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Geology

Deep Dive Project


STEM Explorer

Project Driving Question/Design Challenge:

Design a 21st Century device that uses a cell phone to replicate and expand upon the
functionality of a Brunton Pocket Transit, a specialty compass used in geology,
engineering, surveying, and related fields. A Brunton Pocket Transit comprises three
main devices: 1) a compass for measuring magnetic bearing, 2) a clinometer for
measuring the vertical inclination of planes (basically a level measuring the angle of
planes to the horizontal), and 3) a hand level for sighting equal elevation for line
surveying. Use the device to: 1) map and assess the risk of slope failure in different
locations, and 2) evaluate and defend your choice for a suitable location for a
house/neighborhood based to avoid and remediate landslide hazards.

Grade Level: 10-12

Course: Geology / Earth Science

Introduction:

This Earth Science-focused project incorporates all areas of STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, Math.) Smart phone apps exist for replicating the
compass and clinometer devices of a Brunton Pocket Transit, but many geology,
engineering, and surveying questions and applications require both of those
functions combined with a hand level. To achieve the function of a hand level, an
attachment to a smart phone is needed to allow a user to view the screen and sight
on a landmark simultaneously. Teams of students will design a hand level
attachment for a smart phone that allows a user to view the screen and a landmark
simultaneously, while reproducing the Bruntons clinometer and compass functions
via level and compass apps.

Using a Brunton Pocket Transit for geological mapping remains an essential skill for
practicing geologists; however, the ubiquity of smart phones is pointing the way
towards their use as a replacement and apps do exist that can replicate the
clinometer and compass functions to the same accuracy and precision as traditional
methods. As of May, 2017, there exists no device or program that can perform the
combined clinometer, compass, and hand level functions needed in the profession;
thus, there is a real demand for a product that can serve this need.

Students designs for the add-on hand level device will be converted to SolidWorks,
and then printed by the STEM Explorers 3D printer. Students will then be able to
use their prototypes to answer questions about slope stability, which connects
fundamental Earth Science concepts and reasoning with engineering and math in
real-life contexts.



Targeted NGSS Performance Expectations:

HS-ETS1-2: Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down
into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.

HS-ETS1-3: Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on
prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including
cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and
environmental impacts.

HS-ESS2-1: Develop a model to illustrate how Earths internal and surface processes
operate at different spatial and temporal scales to form continental and ocean-floor
features.

HS-ESS2-2: Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earths
surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems.

HS-ESS2-5: Plan and conduct an investigation of the properties of waters and its
effects on Earth materials and surface processes.

HS-ESS3-1: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of
natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have
influenced human activity.

HS-ESS3-4: Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of
human activities on natural systems.

Targeted NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas:

ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems
Criteria and constraints also include satisfying any requirements set by society,
such as taking issues of risk mitigation into account, and they should be
quantified to the extent possible and stated in such a way that one can tell if a
given design meets them. (HS-ETS1-1)
Humanity faces major global challenges today, such as the need for supplies of
clean water and food or for energy sources that minimize pollution, which
can be addressed through engineering. These global challenges also may
have manifestations in local communities. (HS-ETS1-1)

ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions
When evaluating solutions, it is important to take into account a range of
constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, and to consider
social, cultural, and environmental impacts. (HS-ETS1-3)
Both physical models and computers can be used in various ways to aid in the
engineering design process. Computers are useful for a variety of purposes,
such as running simulations to test different ways of solving a problem or to
see which one is most efficient or economical; and in making a persuasive
presentation to a client about how a given design will meet his or her needs.
(HS-ETS1-4)

ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution
Criteria may need to be broken down into simpler ones that can be approached
systematically, and decisions about the priority of certain criteria over others
(trade-offs) may be needed. (HS-ETS1-2)

ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems: Earths systems, being dynamic and
interacting, cause feedback effects that can increase or decrease the original
changes. (HS-ESS2-1)

ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earths Surface Processes
The abundance of liquid water on Earths surface and its unique combination
of physical and chemical properties are central to the planets dynamics.
These properties include waters exceptional capacity to absorb, store, and
release large amounts of energy, transmit sunlight, expand upon freezing,
dissolve and transport materials, and lower the viscosities and melting
points of rocks.

