B9049 - CAPIRE LA TERRA

Learning outcomes

Geology is a multidisciplinary science that studies how the Earth works.By the end of the course, students: i) are familiar with the fundamentals of the discipline for a better understanding of the Earth’s dynamics, with a focus on both endogenous and exogenous processes and related products; ii) know how to apply active learning strategies in the classroom, laboratory and in the field; iii) use the correct vocabulary and are able to communicate socially relevant issues such as climate change, natural hazards, resources and environmental sustainability.

Course contents

The fundamentals of the discipline, with particular reference to the specific objectives of Earth Sciences as outlined in the guidelines for secondary schools:

Module 1: Earth's motions; minerals and rocks; geological time and fossils; volcanoes (shapes and products of volcanic activity); earthquakes (their significance and distribution, tsunamis); Earth's structure; plate tectonics; orogenesis; overview of the geological evolution of the Northern Apennines, geological maps, and geological hazards. Laboratory activities: field geology, fossils, and paleoenvironments.

Module 2: depositional environments (processes and deposits), river and coastal landforms (basics); coastal hazards (basics); sedimentary successions and paleoenvironmental reconstructions (proxy data and case studies); paleoclimatology: paleoclimate archives and dataset, effects of the climate change (examples from the geological record).

The Module 3 deals with Geology Education in secondary schools and covers the following topics:

Geology and Earth Sciences as scientific disciplines

Earth sciences in secondary education: Italian national indications for lyceum and guidelines for technical and vocational schools

Analysis and resolution of the most common misconceptions in geology

Hands-on experiences for teaching geology in the classroom

Applications of generative artificial intelligence (e.g.: chatGPT; Copilot) in geology teaching

Teaching geology and civic education: geo-resources and sustainability

Readings/Bibliography

The teaching material used during the lectures, as well as scientific articles, book chapters and other edu support from the specialized literature will be provided during the course by the teachers

Selected references:

1. Bosellini A., 2020. Le Scienze della Terra, minerali e rocce, vulcani, terremoti, tettonica delle placche, atmosfera, clima. Zanichelli ed.
2. Grotzinger J.P., Jordan Thomas H, 2016. Capire la Terra. Zanichelli ed., pp. 752.
3. Ricci Lucchi M., 2019. La Terra, un'introduzione al pianeta vivente. Zanichelli ed., pp. 256.
4. King C., 2008. Geoscience education: an overview, Studies in Science Education, 44:2, 187-222

Texts for optional further study:

Hazen R.M., 2017. Breve storia della Terra, Il Saggiatore ed., pp. 430.

Bjornerud M., 2020. Il tempo della terra. Come pensare da geologo può aiutare a salvare il mondo, Hoepli ed., pp.186

Kolbert E., 2024. La sesta estinzione. Una storia innaturale. Nuova edizione. Neri Pozza ed., pp. 400.

Teaching methods

Lectures in the classroom, practical exercises in the laboratory and in the field, group work. Laboratory activities and group work will be carried out to encourage active and collaborative learning between students and the teacher.

For those who cannot attend the module 3 (Geology Education), we offer three online meetings. Meetings will be held on the MSTeams platform at the beginning, middle and end of Module 3. The meetings will take place at around 19:00. and will last approximately one hour. Apart from the opportunity to keep in touch with the instructor, the online meetings will allow for discussion of contents and topics covered during the classroom lectures. These meetings are not a replay of the classroom lectures but rather a support to browse through the topics, an opportunity to ask questions and to locate the study material. The exact dates of the meetings will be announced as soon as the class schedule is known. Links to connect will be provided by the instructor via email.

Given the types of activities and teaching methods adopted, attendance for this learning activity requires all students to complete Modules 1 and 2 in e-learning mode, as well as to participate in Module 3, which provides specific training on health and safety. Information on the dates and attendance procedures for Module 3 can be found in the dedicated section of the degree program website.

Assessment methods

The examination consists of two parts, each contributing equally to the final grade. Students must pass both parts in order to pass the examination.

1. Oral presentation (maximum 15 minutes) and discussion of a final project prepared as a PowerPoint presentation or equivalent, in which the student presents a topic covered during the course. The title of the presentation must be submitted to the instructor (by email to stefano.vaiani@unibo.it) and approved at least ten days before the examination.

A limited, declared, and non-substantial use of artificial intelligence (AI) is permitted solely for support activities (e.g. summarising or rephrasing). Substantial use of AI, particularly for generating parts of the presentation, is not permitted. The content of the presentation and the level of detail should be appropriate for students attending an upper secondary school.

The Examination Board will primarily assess the scientific accuracy of the content, the clarity and appropriateness of the presentation, and the correct use of scientific terminology. It will also evaluate the organisation of the presentation, the depth of the discussion, and the quality of the images and any multimedia materials included.

2. Oral questions covering the content of all lectures, including the field activities. Students are expected to demonstrate a sound understanding of the fundamental concepts of geology and the appropriate use of specialist terminology. In particular, at least two questions will be selected from a list made available to students on the University's Virtuale platform before the end of the course. To pass this part of the examination, the answers to these questions must be considered satisfactory by the Examination Board.

Students who did not participate in the field activities will instead be asked questions based on the dedicated fieldwork study guides made available by the instructors on Virtuale.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

Personal computer, video projector, power-point presentations, optical microscopy lab. edu. collections of minerals, rocks and fossils.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Claudio Vaiani

See the website of Veronica Rossi

See the website of Roberto Braga