will use mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, technology, and Earth Science to study the data, but they can only do this if teachers and their students know where to find the information and data and then how to use them. The Illinois EarthScope workshop will introduce EarthScope and the on-line resources ranging from simulations to near real-time data on crustal motion and earthquakes to the teachers. The teachers will in turn develop ways that their students can use the data and information. We will help teachers determine locations and participate in EarthScope site selection such that once the 30 transportable seismic stations arrive in Illinois, teachers and students will be ready to use them.
d. Plan of Work The overall goal of Illinois EarthScope is to develop the knowledge, basic skills and background so that a cadre of teachers can bring this large-scale scientific research project into their classroom with their students. To accomplish this overall goal, we have three types of goals for the institute: Scientific Research and Processes Goals, Core Content Knowledge Goals, and Scientific Process Skills Goals. In accomplishing these goals, the workshop will show the integration within research of mathematics, sciences and technology to better understand the nature of the Earth’s crust. With the knowledge and skills developed in the workshop, teachers can better direct student inquiry and science projects which will lead to enhanced student engagement and achievement in mathematics and science. Each day’s activities includes a content driven activity followed by a series of discussions and activities designed to help teachers implement the new content into their classrooms with their students.
Scientific Research and Processes Goals: · Be able to include their school and students as part of a large-scale science project that seeks to understand the nature of the Earth’s crust and mantle. · Be able to bring data and information from the large-scale project into the classroom.
Core Content Knowledge Goals:
· Understand how ions are combined to form minerals and why the minerals display the physical properties of specific gravity, hardness, and cleavage · Understand how major rock types are formed and how minerals are arranged in the rocks. · Learn how and when the rocks that make up Illinois were formed · Recognize the major types of fossils that occur in the rocks of Illinois. · Know how tectonic forces break and bend rocks. · Understand how earthquake energy is measured · Understand how geology influences the nature of earthquake damage
Scientific Process Skills Goals: · Be able to relate to the amount of energy released when rocks break · Be able to view seismograms of earthquakes within minutes of the occurrence. · Be able to calculate the velocity of different types of earthquake waves · Be able to relate ground motion with earthquakes · Be able to calculate the vectors of crustal motion · Utilize GPS to track the movement of the Earth’s crust
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