West Virginia geology study tour set Oct. 1-3

9:45 a.m., June 18, 2004--UD’s Division of Professional and Continuing Studies will host a weekend geology tour to West Virginia Friday-Saturday, Oct. 1-3.

The Geology Exploration Tour is an opportunity for hands-on discovery and research into how geological forces created the landscapes of the West Virginia mountains and the Allegheny Front.

The trip is meant for anyone with an interest in geology or earth science and would be especially valuable for science teachers. Participants will earn 1.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Some of the exploration areas are Mole Hill, Germany Valley overlook, Seneca Rocks, North Fork Gap, Smoke Hole Caverns, Dolly Sods and Greenland Gap. The itinerary includes stargazing in the evenings. Participants will visit each location with the goal of delving into the science behind the geological forces that created specific landscape features.

Program objectives include: developing an understanding of paleoenvironments through fossil assemblages and associated sediments; using a taxonomic key to identify fossils; examining sandstones and developing an understanding of why sandstones are ridge formers in the eastern United States; and distinguishing between lithologies that are ridge formers and those that are valley formers.

The program’s instructors, Ruben Giral and Rob Greenberg, both outdoor enthusiasts and middle school science teachers, have teamed up to offer their combined experience as leaders of numerous educational exploration trips throughout the American West and the Appalachians.

In 2001, Giral and Greenberg were co-leaders of the Geological Society of America (Southeast Section) Conference field trip in Raleigh, N.C. Both instructors have presented inquiry-based workshops for teachers in North Carolina and are active members of national and regional science and education associations.

For a detailed itinerary, a complete list of program objectives and seed questions, more information about the instructors and how to register, visit [www.continuingstudies.udel.edu/culture/geology.shtml].

For more information, write to [studytrips@udel.edu] or call 831-3063.

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