ESS3.A: Natural Resources
Resource availability has guided the development of human society.

ESS3.B: Natural Hazards
Natural hazards and other geologic events have shaped the course of human
history; [they] have significantly altered the sizes of human populations and
have driven human migrations.



Connected Concepts from Previous Grades:
K-ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
K-ESS3-3. Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the
land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.*

2-ESS2: Earths Systems
2-ESS2-1. Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or
water from changing the shape of the land.*

4-ESS2-2. Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earths
features.

4-ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
4-ESS3-2. Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of
natural Earth processes on humans.

5-ESS2: Earths Systems
5-ESS2-1. Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere,
biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.

5-ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities
use science ideas to protect the Earths resources and environment.

MS-ESS2: Earths Systems
MS-ESS2-2. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience
processes have changed Earth's surface at varying time and spatial scales.

M2-ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
MS-ESS3-2. Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future
catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their
effects.

MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and
minimizing a human impact on the environment.*


Simplified Storyline:

1. Demonstrated Phenomenon 1
Students will be introduced to the phenomenon of a block sliding down (or
staying stable) on an inclined plane. The inclined plane can be adjusted to
different slopes, and different materials can line the slope surface. Students
can watch a demonstration of stable and unstable configurations, or
themselves explore different configurations of slope angle and slope material
using the model.


2. Student Modeling: Small groups of students will begin the process of
creating conceptual models of what is happening when the block is sliding
and staying stable; a prompt could be to focus on forces acting to pull the
block down, and forces acting to keep the block stable. Additionally, they
could expand on their model to hypothesize how slope angle is involved with
slope stability.

Groups will share and revise models and ultimately come up with a
consensus model that helps explain what is happening.

3. Revision of model/experimentation: Students can further explore the
scenario of a block sliding on an inclined plane through a computer
simulation, which uses physics and geological conventions for forces, etc.

4. Demonstrated Phenomenon 2: Students will be introduced to the
phenomenon of different quantities of sand being poured out on a table.
Each pile of sand, whether it be 100, 200, or 300 grams forms the same shape
of pile on the table; the angle of the sand piles from horizontal is
approximately the same in each case. The maximum stable angle loose
material can attain and stay stable is the angle of repose. Each piles angle of
repose is identical even though there are clearly different quantities of sand.
This should tie into the Cross Cutting Concept of Scale, Proportion, and
Quantity. The behavior of the material- sand in this case, is independent of
scale.

The teacher will then demonstrate what happens when the sand is
moistened. Students will realize that the angle of repose increases
significantly. They should start realizing that water acts like glue partially
bonding together the sand grains. The teacher will purposely add too much
water and the sand pile will collapse into a nearly flat (low angle) pile.
Students will wonder why a little sand is good for the structure, but too much
is destructive.

5. Student Modeling 2: Small groups of students create/modify earlier
conceptual models of factors influencing slope stability; they will here focus
on how granular materials behave and how/why water can act to stabilize
slopes or to cause slope collapse depending on the amount.
(NOTES:Behavior of unconsolidated, granular material on a slope
How does the model developed before apply? Driving vs. resisting forces.
What new aspects are relevant, and how does the model need to be
modified? (focusing on cohesion of material by small amounts of water and
reducing the resisting forces by large amounts of water))

Groups will share and revise models and ultimately come up with a
consensus model that helps explain what is happening.

6. Group Activity: Students will be given various materials to work with- sand,
clay, and gravel. They will set out to discover if their model works for each of
the three materials. Students will design their own set of experiments in
order to gather necessary information.

