Department of Earth Science |Northeastern Illinois University

INTRODUCTION TO EARTH SCIENCE
ESCI 121
Section 06
Fall 2009

Homework #5 (Due Tuesday, October 27, 2009)                                                                                                         Dr. Sanders

This “Rock Your State!” assignment involves finding a geologic point of interest in the state you have been studying, and providing information about it in a poster presentation format.  Your poster should include the following elements:

• Name of your state
   
• Name of the geologic point of interest
   
• Your geologic map of the state (this is the map you printed out several weeks ago)
   
• Information on the geologic point of interest:
   
  • LOCATION: Plot the location of the geologic point of interest on the geologic map
     
  • GEOLOGICAL INTEREST:  What makes it so geologically interesting?  What geologic material (i.e. what type of rocks, sediments, e.g.) can be found there?  You may have to read several descriptions of the point of interest, as well as your map, to learn the answer to this.  Note: You must cite your sources!  Do not plagiarize—put the information into your own words. 
     
  • PHOTO: Provide at least one photograph illustrating the geology of the point of interest.  Cite the source!
     
  • GETTING THERE: If you were going to visit that location, how would you get there? 
     
    • If it would take more than eight hours to drive from NEIU to the point of interest, then give us another travel option.  You might consider train (e.g. Amtrak: www.amtrak.com ), bus (e.g. Greyhound:  www.greyhound.com ), or plane (for example, you might want to look at specific airlines, or to try a multiple-airline site like www.travelocity.com or www.orbitz.com ).
       
    • Many remote locations don’t have a major airport or train station nearby, so you might have to just choose the nearest big city, and figure on renting a car there.  Here is a map showing major airports; select your region on the dropdown menu for "View by Region" and click the arrow to have it zoom in on your region.

Poster format:  Printed text that appears on the poster must be 36 point or larger; the exception is your citations to sources.  You can use flip-chart sheets provided in class (print out materials and tape them to the poster sheet) or your own poster.  You may come early that day to put together your poster if you wish, but posters must be ready to go at the moment class begins.  You will not be permitted to construct your poster during class time!

What happens next?  During our class session, part of the class will stand next to their posters while other students circulate.  Presenters will explain to viewers why they chose their sites, what kind of geologic materials can be found there, and what makes the sites geologically interesting.  Then, we will switch presenter/viewer roles.

This assignment is worth 12 points total.