Physical Geology Laboratory Manual

This book is intended for an introductory geology class for non-science majors. The seven chapters (minerals, rocks, geologic history, earthquakes and geologic hazard maps) in this textbook provide the fundamentals of a 15-week introductory geology laboratory course. The homework chapters on plate tectonics, the rock cycle and topographic maps may be used as review or introduction to digitally delivered lab assignments on these topics. Optimally, this manual is used in conjunction with digitally delivered assignments and local field trips.

For the instructor, this textbook provides the common topics that are covered in an introductory geology lab class. This provides the introductory framework after which the instructor includes local elements into the curriculum. Many of the labs have a clear answer sheet that makes turning in assignments easy as well as a short, directed, easily graded writing assignments. Students benefit from not having to purchase a full, 15-20-chapter manual from which only 10-15 chapters are used. The pre-lab reading is directed at the information required to complete the lab tasks, which means that the manual is independent any additional general lecture class.