Pennsylvania Projects - Pennsylvania Geology - Dig into it

Geology of Pennsylvania, on the DCNR web site, is a good resource for this activity.

1. Describe the landforms of the physiographic province of your county.

2. Name two common fossils found in Pennsylvania.

Which ones have you found/seen?

What is the state fossil of Pennsylvania?

During a walk in a field, you discover a fossil. It looks like the shells of the clams you eat at a summer picnic.
What does this tell you about the geologic history of the area?

3. Name a mineral, found in Pennsylvania, that is important to the Commonwealth's economy.

Name three of the eight minerals that were found in Pennsylvania before they were found anyplace else.

Where must you travel to add a specimen of one of them to your collection.

Examine the Geologic Map of Pennsylvania. (Just after page 14)
What kind of rocks will you find in your county?

4. What is sedimentary rock?

How is conglomerate formed?

5. Coal is an important mineral in Pennsylvania's history. (page 21)

When was this coal formed?

What are the two kinds of Pennsylvania coal called? Describe each.

Where are the major deposits of each found?

5. How are sinkholes formed in Pennsylvania? Sinkholes at USGS

Use the Sinkhole Inventory and Online Database to ascertain how many sinkholes are located in your county.

Examine the issue - Sinkhole growing problem in Allentown | Sinkhole closes road | Sinkhole Found at Shawnee Elementary School | Sinkhole shuts down track and field

6. Glacial Geology in Pennsylvania

Write four facts about glaciers and the Ice Age in Pennsylvania.

What evidence would you look for to see if the glaciers had been in your community?

What impact does local geology have in a community? Great Lakes Geologic Mapping Coalition

7. List the fossil fuels found in Pennsylvania.

8. When you buy or sell a home in Pennsylvania, you must have a radon test done. Why?

9. Describe the processes that formed a Pennsylvania geologic structure or resource.
(Examples: mountains, glacial formations, water gaps, ridges, oil, gas, coal)

10. Research indicated. Select a soil type. (i.e., humus, topsoil, subsoil, loam, loess, and parent material).
Describe its characteristics (i.e., particle size, porosity, permeability) and where it would
be found in biomes and in Pennsylvania. Explain how it was formed.

11. Your mom read in the newspaper that people are buying gas well drilling rights from people
in Pennsylvania. She wonders if there could be natural gas under your family's land.
Check out the appropriate GIS map to decide.

12. Geologists can work in many different career paths. Name three. Describe their role in one of them.

Extras:

Explore the Heritage Geology sites in Pennsylvania | Earth Layers Internet activity | Crude Oil more than gas | Gems and Minerals

DCNR - Pennsylvania Geology Magazine - article about Marcellus Shale 2012 Summer v. 42, no. 2

Bedrock geology digital data - GIS | Rock box info - Pa. Geological Survey | Rock & Mineral hunt | Rock Cycle | Virtual Dating

Watersheds | Map PA Waters | Lentic or Lotic Activity | Fresh Water in Pennsylvania | Colored map of Earth's topography

Green Maps Around the World | Oil Production History | What should be done about the gas and oil royalties? | Drought Presentation

Posted 1/2007 by Cynthia J. O'Hora This work is released to the public domain

Save a tree - use a Digital Answer Sheet: Highlight the text of the questions on this web page, copy them - Edit .. Copy. Open a text document or word processing document. Paste the questions into the blank document. Answer the questions in the word processing document in a contrasting color or font ( not yellow, avoid fancy fonts like: , Symbol, or . Save frequently as you work. I do not like losing my work. You will not like it either. Put your name and the date in a header. Bad things happen. Retain a copy of your work on your computer. Submit your assignment via a class electronic drop box or email attachment.

Proof your responses. It is funny how speling errors and typeos sneak in to the bets work. Make Your Own Printed answer sheet

Tech Tip: Working in a group or in two different places like the library & home? You do not have to be physically together to work together. Watch Google Docs video TAI - How could you use free, Google Docs to do a project? How would this facilitate group projects?

Aligned with the following Pa Academic Standards - Reading, Writing Speaking, History, Civics and Government, Science and Technology, Career Education and Work.