The Good Earth (TGE) is the product of collaboration between the content rigor provided by Earth Science specialists (McConnell, Park, Steer) and the results of research on learning as contributed by pedagogical experts (Knight, Owens).
TGE has been explicitly designed to be compatible with inquiry-based, active learning in the college classroom. The structural elements of this text will allow the instructor to incorporate these student-centered teaching methods into their Earth Science course. The authors have tested the book’s content and pedagogy in large Earth Science classes for non-majors that are populated with mostly freshmen. Their experiences show that the materials and methods in
TGE can improve students’ learning, increase daily attendance, reduce attrition, and increase students’ enthusiasm in comparison with classes taught following a traditional lecture format.
The authors have chosen to emphasize three scientific themes throughout the text: i) scientific literacy; ii) Earth Science and the human experience; and, iii) the science of global change. The discussion of scientific methods is woven into the text throughout. They have included numerous examples of human interaction with the Earth that can serve as entry points for students to appreciate the nature of science. Global change is a theme that is evident in much current Earth Science research so our authors have used global change as a content theme throughout the book.
1 Introduction to Earth Science
2 Earth in Space
3 Near-Earth Objects
4 Plate Tectonics
5 Earthquakes
6 Volcanoes and Other Mountains
7 Rocks and Minerals
8 Geologic Time
9 Weathering and Soils
10 Landslides and Slope Failure
11 Streams and Floods
12 Groundwater and Wetlands
13 Oceans and Coastlines
14 The Atmosphere
15 Weather Systems
16 Earth's Climate System
17 Global Change