This three-part teacher guide encourages a multi-disciplinary approach to many issues and topics related to geothermal power development, including the scientific fundamentals as well as the social, economic, environmental and political aspects.

These thematic lessons introduce students to the various phases involved in mining, different types of mines, how ore is processed, how mineral deposits were formed, how modern mines can operate safely and sustainably, and why minerals are important to our everyday lives.

This theme teaches students about open pit and underground mining, including safety and environmental considerations. It also introduces students to a wide range of mining careers. Students will build models of open pit and underground mines, with increasing complexity in each age category.

This theme covers the processes involved in mining, from exploration and site development to reclamation. The core lesson plan is a game in which students explore the various phases involved in the development of a mine and the economic aspects of these phases. Through this game, students will gain an understanding of the decision-making processes involved in determining whether an ore body can be profitably mined.

This theme explores the different methods that can be used to extract and purify valuable minerals from mined ore. Students will conduct a series of experiments to learn about the processes of crushing, milling, extraction, leaching, flotation and purification.

This video shows how land use can include industry and parks, and how to incorporate transportation/foot traffic, using New York as an example.

This brief video lesson discusses how the impacts that humans have made have become so pervasive, profound, and permanent that some geologists believe we merit our own epoch. Discussion/assessment questions and suggested supplemental resources are also included.

This brief video lesson discusses processes used to create a cleaner version of coal. Discussion/assessment questions and suggested supplemental resources are also included.

Students will be able to identify and discuss four components of "human dimensions" involved in coastal decision-making. They will be able to describe a process to build public support for coastal resource protection and will be able to explain why this support is important. Then they will be able to describe at least three perspectives that exist among different groups of stakeholders regarding a specific coastal resource issue.

Students explore the processes involved in unconventional oil and gas resource production (hydraulic fracturing), how we monitor seismic activity and draw correlations (or lack thereof) between fluid injection (related to hydrofracking or from wastewater disposal) and earthquake activity, and ways that we might establish a better understanding of correlations between the two. Lastly, geothermal activity at the Geysers in California will also be investigated to illustrate the difficulty in assessing natural versus induced seismicity in such a geologically complex region.

At the end of this lesson, students should be able to describe the methods used to find hydrocarbons, describe the 5 main play elements needed for success, and interpret whether a fictional location has all of the necessary play elements.

In this activity, students test the pH of a water sample and then dig into the nearby sediment and test the pH of a water sample from there.

Students will identify different landforms and explain how they are formed and change with time, understand the role climate plays in shaping landforms, and determine how human actions affect local or regional geography.

Students will analyze a real-world environmental case of building a road through the Amazon rain forest. They will explore the geographical, cultural, and environmental context of building the road, identify the stakeholders and their role and impact, and map out the intended and unintended consequences from the decision that they make.

Students will analyze a real-world environmental case of building an oil pipeline through British Columbia. They will explore the geographical, cultural, and environmental context of building the pipeline, identify the stakeholders and their role and impact, and map out the intended and unintended consequences of the decision they make.

Students will construct a topographical map of the United States, including the outer continental shelf and exclusive economic zone, that shows the major land and underwater formations. Students are then divided into groups to research and prepare short presentations on the various resources, where they are located, how they were formed, how they can be recovered, their uses and economic benefits, and the environmental impacts associated with their recovery.

Analyze the quantities and origins of basic mineral resources.

GeoInquiries are designed to be fast and easy-to-use instructional resources that incorporate advanced web mapping technology. Each 15-minute activity in a collection is intended to be presented by the instructor from a single computer/projector classroom arrangement. No installation, fees, or logins are necessary to use these materials and software.

During this extended unit, students will explore environmental sustainability from a number of different perspectives. They will dive deep into global policies regarding the environment, specifically the dedication of different countries to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Students will review and discuss specific case studies, offering their opinion of certain practices and policies. As a summative assessment, students will create a “Call to Action” project, with the intent of raising awareness and instigating action on environmental sustainability. This unit includes language (objectives, vocabulary, and lesson modifications) that will help the teacher meet the needs of ELL students. These strategies may be helpful for other students, as well.

In this chapter, students will take on the role of land-use planner in Baker County, Florida. They will use My World GIS tools in order to determine the best location for issuing a fifty-acre development permit. This site-based, problem-based case is situated near the town of Macclenny, in Baker County, Florida. This site was chosen because the area is undergoing urban sprawl (exurban development) from neighboring Jacksonville, Florida. This chapter provides the user with a model for learning how to conduct geographic information system (GIS) analysis on land-use, wetland, and political geography datasets.

Rising seas and coastal erosion are eating away at the barrier island on which the Alaska Native Village of Kivalina rests. Residents and others are making concerted efforts to move the community to safety.