Group Project
Overview
Each group will present for one class period on a chosen chapter of Geology of Boulder County. Your group is responsible for teaching the class for one hour by summarizing the chapter, analyzing the geology of the time period, explaining what life was like at the time, and giving the class an assessment.
Questions to Answer
What geological time periods and absolute time span are you covering?
What are the geological concepts that are important for us to understand? Explain them.
What are the local rocks from that time and what story do they tell? Climate, environment, plate tectonics, etc.
Where are the local rocks in Boulder's cross section?
What was the life like in Boulder and around Colorado at that time?
What activities will you use to engage students in learning?
What will your assessment of class learning be?
Readings
The main information for your presentations will come from the chapter of Geology of Boulder County. The electronic copies are on schoology. Implement several reading strategies with your group that we went over in class to help you share the information with the class.
Information for Each Presentation
Chapter 4-Into the Mountains and Back in Time-The Precambrian Rocks-Maya, Malia
Present September 10
Time-Archean Eon, Proterozoic Eon; 4500mya-542mya
Geologic Concepts-plate tectonics, rock cycle, igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks, North American Craton, Wyoming Province, Colorado Province, volcanic activity, subduction zone, batholith, pluton, island arc, subduction, abiogenesis
Local Rocks-Biotite Gneiss, Shist, Conglomeratic Quartzite, Boulder Creek Granodiorite, Quartz Monzonite, Granite Gneiss, Silver Plume Granite, Iron Dike, Gabbro/Diabase
Resources: Geology of Boulder County p.42-53, Messages in Stone p.48-55, Historical Geology p.147-188, Precambrian Life
Chapter 5-The 1.5 Billion Year Gap-The Great Unconformity-Katelyn, Maille
Present September 14
Time-Cambrian Period, Ordovician Period, Silurian Period, Devonian Period, Mississippian Period; 542mya-318mya
Geologic Concepts-Unconformity, non-conformity, disconformity, erosion, faults, sedimentary rocks, transcontinental arch, clastic sediment, continental seas, continental shelf, diatreme
Local Rocks-Green Mountain Kimberlite, Sawatch Quartzite?
Resources-Geology of Boulder County p.55-61, Messages in Stone p.55-60, Historical Geology p.231-242, 250-266, Ordovician Marine Life Video, Silurian Plant Life-Cooksonia, Devonian Spider Video, Colorado Devonian Forest Video, Colorado Devonian Marine Life Video,
Chapter 6-The Crest of the Wave-The Flatirons-Sydney, Eben
Present September 21
Time-Pennsylvannian Period; 318mya-300mya
Geologic Concepts-sedmintary rock, mudstone, sandstone, conglomerate, graded bedding, sorting, alluvial fan, akrosic, feldspar, quartz, mineral, orogeny, Pangaea, Anscestral Rockies, Anscestral Front Range, fluvial deposits, continental drift, adularia, dip, equator, cross bedding
Local Rocks-Fountain Formation-Akrosic sandstone conglomerate
Resources-Geology of Boulder County p.62-75, Messages in Stone p.61-64, Historical Geology p.243-245, 266-267, Fountain Formation Depositional Environment Video
Chapter 7-University Buildings and Ancient Windstorms-Julio, Jesse, Ben
Present September 24
Time-Permian Period, Triassic Period; 299mya-200mya
Geologic Concepts-Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, mass extinction, stramatolites, conifers, Pangaea, redbeds, niche, facies, evolution, eolian, hogbacks, sand dune, cross-bedding, sorting, sabkha
Local Rocks-Inglside Formation-sandstone, Lyons Formation-sandstone, Lykins Formation-limestone, dolomite, Jelm Formation-sandstone
Resources-Geology of Boulder County p.77-85, Messages in Stone p.64-66, Historical Geology p.266-268,296-318, Lyons Formation Depositional Environment Video, Lykins Formation Depositional Environment Video, Triassic Depositional Environment Video,
Chapter 8-Jurassic Park- Tiger, Anna
Present September 28
Time-Jurassic Period; 200mya-145mya
Geologic Concepts-dinosaurs, uranium, hogback, reptile, amphibian, conifer, cycad, fern, marine deposit,
Local Rocks-Sundance Formation-sandstone, Morrison Formation-sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, limestone, claystone
Resources-Geology of Boulder County p.87-90, Messages in Stone p.67, Historical Geology p.296-318, Morrison Depositional Environment Video,
Chapter 9-Undersea Boulder-The Cretaceous Period-Jenny, Amairani
Present-October 1
Time-Cretaceous Period; 145my-65mya
Geologic Concepts-mass extinction, iridium, Western (Cretaceous) Interior Seaway, angiosperms, placental mammals, marsupial mammals, sea level, sea floor spreading, Sevier Orogeny, sedimentary rock, epeiric sea, climatic cycles, erosion, deposition, delta, prodelta, shelf, slope, basin, prograde, retrograde, fault, growth faulting, normal fault, horst, graben
Local Rocks-Dakota Fomration-Lytle Formation-claystone, conglomerate, sandstone; Middle Dakota Group: skull creek shale; Upper Dakota Group-muddy sandstone; Benton Group-shale; Niobrara-Fort Hays limestone, smoky hill shale, black shale; Pierre Shale Formation-shale, Hygiene sandstone; Fox Hils Formation-sandstone; Laramie Formation-sandstone, siltstone
Resources-Geology of Boulder County p.91-123, Messages in Stone p.68-71, Historical Geology p.296-318,Early Cretaceous Environment Video, Cretaceous Marine Environment Video, Late Cretaceous Swamp Environment Video, After the Impact Video
Chapter 10-The Rise and Exhumation of the Front Range-Liam, Taven
Present-October 5
Time-Tertiary Period; 65mya-1.8mya
Geologic Concepts-modern Front Range, uplift, Paleocene epoch, Eocene epoch, plate tectonics, uplift, Laramide Orogeny, Farallon plate, magma, thrustbelt, Rocky Mountain erosion surface, geomorphology, paleosoil, paleobotany, Hoosier Fault, volcanism, Maxwell Fault, Boulder Fault, stock, pluton, sill, dacite, Colorado Mineral Belt
Local Rocks-Valmont Dike Alkali Basalt, Flagstaff Sill Granodiorite
Resources-Geology of Boulder County p.124-144, Messages in Stone p.71-76, Historical Geology p.371-390, Paleocene Rainforest Environment Video, Oligocene Redwood Forest Environment Video, Colorado Flyover 57 MYA Video,
Chapter 11-The Quaternary-Glaciation, Alluvial Deposits, Stream Cutting, and Terraces-Alex, Ryan, Jack, Hayden
Present-October 8
Time-Quaternary Period; 1.8mya-Present
Geologic Concepts-glaciation, alluvial deposits, stream cutting, river terraces, cirque, rock glacier, moraine, u-shaped valley, cirque, canyon incision rate
Local Rocks-Rocky Flats Alluvium, Verdos Alluvium, Slocum Alluvium
Resources-Geology of Boulder County p.145-153, Messages in Stone p.77-91, Historical Geology p.390-394, Pleistocene Dune Field Environment, Pleistocene Ice Age Summer Environment, Latest Pleistocene Glaciers of Colorado Part 1, Late Pleistocene Glaciers of Colorado Part 2,
Research Resources for All Groups
Rubric