Faults in the Field:
Expedition to California

After a quick breakfast, we drove up to University High School and worked in their theatre on our PowerPoint presentations in three groups that we presented at noon to the students in the deaf and hard of hearing program at the high school. Each group focused on a different topic. Group A focused on landslides, explaining which regions are most prone and should be avoided and how to reduce the hazards. Group B focused on the San Andreas and other active faults in southern California, covering the hazards, vulnerability, and risks as well. Group C focused on shaking from faults, the difference between large and small earthquakes, and what other factors are involved.


Students responded to questions following their presentations. After the presentations, Bob DeGroot from the Southern California Earthquake Center, a sponsor of the trip, gave a talk on the effect of active faults in “earthquake country” around Los Angeles. He talked about who is involved in earthquake research and preparedness and gave out a booklet on the best ways individuals and families can prepare. He announced a mock earthquake event that will be happening in November 2008 to prepare people for responding in the event of a major earthquake. More information can be found on their website at: http://www.earthquakecountry.info.

We returned to our original rendezvous of the field trip in Riverside and summed up our entire experience in an interview with William Snyder, an educator researcher studying how the information from sandbox experiments is transferred to on site learning during the Faults in the Field trips.



Then in our best clothes, we headed to a fancy dinner at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel nearby. There we held a heartwarming ceremony in honor and gratitude for Dr. Michele Cooke and for those whom without this expedition would have never been possible. Cooke received M&M's candy, each etched with "Thank You Michele", or "Michele Rocks", by every student to thank her personally. She also received a quilt made by one of the teachers showing a road cut scene of a fault formation seen on the Utah Faults in the Field trip. There were words sewn into the quilt, “It’s Your Fault We Dig Geology.” Every teacher and student signed the quilt and names of past participants in the other two trips were added. Dr. Cooke and Mary Ellsworth from the Model Secondary School for the Deaf honored science teacher Teresa Huckleberry from Indiana School for the Deaf by sharing the documentation of the materials they submitted in nomination of Mrs. Huckleberry for the Outstanding Teacher Award given by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers. Mary read out some of Ms. Huckleberry many accomplishments so far in life to honor her impeccable reputation, concluding in wishing her satisfying retirement. We all applauded and left knowing that this week in California will be a week we will never forget.

Delia Kimmel, a student from University High School added her own personal summary:
“Most of the time, I learn more when I experience something for myself. Many things I have learned and many friendships I have made are based on experiences. This earth science trip has provided me with many experiences that I will never forget. The things I learn are always changing. I learned that the Earth itself is changing, such as through earthquakes and landslides. One experience I had on the trip was going through underbrush, then coming out into a beautiful open area where I saw a river with many small rocks. Because I experienced that place and learned about debris flow causing rocks to end up in that river, I understand earth science better by learning to think of the Earth in 3-D. I will not forget the things I have seen and learned on this trip.”

We asked the teachers what was most important to them and their students about the Faults in the Field Expedition to California. Here are their responses:

Chris Gonzales from University High School – “The ability to match what we learned in the classroom and what happens in real life – I can make the fault in class room but small, but it helps my students recognize and match when they see in the real mountains.”

Nancy Frazier from Kansas School for the Deaf – “To make the connection of what happens in the classroom, especially the sandbox experiment, to the real live lab.”

Michael George from Iowa School for the Deaf – “Since I taught in the Midwest, my students hadn’t really the bigger picture of the faults and landslides because they don’t have it around Iowa. Since the students observed the sandbox experiment, they can get the idea of what the inactive and active faults look like. They also learned how faults cause earthquakes.”

Jana Lollis from North Carolina School for the Deaf – “I would have to say that the perfect example of how you see science in the real world—you know how I explain in the classroom to the students, but it helps them and me to see in the real world, it makes us understand science better. For me, I’m not mainly a geologist, but I learned from these geologists and when I come back, I know it will improve how I teach. I learned a lot about earthquakes and that the San Andreas Fault is not the only fault in town.”

Mary Ellsworth from the Model Secondary School for the Deaf – “I think it’s cool for students to be exposed to the scientists' culture, to see science working and to see how it requires hard work, getting up early and work long hours, but the learning is fun! Students see how scientists think and analyze, they see how science tries to explain the world, and the scientist's critical thinking skills. Students have been exposed to aspects of scientific field work. Too much science teaching is only in textbooks ('read chapters 1 to 7, for example), but this is real science: being outside and observing and analyzing and trying to understand what is happening. It’s unusual for high school students to get this kind of experience and I’m glad that all the students could be involved with this trip.”