The instructor encourages them to use general references, but not specific sources on the local geology. In other words, these reports are the students own attempt to describe and interpret the actual geology of the area, based on their own work. In sedimentary geology, one of our core courses for majors, the instructor has integrated the classroom and lab and focuses on the study and interpretation of three local formations. Students prepare a significant report on each of the formations, using information from field work, class discussions and lectures, and reading from their text and primary sources. Although these projects generally are not original research, some of the problems and questions encountered along the way may lead to follow-up independent studies or Integrative Exercise research.
Mineralogy also has an integrated classroom-lab format.
Demonstrations, discussions, short exercises, and lectures during class time provide the conceptual background students will need to undertake their lab projects. Teams commonly are asked to share data with the entire class in order to obtain a data set large enough to make meaningful interpretations. In some projects, different teams undertake different exercises and present their results to their classmates. Two of the projects are mineral suites from unknown geological environments. The students not only identify the minerals using the techniques they have learned in earlier labs, but then follow up with a short literature search on the geology of that environment.