Ninth Fall Fossil Field Workshop a Success

On October 23, 2007, a fossil workshop for teachers was held in Livingston, Alabama, and vicinity. Twenty-four participants, most of whom were K-12 earth science teachers, took part in the day-long workshop. The workshop was cosponsored by the Geological Survey of Alabama, the University of West Alabama, and Discovering Alabama. Participants learned about the geologic history of Alabama, particularly of West Alabama, and then visited two outcrops of Upper Cretaceous chalk. They collected fossils such as oysters, snails, sea urchins, and mosasaur bone, which they then took back to the lab at UWA. After lunch, participants identified and properly labeled their fossils, creating fossil kits they could use in the future in their classrooms. Despite all-day rain, the entire group stayed out in the field as long as possible, and the teachers felt they learned a lot. In addition to the fossils they collected, participants went home with a guidebook, a fully illustrated geologic history of Alabama, DVDs, posters, and a great deal more. The workshop was held as part of Earth Science Week, an initiative of the American Geological Institute to promote awareness of earth science in society.

 

  

 

Collecting fossils in the field

 

 

   

Washing the fossils

 

 

Identifying the fossils we found