The study of the Earth can get bogged down in scientific terminology. Keep seminars interesting by hitting the root of the matter.
You've got a room full of 100 college students staring at you blankly, waiting for you to enlighten them on the exciting and amazing world of rocks. How can you entice them to crack open their books and pay attention? The best way is to concentrate on the most interesting aspects of each specific component of the subject. Volcanic processes, evolution, gem stone study and chemical reactions are all attention grabbers and will hopefully suck your students in.
Geology
Volcanic eruptions are just one type of many geological processes.
Seminars on geology will focus on the four main points of study of the Earth itself. These are the materials the Earth is made of, the structure presented in those materials, the effects of outside influences on those structures and how the entirety changes over time. Explain the main materials of the earth, focusing on oil, water, rocks and metals. Talk about the Earth processes affecting each one, like floods, volcanoes, landslides and earthquakes. Take into account the history of geology, including topics like climate change.
Mineral Sciences
Mineralogy includes the process of creating and grading precious gems.
Seminars on mineral sciences will go through how minerals distribute chemicals and nutrients throughout the Earth's soil, helping define the Earth's crust. Specific seminars can focus on certain minerals and their impurities, basing the talks on what makes up each mineral and what specifically causes such defects. The study of minerals includes the study of gemstones, so a talk could deal specifically with discovery and grading of gemstones.
Geochemistry
Rocks in the acid grouping that contain silica will crystallize into quartz.
Seminars on geochemistry apply specifically to the chemistry of the Earth. They would cover the processes and reactions that dictate rock composition. This differs from petrology, which deals with a more biological and physical aspect of rock formation. Go over the classifications of rocks based on their chemical makeup, including: acid rocks, basic rocks, intermediate rocks and mafic rocks. Explain the proportions of each chemical necessary for this classification.
Petrology
Particles within the layers of rock can answer questions about which living species were present at the time of formation.
Seminars on petrology, or the study of rocks, can be an overview of the history of the Earth as told through its many ores and minerals from core to crust. Explain how you can tell time by looking at density and width of each rock layer in any given section of earth and dig deeper by showing what elements students will be looking for to describe what happened during any specific segment. It's evolution through rock bed.
Tags: study Earth
