Annually, IRIS EPO staff faciliate several professional development workshops at the National NSTA Convention. These sessions, based around lessons and reseources developed by the IRIS Consortium, are designed to improve teachers’ seismological content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and pedagogical skills. The workshop also modelss the use of the resources so teachers can effectively implement the activities in their own classrooms. Please visit one of our sessions, listed below, or see us at Booth #1241 in the convention hall.
Thursday, April 11
12:30–1:30 PM
Use Seismic Data From a Recent Earthquake to Discover and Measure the Size of Earth's Layered Interior
Students construct a simple theoretical model of Earth's interior, compare this to seismic data (free online) from recent newsworthy earthquakes, and discover its layered interior!
Location: Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, 101B
Presenter(s): Michael Gallagher (Oakland Schools: Waterford, MI); Michael Hubenthal (IRIS Consortium: Washington, DC)
Friday, April 12
8:00–9:00 AM
The IRIS In-Class Project: Free Seismology Learning Sequences Accompanied by Online Professional Development
Explore a collection of hands-on 5E (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate) learning sequences featuring videos, animations, and visualizations. Topics range from earthquakes to Earth structure, and in-depth explorations of individual subtopics.
Location: Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, 001B
Presenter(s): Michael Hubenthal (IRIS Consortium: Washington, DC); Tammy Bravo (IRIS Consortium: Washington, DC)
9:30–10:30 AM
NESTA Geology Share-A-Thon
Location: Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Ballroom A
Presenter: Patrick J. McQuillan (IRIS Consortium: Washington, DC)
12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
NESTA Earth System Science Share-A-Thon
Location: Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Ballroom A
Presenter: Tammy Bravo (IRIS Consortium: Washington, DC)
12:30–1:30 PM
Silent Earthquakes Beneath Your Feet? How a Magnitude 7 Earthquake Can Occur Without Being Felt by Anyone!
Explore the world beneath the Pacific Northwest and discover how new science has detected "slow earthquakes" using high-precision GPS and seismic data.
Location: Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, 001A
Presenter(s): Shelley E. Olds (UNAVCO: Boulder, CO); Nancy W. West (Quarter Dome Consulting, LLC: Fort Collins, CO); Patrick J. McQuillan (IRIS: Washington, DC)
Saturday, April 13
9:30–10:30 AM
Beyond the Slinky: Sequencing Activities, Earthquake Visualizations, and Demonstrations to Enhance Student Learning of Seismic Waves
Boing! Come enhance your slinky technique and explore additional seismic wave models. Investigate ground motion visualizations from recent earthquakes and learn to effectively sequence these models for powerful learning.
Location: Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, 003A
Presenter(s): John Taber (IRIS Consortium: Washington, DC)
2:00–6:00 PM
SC-19: Explore the World Beneath Your Feet Using Modern Technologies to Learn About Plate Tectonics and Earthquakes - Ticketed Event: $44 advance; $49 on-site
Purchase tickets when you register online or on the San Antonio Advance Registration Form.
Engage in hands-on activities that can be used in your classrooms to teach about plate tectonics and earthquakes in Earth and physical sciences disciplines. Using data-rich, place-based activities, you will practice using modern high-precision GPS and seismic technologies and data to explore how plates slide, twist, bind, and crumple. Join us as we connect the science to society by investigating these processes and how plate motion results in volcanic, tsunami, and earthquake hazards. The activities are designed to enhance students’ basic science inquiry skills through data explorations using multiple lines of evidence, maps with multiple types of data, and assessment of data quality. In addition, the materials will draw attention to new discoveries yielded through high-precision GPS and seismology to provide students with case studies highlighting the scientific process. While not required, it is useful to bring your laptop. For more information.
Location: Hilton Palacio del Rio, La Reina
Presenter(s): Shelley E. Olds (UNAVCO: Boulder, CO); John Taber & Michael Hubenthal (IRIS: Washington, DC); Nancy West (Quarter Dome: Fort Collins, CO
