Reinforcing learning by explaining concepts

April Leaverton teaches 8th grade at Greenfield Middle School. She used the Exploration lesson with all six of her classes.

This lesson on determining the location of crude oil and natural gas connects with the 8th grade standard which states the composition and properties of Earth’s interior are identified by the behavior of seismic waves. After discussion how geologists know where crude oil and natural gas can be found, the students watched a video clip that helped to illustrate the concepts. Finally, students worked in groups to complete a seismic assessment on how the industry uses sound waves.

Leaverton said her students reacted well to the lesson. Most groups had good discussions, particularly when they were trying to explain what was happening in the Seismic Assessment worksheet. She said, “Their ‘a-ha’ moment came as students were realizing that seismic waves can be used for something else other than studying earthquakes.

Leaverton said the OOGEEP workshop helped her own knowledge level and provided useful lessons to implement in her classroom. It also gave her the opportunity to talk to students about the different jobs available in the industry and share about her experiences from the workshop’s field trip.