Virtual Camp: Day 1

Illustration of the planet Earth showing the side of the Americas.
Learn about our home planet!

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Earth's Structure and Plate Tectonics

Learn about the physical structure and the various processes that occur on our planet. This includes concepts such as plate tectonics and the formation of mountains and different types of volcanoes.

You will be conducting the following simple and fun experiments to learn about these geologic concepts from home.

Earth's Layers

Students will create a play dough model of the Earth's layers. They will then cut it in half to observe the layers in cross section to see how the planet is structured. To end they will use a clear straw to take a "core" sample to understand how scientists observe the upper layers of Earth

Plate Tectonics

Students will learn to identify the seven continents of Earth. They will also create their own supercontinent by using continental shape and fossil evidence to fit the continent cutout pieces like a puzzle. They will then be shown maps of reconstructed Pangea and try to recreate it using their cutout pieces.

Mountain Building

Plate tectonics allows for the development of mountains and valleys. Students will use a towel and index card "blocks" to show how mountains and valleys form using compressional and extensional forces.

Types of Volcanoes

Learn about different types of volcanoes and why the stratovolcanoes near Florissant Fossil Beds were highly explosive over 34 million years ago.
 
Black outline of laptop shows an outline of a backpack in a circle. Next to the laptop is a mouse.
Virtual Geology & Paleontology Camp

Learn about the geology and paleontology of Florissant Fossil Beds through various activities.

A chunk of the pink Pikes Peak granite is shown beside an hourglass.
Day 2

Cover geological concepts such as the stratigraphy of the Florissant Formation and learn about the geologic time scale.

Last updated: August 16, 2022

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 185
Florissant, CO 80816

Phone:

719 748-3253

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