Geological Society of America

T204 Hands-On Teaching Demonstrations that Combine Geoscience and Societal Issues: Audience Participation Requested!

Tuesday, 24 October 2017
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Room 3A

USING THE PALEOBIOLOGY DATABASE TO EXPLORE TECTONIC EVENTS

Paper number: T204-12
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 10:35 AM – 10:50 AM

Authors

Callan Bentley Presenting Author
Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale, VA
Ander Sundell
College of Western Idaho, Nampa, ID
Katherine Ryker
Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI
Laura Lukes
Fairfax, VA
Mark Uhen
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Christian O. George
High Point University, High Point, NC
Rowan Lockwood
The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA
Peter J. Berquist
Thomas Nelson Community College, Williamsburg, VA

Abstract

In this teaching demonstration, we will model a student activity we developed utilizing the Paleobiology Database's (PBDB's) user-friendly "Navigator" interface. The activity has students to explore the tectonic implications of the Great American Biotic Interchange, an event where North American species moved into South America and (to a lesser extent) vice versa. Students use the PBDB Navigator to access information about the time/space distribution of several terrestrial fossil taxa, plot maps of these results, formulate hypotheses about the timing of the build-up of the Isthmus of Panama (and hence the connection between North and South America), and then test those hypotheses using several other sources of online data. The activity has been piloted using our project's research protocols, and refined based on feedback from multiple colleagues using a rubric. It is now available for any educator to utilize, post on the SERC website at:

https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/intro/activities/180125.html

Participants should bring a laptop, tablet, or smartphone to participate in the activity. Handouts and colored pencils will be provided.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 49, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2017AM-303533

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