Ocean DrillingDistance Learning Program

Overview

The Ocean Drilling Distance Learning Program (OD-DLP) at Texas A&M University builds on the exciting scientific research achieved by the Ocean Drilling Program to enhance middle school science education. The OD-DLP is made possible through the collaborative efforts of the College of Geosciences and the Ocean Drilling Program, and the eEducation Group in the College of Education at Texas A&M University.

Program Objectives Increasing the technology hardware available in

rural middle school science classrooms, Providing professional development on

technology integration into classroom instruction for middle school science teachers,

Providing earth science instructional materials electronically to rural middle school science classrooms. 

These objectives have been met by securing and delivering the essential hardware to participating schools 

Participating School Districts

Menard ISD Happy ISD

North Zulch ISD Beeville ISD

San Isidro ISD Charlotte ISD

Motley County ISD Crystal City ISD

Pittsburg ISD Navasota ISD

Marlin ISD Poteet ISD

Carrizo Springs Consolidated ISD

Rocksprings ISD

Jefferson ISD

Resources Provided to Participating DistrictsMajor funded was provided by the

Telecommunications Infrastructure Board (TIFB)

Five WorkstationsTeacher LaptopsDigital CameraPrinterHigh-end Projector

Professional Development Five Day Intensive Opportunities in earth

science and instructional technology

Sessions focus on hands-on training

Sessions spotlight web-based curricula and resources

Each participant learns how to create a web-based science lesson using Trackstar and QuizStar 

Web-based Curricula Modules

The Changing Tides Module

Ice Volume Module Sediments – What Can

We Learn from Mud Module?

645+ Texas middle school students are currently field-testing the modules in their classrooms

Web-based Curricula Framework

Lesson Objectives Pre-tests and Post-tests

with answer keys Presentation of Concepts Downloadable Student

Journal Activity Sheets for Experiments and Activities

Teacher Lesson Notes An outline of science and

technology TEKS Standards that are addressed in the lesson

Ship to Shore Conferencing

Seven live conferences were broadcasted weekly from the JOIDES Resolution:

Program Introduction-Leg 194

Shipboard Laboratories Sediments-Types and

Distribution Geological Time Using “Sound” as a Tool Changes in Sea Level The End is Just Beginning

Broadcast, Schedule and Resource Center

Instructional Delivery and Design

The interface includes instructional slides that load in the large window

Streaming video of the teacher on board loads in the lower right window Broadcast Orientation

button directs the user to the Broadcast Agenda, Teachers Notes, Student Journal Activity Page, and Related Resources

ASK A QUESTION button directs the user to the ASK A QUESTION submission page

Instructional Design

A master teacher traveled on the JOIDES Resolution, for fifty-six days and taught weekly lessons to students

Seven twenty-minute lessons were taught

Students conducted problem-solving activities weekly and posed questions

Sample Lesson Slides:How Old is Old? Geologic Time

Broadcast 4:February 7, 2001

Mrs. Joan Linsley

Relative vs. Absolute Time

Relative: the age of a rock layer in relation to other nearby layers. The precise length of geologic time represented by any layer is often unknown.

Absolute: the age of a rock or mineral in numbers of years.

Sample Lesson Slides:

Geolo

gic

Tim

eERA PERIOD EPOCH

AGE (millions of years)

Quarternary Pleistocene PlioceneMiocene

Oligocene

EocenePaleocene

Cretaceous

Jurassic

Triassic

Pa

leo

zoic

Permian

Tertiary

Ce

no

zoic

Me

so

zoic

1.85.0

23

38

54

65

135

192

280

Terms/Tools Determining AgeBiostratigraphical Unit: definition of the

boundaries of a rock layer based on the ages of fossils within it

Lithostratigraphical Unit: definition of the boundaries of a rock layer based on the physical characteristics of the rocks within

Chronostratigraphical Unit: division of a section of rock based on the absolute ages of the rocks within it

Geochronology: development of a time- line of events relating to the deposition or creation of rocks in a given area Sample Lesson Slides:

Use of Fossils Fossils provide a record of the slow, progressive development of life.

Through the use of index fossils, one may identify a particular layer of rock wherever it is exposed.

Scientists use fossils to identify ages of rocks throughout the world.

Sample Lesson Slides:

Guest

Dr. Michael Howell PaleontologistUniversity of South Carolina

These Sample Lesson Slides were used as the guest scientist presented concepts.

Fossils

Bio

/Lit

host

rati

gra

phy

Time for Ask A Question!!

“ASK A QUESTION” Mrs. Linsley, along with

project scientists, answered student questions that were submitted through the Ask a Question system

The teacher on board highlighted students’ questions and scientists’ responses during each broadcast

All ASK A QUESTION responses are posted on the weekly A-A-Q response pages

ASK A QUESTION Example Question: What exactly do you expect to find? Have you found any

clues that there are any life forms that have not been discovered yet?Name: MelissaSchool: Charlotte Middle School, Charlotte TXResponse: We expect to find that there have been rises and falls in the sea level that drowned and exposed the reefs at various times. We will be investigating the times these occurred and the magnitudes of them. One of the scientists has found a foraminifer that appears to be different from those found here previously. There is an indication that there was a shallow lagoon here with sea grass because sea grass fossils were found. This was expected as a part of the reef system. We don't expect to find new life forms, but discovery is always possible. To take a look at some of the life forms we are finding, look at this page on calcareous nannofossils, and this page on foraminifers (mentioned in Broadcast 4 on Geologic Time). Some new life forms were discovered by other scientists as part of a seafloor system called a hydrothermal vent. Scientists didn't know that life could exist in such extreme conditions until they actually went to the vents to study them. To find out more about these newest seafloor forms of life, visit this page on seavents.

Journal Activity ExamplesWhy do you think fossils are

useful in finding ages of sediments?

Fossils are useful for two important reasons:

They are found in many rocks and sediments in many locations around the world. Because they are widespread and have fixed periods of time in which the organisms lived, they are the most commonly used tool for identifying the ages of sediments and sedimentary rocks. Other age-dating tools, such as radiometric dating (absolute ages) cannot be used as often as fossils because of the lack of appropriate minerals to analyze with these methods…