oIP

Earth & Environmental Studies in Ireland

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Summer 2012: July 1 to July 15 ( tentative dates)

Program Location

One of the most picturesque and remote parts of Ireland is the Connemara Peninsula, including Counties Galway and Mayo.  The site of the classic movie, “The Quiet Man,” this area is also noted for a unique combination of geology, ecology, and history that intersects that of the eastern United States of the last 1.1 billion years.

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The base site will be the Petersburg Outdoor Education Centre (http://www.petersburg.ie), in the scenic and historic Connemara Peninsula of Western Ireland, which has served as the base camp for the JMU Field Geology Course.  This site is centrally located to a range of beach, mountain, woodland, lake, and peat bog environments.  It is also a focal point for the Celtic history of Ireland.  Students will stay in en-suite quad dormitory rooms, with meals provided).  On-site attractions include hiking, caving, rock-climbing, and kayaking.

Academic Program

progphoto_abroad_ireland_earth_2 This course concept is designed to fulfill several needs of IDLS, specifically those Mathematics & Science concentration candidates, as well as Secondary Science Education (SEED) minor students, serving the needs of prospective secondary Earth and Biology teachers. It will serve as an intensive, field-based, upper division course of 3 credit hours each in Earth Science and Biology, and will last two weeks.  An additional 1 credit hour assignment for each course will be available for students by the completion of an additional instructional task.

The proposed course will embody Earth and environmental science content, where students will examine first-hand the geology, flora, and fauna of Connemara, as well as the interactions of these elements with each other and the relative impacts of humans.  Specific themes to be pursued in the course design include:

  • The Bedrock – Igneous & metamorphic rock, sediments & sedimentary rock, and fossils;
  • Shaping the Land – Geomorphology of glacial, fluvial, and karst environments;
  • Where the Land meets Sea – Coastal environments;
  • The Veneer of Life – Flora and fauna of bog, lacustrine, and stream environments;
  • Impact of Humans – The impact of development, pollution, and overall global changes;
  • Design of Field-Based Scientific Investigations – how to design, conduct, and report the results of a field-based inquiry, translatable to a classroom or home setting;
  • Biological communities and commercial utilization of natural resources;
  • Cultural Similarities and Differences – Tour of Galway, Neolithic, Bronze-age, and Medieval sites.

prog_abroad_ireland_earth_beachThis course will allow students to meet general program objectives for international study, specific to mathematics and science.  It will also provide an inquiry-based experience for prospective teachers that match requirements of scientific investigation required by accrediting bodies, especially for prospective middle- and secondary- grades teachers.  Additional tasks that would extend the credit option would include the development of instructional materials for classroom use and service learning tasks such as developing interpretive signage and materials for use on “geo-trails” in both the US and in Ireland.

The course would accommodate a total of 16 students, including 12 students and 4 inservice teachers, and would be led by two JMU instructors.  Nominal expenses inclusive on-site room & board and ground transportation would be approximately $1000 per student, exclusive of tuition and airfare to/from Ireland. Transportation to/from Shannon airport is provided, as is transportation from Petersburg to field study sites.

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Instructional methods include lectures in classroom and field, guided tours of historic sites, field work, journal assignments and/or papers, and public presentations. Students will be evaluated on field notes, participation, a specific site-based science content poster and presentation, and an overview field guide.

Tentative course offerings:

  • GEOL 398—Topics in Geology (3)
  • BIOL 426—Topics in Biology (3)

    Pre-requisites: GSCI 161-166, or permission of instructor; IDLS major/Math-Science concentration or Secondary Science Education Minor
     

Accommodations

Students will reside in dormitories. Some group meals will be provided. It is recommended for students to bring a laptop computer and GSM-based cell phone, along with waterproof gear and hiking boots.

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Program Costs

For the current projected costs for this program, please click on the following link to the Fees for JMU Study Abroad Programs page.

Application

For more detailed instructions and to download the application, please click on the following link to the Applications and Forms section for JMU Short-Term Programs.

A personal interview will be required. Prerequisites include: IDLS major/Math-Science concentration or Secondary Science Education Minor  and GSCI 161-166, or permission of instructor.   

For More Information

For additional information about the program, please contact the program directors:

Eric J. Pyle
Associate Professor
Department of Geology and Environmental Science
Tel: 540-568-7115
E-mail: pyleej@jmu.edu

Professor Mike Renfroe
Department of Biology & Biochemistry

 
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