Pre-workshop Author Meeting #2

May 4 & 5, 2023

The Math You Need, When You Need It

math tutorials for students majoring in the earth sciences

The Math You Need, When You Need It

math tutorials for students majoring in the earth sciences

Goals for today

• Identify student challenges and discuss current approaches instructors use to address challenges�
• Start direct work with your co-author
• Discuss examples of math problems relevant to your module and sub-discipline

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The Math You Need, When You Need It

math tutorials for students majoring in the earth sciences

People and Topics - Thursday May 4 Meeting

• Linear Regression (also non-linear?)
• Laura Treible, Savannah State University
• Melanie Szulczewski, University of Mary Washington
• Ternary Diagrams
• Ryan Kerrigan, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
• Kelly Deuerling, University of Nebraska Omaha
• Vectors
• John Zayac, Vassar College
• Sarah Kruse, University of South Florida

The Math You Need, When You Need It

math tutorials for students majoring in the earth sciences

People and Topics - Friday May 5 Meeting

• Histograms
• Alejandra Ortiz, Colby College
• Freddi-Jo Bruschke, Cal State Fullerton
• Introductory Statistics
• Sonia Nagorski, University of Alaska Southeast
• Robyn Gotz, Montana State University
• Scientific Notation
• Antony Kinyua, Morgan State University
• Jeffrey Clark, Lawrence University

The Math You Need, When You Need It

math tutorials for students majoring in the earth sciences

Whole Group Discussion (Eric/Rory)

Prototype Module Review - Instructor page�

1. Where/how do your students struggle with these skills?
2. What are strategies you use for helping students work through math challenges?

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Unmute and talk

(also fine to add things in Chat)

The Math You Need, When You Need It

math tutorials for students majoring in the earth sciences

Whole Group

Eric/Rory share experiences with deciding prototype module scope

The Math You Need, When You Need It

math tutorials for students majoring in the earth sciences

Breakout Groups (20 min)

• Join breakout rooms for your author team

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• Go to the slide for your team�
• Each team has 1 slide to record brainstorming ideas - with prompts to help start your discussion

The Math You Need, When You Need It

math tutorials for students majoring in the earth sciences

#1 Linear Regression (non-linear?) - Melanie and Laura

1. What course do you plan to test this module in? (describe briefly the student level, course goals, term)
• EESC325 Environmental Geochemistry (Spring); junior and senior majors; lab component
• MSCI1810 Marine Biology (Fall 23); freshmen, sophomores; majors; lab component
2. What is an example math problem from your sub-discipline that you would want your students to be able to solve (within your particular module topic)?
• 1. Correlate density with salt content and figure out unknowns
• 2. Correlations of plant density or height vs distance in the salt marsh
• 3. Correlate physiology (metabolism, respiration, etc.) with environmental variable (e.g. temperature, salinity, D.O.)
• 4. Determination of standard curve in instrumental analysis, then determining concentrations in unknowns
3. Discuss overlap and differences between what the two of you are thinking.
• Overlap: Correlations of environmental factors with a biological or physical response or with other environmental variables
• Difference: Student levels- first years vs seniors but both involve majors

The Math You Need, When You Need It

math tutorials for students majoring in the earth sciences

#2 Ternary Diagrams - Ryan and Kelly

• What course do you plan to test this module in? (describe briefly the student level, course goals, term)
• Petrology, mineralogy
• Mineralogy, soils, geochem, hydrogeochem
• What is an example math problem from your sub-discipline that you would want your students to be able to solve (within your particular module topic)?
• Amphibole compositions
• Pyroclastic classification
• Textural triangle
• Corners of piper diagrams
• Petrogenetic Discrimination Diagrams
• Discuss overlap and differences between what the two of you are thinking.
• Overlap: take bulk data, normalize to 3 end members, solve for point
• Not too many differences

The Math You Need, When You Need It

math tutorials for students majoring in the earth sciences

#3 Vectors - John and Sarah

• What course do you plan to test this module in? (describe briefly the student level, course goals, term)
• JZ: Global Geophysics and Tectonics (200-level)
• SK: Structural Geology and Tectonics (Junior-level)
• What is an example math problem from your sub-discipline that you would want your students to be able to solve (within your particular module topic)?
• Plate motions - computing the 2-D relative velocities of one plate compared to another
• Motion - Fault slip rates
• Force and stress vectors
• Discuss overlap and differences between what the two of you are thinking.
• Both of us are looking at plate motions
• Components of vectors - breaking down vectors for comparison
• Students struggle with ‘relative’ motions - relative to what?
• Focus: vector addition and subtraction in linear and cartesian coordinates.
• Kyle: Example from groundwater - coordinate transformations…

The Math You Need, When You Need It

math tutorials for students majoring in the earth sciences

#4 Histograms - Alejandra and Freddi-Jo

• What course do you plan to test this module in? (describe briefly the student level, course goals, term)
• Computational Environmental Science - 200 level (new course), 16 students max, mix of ES & geology students teaching them computational skills using python for data read in, analysis, and visualization. It will be taught Spring 2024
• Surface Processes–300 level courses covering geomorphology & hydrology. Should be around 25 students. Fall 2023, maybe also Spring 2024
• What is an example math problem from your sub-discipline that you would want your students to be able to solve (within your particular module topic)?
• wind & wave rose, grain size distribution, river discharge, flood frequency
• cumulative frequency percent finer, pebble count,
• Discuss overlap and differences between what the two of you are thinking.
• Binning impacts?
• How to plot/create? Excel vs. other methods?
• Stretch goals
• cumulative distribution (aka pebble counts)
• rose diagrams
• statistics on categorical data - can be difficult?
• descriptive statistics (percentiles etc) how that links with CDF and existing pages?

The Math You Need, When You Need It

math tutorials for students majoring in the earth sciences

#5 Introductory Statistics - Robyn and Sonia

• What course do you plan to test this module in? (describe briefly the student level, course goals, term)
• Robyn: Mountain Geography (GPHY 441)
• Sonya: Natural Disasters (ENVS 380)
• What is an example math problem from your sub-discipline that you would want your students to be able to solve (within your particular module topic)?
• Version 1: compare 100 years of temperature data for two different climates (coastal vs continental interior)
• calculate monthly avg., max., min. variance, standard deviation for January and July
• compare the climates
• Version 2: Take ~80 years of winter temperature data from Juneau, AK. Compute intro stats for pre-1980 and then for post-1980. How are they different between the 2 time periods? