October teacher fossil workshop in Alabama

Fossils of the Black Belt – A Hands-On Field Workshop

Where: University of West Alabama in Livingston and vicinity.

When: Tuesday, October 22, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Cost: $15, preregister early

Who Should Attend: Teachers of biology, earth science, and environmental science, interns and trainees, and nature interpreters are encouraged to attend.

Contact: Dr. David C. Kopaska-Merkel, Geological Survey of Alabama, P.O. Box 869999, Tuscaloosa AL 35486-6999. Phone: (205) 247-3695 (office) or (205) 246-9346 (cell). Fax: (205) 349-2861. Email: dkm@gsa.state.al.us

Registration Form

Name: _______________________________ Position: _________________ School:
Address:



Home phone: _____________ School phone: _____________ Email:

Return to David Kopaska-Merkel, Geological Survey of Alabama, P.O. Box 869999, Tuscaloosa AL 35486-6999.

Make checks payable to Alabama Geological Society.

Workshop Summary

A 1-day workshop in paleontology (the study of fossils) for elementary to high school science teachers (both in-service and pre-service). The workshop will help integrate real earth science into curricula. Participants will be better able to recommend meaningful science-fair projects in earth science and to assist students with them. Objectives:

Participants will learn about fossils and geology, so they will be more comfortable teaching these subjects.

Participants will learn about sites that can be visited by classes, or used to provide material for classes.

Teachers will make fossil kits for classroom use.

Teachers will get Lost Worlds in Alabama Rocks, a major resource about the geology of Alabama, and 3 Discovering Alabama DVDs (Geologic History of Alabama, Tracks Across Time, and Black Belt Part I).

This course supports Alabama Course of Study/Science Processes & Applications in all grades, high school Geology & Earth & Space Science electives, and life-science concepts at all grade levels.

Alabama is one of the best places in the world for fossil collecting. In an area the size of England, Alabama has well-preserved fossils of almost every age. Paleontologists come from all over to collect in Alabama.

The workshop begins at the University of West Alabama, where participants learn basic geologic field techniques. Next, they visit 2 or more fossiliferous outcrops near Livingston. Fossils include oysters, other bivalves, snails, bryozoa, worm tubes, and shark teeth. If very lucky, someone might find remains of sea turtles or a mosasaur (a giant sea lizard). Back at UWA, participants will identify and label fossils that were collected that morning, making kits they will take back to their schools.

Workshop Leaders

Dr. David C. Kopaska-Merkel has studied trilobites and other fossils, and has led workshops and field trips for teachers, children, and others.

Dr. Andrew K. Rindsberg teaches courses on geology and environmental science at The University of West Alabama, and has written numerous publications on Alabama geology and paleontology.

James Lamb is the leading authority on Alabama vertebrate paleontology. He has worked for four different museums, led many field trips, and authored 30 scientific publications.