On a Saturday morning in February, AAPG renewed its professional commitment to K-12 teachers through its Educators’ Program, which had traditionally taken place during the annual convention in Houston. The re-imagined Educators’ Program was made possible by a generous grant from the AAPG Foundation and formal endorsement from the AAPG Division of Environmental Geoscientists. This effort recognizes the important role of teachers and provides them with resources to guide students in a relatable science exercise that impacts them.
Led by AAPG members Nicole Villarreal, Jerry Kendall, Don Yurewic, and Marsha Bourque, this enriching professional development event focused on understanding the flow archives of Hurricane Harvey in Buffalo Bayou. The field seminar was developed by Jerry Kendall and his daughter, local artist Kate Kendall, who incorporate science and art into a meaningful experience for those who live along an ever-changing bayou. Additional support was provided by GeoFORCE Program Director for Career Exploration and Workforce Development Leah Turner. The group of Houston K-12 teachers participated in a 2.5-mile walking field seminar along Buffalo Bayou just outside downtown Houston to see and touch the impact of storms on a coastal community.
Lessons from the Seminar
The field seminar was a transformative experience with far-reaching implications for educators in our region. It is a challenge to convey principles of stratigraphy and subsurface morphology to people who live in flat places. Flooding, and the resulting impact on the landscape are familiar to Gulf Coast residents. Understanding the geological impact of natural disasters is crucial for fostering a resilient community. The insights gained from exploring the flow archives of Hurricane Harvey in Buffalo Bayou will enable teachers to bring real-world examples into their classrooms. This knowledge not only enhances scientific literacy but also instills a sense of environmental responsibility in our students.
The teachers looked at hydrologic data, stream deposition and erosion, and how a stream and a community respond to flooding events. They observed sedimentary behavior recorded in sand peel sculptures and related it directly to the hydrologic record. Parallels were discussed between the sedimentary record, hydrologic record and the human impact recorded in non-emergency 211 calls during Hurricane Harvey.
During the field seminar a sand peel was collected from deposits from tropical storm Beta. Sand peel sculptures were discussed as art objects that convey a visceral feel of a major natural event.
The seminar concluded with observations of flood management techniques such as channel straightening, vegetation, detention features and discussions of their pros and cons.
By conveying this firsthand knowledge of geological processes, teachers empower their students to consider the intricate relationships between Earth’s systems and the consequences of natural events. The field seminar goes beyond textbooks, providing educators with tangible experiences to share with their students, sparking curiosity and a deeper understanding of our environment. This field exercise can easily be replicated by the classroom teachers. It is ADA accessible, and the outcrops and viewpoints are located along paved walkways.
The teachers left with an online field guide, a teacher guide, and tools for communicating an understanding that we live on a dynamic, shifting coastline and need to learn to coexist with it.
Participants earned a Continuing Education Credit as well as a Professional Development credit.