Teachers are invited to take part in a free online workshop focused on Great Lakes geology. The Great Lakes Rock will begin on January 27 and run through February 8. Over the course of this time, participants can view six presentations narrated by scientists in the Great Lakes region as well as post follow-up questions.

“The geology of the Great Lakes is what forms the shape of the lakes and the watershed itself,” said Bruce Munson, University of Minnesota education scientist. “For teachers, geology provides a way of connecting the Great Lakes to their science curriculum.”

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each workshop week, a new presentation will be made available online. The workshop will cover six topic areas: the solid earth system; the bedrock and formation of the Great Lakes; life and rocks; current geological processes; human impacts and impacts on humans; and deep exploration of lakes and oceans, including underwater archeology. The presentations will remain online for later use.

“We have selected our presenter s for their skill at communicating with educators and the public,” said Rosanne Fortner, professor emeritus, The Ohio State University. “Some of the science may be more advanced, and that’s why the scientists will be on hand to answer questions. We also expect that teachers will add to the discussion and the resources.”

As part of this COSEE Great Lakes-sponsored workshop, a wide array of classroom resources will be made available, including The Greatest of the Great Lakes, a collection of classroom activities. Downloadable classroom activities include “How Did Rocks and Rivers Shape the Great Lakes?” and “How Fast Can a Shoreline Change?”

Teachers can accrue graduate credit or professional development hours for taking part in this workshop. Level of participation will vary over two weeks, depending on your goals. “With about 10 hours of participation a person can get the basics of what’s going on, although many teachers explore the materials and conversations for 20 hours or more,” said Fortner.

To register for the workshop, visit COSEE Great Lakes at www.coseegreatlakes.net  and use the workshop link on the homepage. Once you have completed the free workshop registration, you can sign up for graduate credit or professional development hours. You can also view a previous online workshop titled What’s so Great about the Great Lakes? For more information about the workshop, visit www.coexploration.org/coseegreatlakes.

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