Illinois Valley Community College 4/25/2017 The Environmental Geology of Your Home: A Capstone Project in an Environmental Geology Course for Non-Majors Michael Phillips Geology Professor Illinois Valley Community College Oglesby, Illinois Good Morning, my name is Mike Phillips. I am the Geology Instructor and the Director of The Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Assessment at Illinois Valley Community College. In my pre-teaching career, I worked for eight years as an environmental geologist in both the public and private sector. I have taught undergraduate geology as a TA, a part-time instructor, and now as a full-time instructor. One of the first difficulties I encountered as an instructor was show students the relevance of the material I was trying to teach. This talk is about one possible method of dealing with this problem.

Environmental Geology: Goals 4/25/2017 Environmental Geology: Goals Introduction to the science of geology Focus on applied aspects of geology Appeal to students’ current interests Deliver information that the students can use long after completion of the course My first response was to create an open-enrollment course in environmental geology. It introduces students to the science of geology and covers all of the basics, however: The focus is on applied aspects: how geology effects the student’s life and the community. A discussion of topics of current interest are used to enhance lectures by having the students submit and present items from the news that relate to the course. Finally, my primary goal is to show students that geology is something they can use to enhance their lives. In service to this goal, I developed a term project.

Term Project Goals Apply concepts covered in class and lab 4/25/2017 Term Project Goals Apply concepts covered in class and lab project sections align with lab and text Work throughout the semester project work is integrated with lab exercises Examine an area familiar to the student area around their home (loosely defined) Acquaint students with resources students use public information resources This term project is designed to provide students with skills that they can use no matter what their chosen field might be. The outline of the report is based on both the material covered in the course and the material commonly covered in an environmental assessment. The project is designed so that students work on the material as it is cover in class. The data collection is integrated with the lab work. The students work on the area around their home. The see their study area every day: this project encourages them to take a closer look. Students are already familiar with some of the topics through personal experience (the gas station next door, the quarry down the street, bad-tasting well-water, flooded basements.) They are also unfamiliar with others (is the gas station really a hazard?, why is there a quarry down the street?, where do they get their water?) The project also acquaints students with resources and techniques they can use in the future, when they select a home, site a business, or make decisions as voters or politicians.

Project Resources Overview PowerPoint Project guidelines Web-based resources Project samples Grading rubric http://www.ivcc.edu/phillips/courses/gel1007/term_project/TP_index.htm

Presentation of Project 4/25/2017 Presentation of Project Research Paper Content (not page) requirement Must be referenced Oral Presentation Briefly present key findings Still working the bugs out The project is submitted to me a a referenced research paper. The findings are shared with the class in a twenty-minute presentation. (This is currently the weakest portion of the project. The students tend to take too long, as they describe everything they put in their paper.)

Project Grade Rubrik distributed to students Basis required elements 4/25/2017 Project Grade Rubrik distributed to students Basis required elements depth of research insight and interpretation The grading is completed using a rubric that is distributed to the students at the beginning of the semester. Items are graded on a sliding scale based depth and insight.

Disadvantages Compiling resources Tracking progress 4/25/2017 Disadvantages Compiling resources Tracking progress Grading projects at semester’s end I couldn’t think of any serious disadvantages, time is probably the biggest factor for most of us.

Advantages Students have a meaningful report 4/25/2017 Advantages Students have a meaningful report Semester-long schedule reduces last-minute efforts Capstone project reflects students’ understanding of course material Very interesting reading for the instructor The biggest advantage is probably an increased student interest in course material.

Project Outline Introduction 4/25/2017 Project Outline Introduction Location of study area - county, township, range, and section Description of study area - past and present land use, overall topography, etc. General overview of findings - a summary of the report findings Students locate their homes on a topographic map using the PLSS, lon-lat, and UTM. They describe the history of the area with information from the local library, family, and friends.

Project Outline Natural Resources 4/25/2017 Project Outline Natural Resources topics: soils, surface water, groundwater, mineral resources discuss: availability, past and current use resources: USDA soil surverys, state water resource records, geologic publications contact: local government (ie. municiple water supplier) The describe the natural resources present and how and why those resources are and are not used. They examine geologic maps and soil survey reports. They contact local government agencies to collect additional information.

Project Outline Natural Hazards 4/25/2017 Project Outline Natural Hazards topics: flooding, landslides, earthquakes, wetlands, radon gas, etc. discuss: hazardous areas, historic events, past and current responses resources: FEMA (web site), state and local agency documents and reports contact: local ESDA office The students look into the natural hazards of the area. They interpret the landscape and look for evidence of hazards. They use published references and contact local officials. One of the more useful resources is the FEMA/ESRI Project Impact web site. This site allows students to call up flood and other hazard maps.

Project Outline Human-Induced Hazards 4/25/2017 Project Outline Human-Induced Hazards topics: polluted areas, pollution sources, human effects on natural hazards, mine subsidence discuss: hazardous areas, historic events, past and current responses resources: USEPA (web site), state and local agencies (including database lists and FIOA requests) contact: state EPA, local fire department The students look at human impact on the area. They look for evidence of hazards. The examine database lists of USTs, LUSTs, and hazardous waste sites. They may contact state and local officials for more information. I like to make a FOIA request of at least one site; although time can be a barrier. One of the more useful resources is the USEPA Envirofacts web site. This site allows students to look at a map of their area with some of the human-created hazards highlighted. Students can query points of interest.

Project Outline Plans for Future Use 4/25/2017 Project Outline Plans for Future Use topics: past and current land-use plans discuss: adequacy of current plans, suggestions for change resources: local planning agency They research local plans for the area and suggest plans of their own based on what has been learned in class.

Project Outline Conclusions:summarize the most important findings 4/25/2017 Project Outline Conclusions:summarize the most important findings References: all sources Figures: maps, diagrams, photographs The final pages include a reference list of all sources (an area that usually needs work.) The students also include maps and diagrams to illustrate their findings. Photos of specific areas of concern are often included.

Illinois Valley Community College 4/25/2017 Thank You Michael Phillips Illinois Valley Community College http://www.ivcc.edu/phillips/ mike_phillips@ivcc.edu The slides from this presentation may be found on my web site. Thank you for your time.