Model Revision: If necessary, the class will refine the consensus model to
take into account the new information gathered while testing the new
materials. The new materials have different properties, so there will most
certainly be revisions.

7. Intermediate Steps: (The intermediate steps are up to the teacher, but here
are some suggestions. This might be a perfect time for a guest lecturer who
works in the field to come in and speak to the students.)
a. Students introduced to how geologists measure slope, and why.
b. * add science text reading to connect with experiments and
modeling
i. Students introduce to how geologists obtain and utilize data on
slope, rock layers, grain size/shape characteristics, water
impact.
ii. Students introduced to real-life applications of slope and water
content in disastrous landslides (landslide= any downward
and outward movement of Earth materials on a slope). Many
videos are available on line, and introductory background
information on landslides is available at:
http://landslides.usgs.gov/learn/ls101.php
iii. Students introduced to strategies and techniques for
remediating unstable slopes.

8. Real life challenge on a small scale landscaping company materials storage.
(see sketch below.) Students will need to combine their knowledge of slope
stability with consolidated materials (like solid rock) and unconsolidated
materials (like loose sand). A businessperson has a landscaping company and
needs to store unconsolidated materials in a small space, in an area that also
has risk of land sliding due to geological characteristics. Students will need to
decide how much unconsolidated material they can store and use safely,
including whether they should cut out part of a hill to gain more ground area,
and whether the cut-out area would be more or less stable than keeping it as
it is. Students could also opt to build retaining walls or use other remediation
strategies, but would have to decide if the cost of construction and
maintenance is worth the payoff of extra storage space.





9. The Culminating Activity: Small groups will work together to compare two
different building locations. A family desires to build a home and has to make a
decision between these two properties. One property is considerably less expensive
than the other, but may present problems when it comes to construction with
respect to slope stability issues. We are still working through what information is
going to be presented to the students. How much of the information will be in
picture form? How much will be written out in an accompanying document. This
has to be determined. Both locations will have a side view poster that will need to
be analyzed with the device that the students had designed. Groups will present
their case for which property the family should build on to the class
(Communicating Information). Students will also evaluate the ideas of the other
teams and come to a class consensus on which property would be the best.







Description of STEM Explorer Staff Visits:

First Visit: The STEM Explorer team will kick off the project with the students. It will
be necessary that some aspects of the project have already started due to the essential
knowledge building that will need to take place ahead of time. When we arrive we will
start by giving the design challenge to the students. We will then train a select small
group of students on SolidWorks by going through our tutorial specifically tailored to
them. It is highly recommended that the students participate in two tutorials on their own
over the next couple days. While some of the students are doing the tutorials the other
members of their teams should be brainstorming design solutions.

Second Visit: By the second visit the groups should have a general idea of the designs
that they would like to prototype. At this point they will have researched various
engineering design ideas. The second visit is a great time for the STEM Explorer staff to
help the students get started on 3D modeling in SolidWorks.

Third Visit: By the third visit the students should be closing in on completion of their
3D designs in SolidWorks. This is a great day to answer final questions, help students
work through final issues, and check for problems in the digital models. A final date will
be given to the students for when their parts need to be placed in the dropbox folder that
will be shared with the teacher.

Between the third and fourth visits the STEM Explorer team will be working on 3D
printing the prototypes and cleaning off the support material.

Fourth/Final Visit: The STEM Explorer staff will bring the vehicle back to the school
on the final visit. We will also bring all of the prototypes. The final visit is a time to test
each prototype and measure the effectiveness. Depending on the specific project,
different tests will be conducted. This is a very important day for students to gather data
to analyze for their presentations in May. Prototypes will be tested one at a time in the
apparatus provided.

Post-Visit: Students are invited to create a trifold poster presentation and attend an end of
the year STEM conference. Here they will present their prototypes to their peers, industry
professionals, and the public. This free of charge STEM Conference takes place in the
spring and all participants are invited. It is a fantastic opportunity to experience a science
conference as it is typically conducted at colleges and universities.

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