ANNUAL REPORT 2008 - Jackson School of Geosciences - The ...

GeoFORCE Annual Report 2008
11th Grade Academy
The trip to Oregon was the first GeoFORCE
trip for the Houston 11th grade academy. They
learned a great deal of geology and also had
to quickly learn how to study and learn effectively
while in the field – all skills that are taught
to GeoFORCE students beginning in the 9th
grade. By the 11th grade, academy students
have usually been immersed in field activities
and understand the importance of teaching,
seeing, doing and then testing in order to learn
and retain important geological concepts. The
students are able to quickly get into the Geo-
FORCE mode and seek to immediately access
their field guides for information.
This year 36 students from Houston and 44
students from southwest Texas attended the
11th grade academy. This is the largest Southwest
academy to date due to several special
circumstances. Two of the new students were
Young Geoscientists who met all qualifying
criteria as well as have attended Young Geoscientists
field courses for the past two years.
Students in the 11th grade academy represented
15 different school districts from southwest
Texas and 6 different high schools within
the Houston Independent School District.
The 11th grade academy is as visually spectacular
and geologically rich as the Grand
Canyon. The introduction to coastal geology
prepares the students for their final academy
trip to Florida the following year. Both the
southwest Texas and Houston academies concluded
with a closing ceremony each attended
by over 230 family, friends, and sponsor representatives.
All students passed the post test
with a ‘B’ or better grade and we look forward
to seeing them at the GeoFORCE 12th grade
academy 2009.
Locations in Oregon & Washington
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Loowit Lookout, Mount St. Helens, WA
Hummocks Trail, Mount St. Helens, WA
Johnston Ridge Observatory, Mount St. Helens,
WA
Crown Point State Scenic Corridor, OR
Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint, OR
Mt. Hood ski-lift and lecture, OR
Newberry National Volcanic Monument, OR
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Crater Lake National Park, OR
Salt Creek Falls, OR
Multnomah Falls , OR
Cape Perpetua, OR
Heceta Head, OR
Seal Rock State Recreation Site, OR
Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, OR
Glacial Erratic, OR
Geology Learned
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Magma, lava
Fissure
Columnar joint
Vesicular texture
Pyroclastic flow
Rhyolite, andesite, obsidian , pumice, scoria
Seismograph
Lava dome
Shield volcano
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Caldera
Longshore current
Tides
Tsunami
Wave crest, height, trough, length
Sea stack
Marine terrace
Sea cave
Intertidal zone
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