Laurentide: The Crime Fighting Geologist, A Comic-Book Curriculum Tool

Abstract:

When the police are just too ill informed on matters of earth science to solve the case it is up to Laurentide and her crew of geologists to bring justice to evildoers. Using every tool available, from a rock hammer to LiDAR, Laurentide fights crime while teaching her apprentice Esker about how geologists uncover mysteries everyday.

 This is the first of what will be a series of free teaching materials targeted at grades 5-8 based around the National Science Education Standards. Students will get the chance to practice problem solving and data analysis in order to solve mysteries with a combination of comic book style story telling and hands-on worksheets.

 The pilot story, “The Caper of the Ridiculously Cheap Condominiums” will cover 4 of the 9 Earth Science Literacy Principles ‘Big Ideas’. Material will explore earthquakes, the hazards and risks they present, and the tools geologists use to map faults and estimate reoccurrence intervals.