Field Trip to Mammoth Cave, Kentucky
A picture of me inside Mammoth Cave.
The three field-base locations that I had the opportunity to go to over the course of GEO 202 were Mammoth Cave, Grand Valley’s Ravines and Aman Park. During these field trips I was able to make observations and see real life examples of some of the geoscience concepts that we learned in class. At Mammoth Cave, we learned about karst environments and the process of how caves form. I learned that karst environments are land regions dominated by carbonate rocks such as limestone that can have hills, caves, sink holes and disappearing streams. I learned the process of how caves form and was able to see this while I was inside the cave. In Mammoth cave I learned facts about animal life and the different types of animals that can be found in different caves. In addition to stepping foot in Mammoth cave, I was able to see the Great Onyx Cave. In Grand Valley’s Ravines, we went down there to take a look at the meandering stream and to see how it has carved out the field over the course of years. I took observations and made sketches of the topography. In groups we took notes and described the geomorphology of the location and of the natural surroundings. We made observations based on viewing the size and types of sediments, in what areas of the stream where erosion and deposition took place and how the sediments in the stream where transported based on size of the sediment and the velocity at which the stream was moving. In Aman Park, we took a look at the stream channel and its fluvial system and the discharge areas. We measured the flow rate of the stream (velocity x height x width) by working collaboratively with our group.
All three field trips helped me make connections with the concepts that we learned in class and with earth systems. The field trips allowed me to have hands on experience and see the impact that the hydrologic cycle has on earth’s systems. It helped me learn that all of Earth’s processes are connected in some way and that they all interact with one another.
The different types of teaching strategies during the field trips helped me better understand the concepts that we learned in class. By learning these concepts in the classroom and visiting sites where we could apply our previous knowledge was a tremendous help. At the three locations we were able to use our five senses (sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing) to make predictions and observations of the geomorphology. There was also a lot of inquiry involved. I enjoyed being given materials and having to work with our group to figure out how or why something worked/happened the way it did instead of just getting told the answers. All of these strategies helped me understand the material being taught and made me want to know more about what we were learning as opposed to just getting lectured or given the answers because it was more appealing and interesting to me that way.
I would use these same strategies with my future students. I think that it is important for students to be able to experience these concepts in the field and see them for themselves like we were able to. It will be much more interesting and engaging for students to get outdoors and learn through their senses and observations. If I do not have access to take my students to Mammoth Cave, or if we do not live in an area that has ravines like ours, etc. I will still find ways for my students to learn these concepts in an engaging way while still providing opportunities for them to see real life process of nature by just going outside and having them observe what they see and why they think it might be that way. I will definitely teach with inquiry as well because it sparks their imagination and has them learning by doing it themselves.
All three field trips helped me make connections with the concepts that we learned in class and with earth systems. The field trips allowed me to have hands on experience and see the impact that the hydrologic cycle has on earth’s systems. It helped me learn that all of Earth’s processes are connected in some way and that they all interact with one another.
The different types of teaching strategies during the field trips helped me better understand the concepts that we learned in class. By learning these concepts in the classroom and visiting sites where we could apply our previous knowledge was a tremendous help. At the three locations we were able to use our five senses (sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing) to make predictions and observations of the geomorphology. There was also a lot of inquiry involved. I enjoyed being given materials and having to work with our group to figure out how or why something worked/happened the way it did instead of just getting told the answers. All of these strategies helped me understand the material being taught and made me want to know more about what we were learning as opposed to just getting lectured or given the answers because it was more appealing and interesting to me that way.
I would use these same strategies with my future students. I think that it is important for students to be able to experience these concepts in the field and see them for themselves like we were able to. It will be much more interesting and engaging for students to get outdoors and learn through their senses and observations. If I do not have access to take my students to Mammoth Cave, or if we do not live in an area that has ravines like ours, etc. I will still find ways for my students to learn these concepts in an engaging way while still providing opportunities for them to see real life process of nature by just going outside and having them observe what they see and why they think it might be that way. I will definitely teach with inquiry as well because it sparks their imagination and has them learning by doing it themselves.