Rice University freshmen dive into scientific research

Teaching

A sample of the feedback I provide for "scientific inquiry" assignments in which students investigate, using peer-reviewed research, the answer to a question with which they were inspired during assigned class readings

This semester, I have designed and am teaching a course exclusive to first-semester freshman entitled “Freshman introduction to local environmental science research”. The goal of the course is to introduce freshmen prospective environmental scientists to the world of scientific research. Special focus is given to work conducted by researchers at Rice University and the broader Houston area.

Everything that we take for granted about working in science can be revelatory for undergraduates. Most students have no idea about the sociology of science, so this course is designed not just to hone their skills in scientific thinking, but to introduce them to the daily lives of scientists in active laboratories. During the course, students explore three published, peer-reviewed articles by local teams of researchers. Research has shown that students learn and retain knowledge best when they are agents of their own learning, so the course involves lots of critical thinking, discussion, self-directed investigations, and writing. Students gain background information about the article subjects, investigate their own science questions, and learn about the techniques and methods by touring the labs and meeting the teams that produced the feature articles.

Thus far, we have discussed biochar’s impact on nitric oxide emissions and how this can influence regional air quality and associated health costs (Pourhashem et al., 2017) and how sequestration of organic carbon through subduction may have led to reduced atmospheric carbon dioxide and increased oxygen during the Great Oxidation Event (Duncan and Dasgupta, 2017). The visit to the high-pressure/high-temperature experimental petrology lab was particularly exciting. Next we are discussing Simkins et al., (2018), a study about how subglacial hydrological systems can destabilize ice sheets.

At the top left is a sample of the sort of personalized feedback students receive to improve their investigative skills and writing abilities.

Celebrating World Oceans Day 2017

Geomorphology, Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, Teaching, , ,

Over the past few weeks, some other Rice sedimentologists (Travis Swanson—post-doc, Lauren Simkins—post-doc, Tian Dong—Phd student) and I have been developing a demonstration to bring to World Oceans Day at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Our demonstration, which we have titled “Texas Gulf Coast and its response to sea level rise”, allows students of all ages to learn about what processes cause eustatic and relative sea level rise and how barrier islands like Galveston Island and coastal communities like Houston are affected by higher sea levels and storm surge. We created a hands-on bathtub model demonstrating how land-based ice affects eustatic sea level as it melts, as well as a model of sediment compaction and land subsidence to demonstrate relative sea level rise. Travis Swanson built a wave tank that was modeled after Houston and Galveston Island to demonstrate how barrier islands protect the mainland from storm surge. The tank was built with features that allowed us to raise and lower the water level and choose different wave frequencies. The plastic shark toys that we placed in the water were very effective for demonstrating to small children that sharks would be in their backyards if the sea level rose too much!

See our informational pamphlet, a write-up on the Rice University website, and a video of the event produced by CW39.