General Public
The CZOs strive to educate the general public.
Study of the Critical Zone is a new and evolving realm of science - by necessity, the CZO education and outreach effort has focused on the Earth science community. Nonetheless, the CZOs strive to educate the general public, for example through our presence at the second U.S. Science and Technology Exposition in Washington, D.C. during April 2012. Our exhibit booth included a variety of pamphlets as well as hands-on activities: geologists demonstrated various processes of weathering and erosion, ecologists showed how to determine the leaf-area index of a forest, and hydrologists used on-line tools to show how land use change affects hydrologic characteristics of a landscape.
Eric Carpenter (CU-Boulder), education and outreach specialist for the Boulder Creek CZO, leads students through a hands-on learning exercise relating glaciation to erosion and sedimentation during the U.S. Science and Technology Expo in Washington, D.C. during April 2012.
Educational Resources (examples for general public)
- Identify the Eel River Watershed on a map of California
- Understand why the Critical Zone is of interest to scientists
- Explain the role the Critical Zone plays in supporting healthy trees and river ecosystems
- The concept of the CZ
- The role of microbes in the CZ
- The role of soil in the CZ
- The role of water in the CZ
Grades 3 - 16
Technical tools of real and virtual fieldwork
All Disciplines
Virtual Fieldwork • Activity • Project
See an annotated list of technical tools for creating Virtual Fieldwork Experiences about a site. Tools include smartphone apps for capturing imagery and other data as well as accessing information (ie geologic maps). Desktop and web-based software is also included, as is some hardware.
Educational Objectives
Users will both create and access media to explain why a site looks the way it does.
Audience: K-12 • General Public • Higher Education • Research Community
Observatory: National CZO
Author: Don Haas (PRI)
Grades 9 - 14
What is the Critical Zone?
All Disciplines
Information • Video
A short web page that answers questions like: what is the Critical Zone? Why it is so important? Why does it need to be studied? The page includes text, images, and video.
Educational Objectives
Be able to discuss where the Critical Zone fits on Earth's surface and its importance to Humans and all life.
Audience: K-12 • General Public • Higher Education
Observatory: National CZO • Boulder CZO • Calhoun CZO • Catalina-Jemez CZO • Christina CZO • Eel CZO • IML CZO • Luquillo CZO • Reynolds CZO • Shale Hills CZO • Sierra CZO
Author: CZO National Office
Grades 9 - 12
What is the Eel River Critical Zone Observatory?
Biology/Ecology • Geomorphology • Outreach/EducationResearch
Information
An illustrated introduction to the Eel River Critical Zone Observatory in the Angelo Coast Range Reserve.
Educational Objectives
After reading this cartoon, students will be able to:
Audience: K-12 • General Public
Observatory: Eel CZO
Author: Justin Richardson (UMass Amherst), Bill Dietrich (UC Berkeley), Alana McGillis (www.alanamcgillis.com)
Grades 6 - 14
CZ Science Cafe Series
All Disciplines • SoilScience/Pedology • Biology/Molecular • Hydrology
Video
Watch fascinating, public lectures from four Catalina-Jemez CZO researchers. The 30-minute lectures are part of the Critical Zone Science Cafe Series from Fall 2015, in Tucson, AZ.
Educational Objectives
Viewers will be able to describe:
Audience: K-12 • General Public
Observatory: Catalina-Jemez CZO
Author: Jon Chorover (U of Arizona), Craig Rasmussen (U of Arizona), Rachel Gallery (U of Arizona) and Tom Meixner (U of Arizona)
Funding: The Catalina-Jemez Critical Zone Observatory in collaboration with the University of Arizona Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium.
See more resources for general public >
News
Paul Schroeder featured on NPR’s Pulse of the Planet
05 Jun 2020 (Calhoun) - Four 2 minute pieces featuring Paul Schroeder talking about clay were aired on NPR's Pulse of the Planet in February 2020. Please see the links...
FEATURED
Southern Sierra CZO Videos
04 May 2020 (Sierra) - Onward California - University of California television spots showcase Southern Sierra CZO research
FEATURED
Calhoun CZO featured in Duke Magazine
14 Nov 2018 (Calhoun) - How critical zone science unearths secrets: The new cross-disciplinary field of study concerns itself with the living skin of the Earth.
Congratulations Jill Marshall on receiving the 2018 Luna B. Leopold Young Scientist Award
06 Nov 2018 (National, Boulder, Eel, Reynolds, Sierra) - Marshall Receives 2018 Luna B. Leopold Young Scientist Award
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