Category: Research Projects
Traditional geologic maps beautifully illustrate the many different types of rock found on Earth’s surface. Geoscientists can look at a colorful geologic map and immediately spot important pieces of the story of Earth’s geologic history. For instance, in the map below, the red area found in Canada represents bedrock formed in the Late Archean Era […]
It used to be that natural disasters like wildfires, floods, and hurricanes each had their own season, likely to occur in predictable locations and at certain times of the year. Changes in the climate have expanded and shifted both the map of where people may be at risk and the months when these hazards most […]
In the last 30 years, the risk of inland flooding in the United States has increased dramatically. Extreme rainfall events have become more frequent, causing widespread flooding and water damage. The costs to repair, rebuild, and remediate flooding have grown each year. Flooding in the Midwest in 2019 alone affected 14 million people and came […]
Imagine that you’re visiting a new city and want to know the best place to get ice cream. You might open your favorite search engine and check out reviews. Or you might see what people on Twitter have to say. Perhaps you decide to search for specific terms and see if more people recommend you […]
From 2001: Space Odyssey to The Terminator, our collective imagination is fascinated with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Even Disney Pixar’s Wall-E has something to say about AI, though on a lighter and arguably more accurate note. AI models are no longer futuristic or reserved for specific niche tech businesses or advanced computer science classes. Our Narrative […]
Is there a map that shows the distribution of the three major rocks types—igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary—around the world? Our TecRocks team asked this question while trying to find real-world phenomena to engage students in the exploration of environments related to rock genesis. It seemed like a map like this should exist. Our hope was […]
We are excited to announce that our GeoCode: Volcanic Hazards module is available for public use! This free two-week curriculum for middle and high school students has been piloted by participating research teachers as part of the National Science-Foundation funded GeoCode project and extensively studied and redesigned based on our research. It is now available […]
Climate change, and the rise of the natural hazards that climate change brings, has been at the top of news feeds every week over the past year. Extreme events such as floods, droughts, and wildfires are expected to increase in the future. What does that mean for those of us living in the path of […]
We recently revised our mission and vision statements, and described our efforts to address issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in several of our research projects. We know that this was only a beginning. As we said, “We are still learning how to design science, technology, engineering, and mathematics resources that are more socially […]
In collaboration with Rutgers University, UNC Greensboro, and middle school students and teachers in New Brunswick, New Jersey, we are investigating the development and implementation of life science materials that support local, consequential learning.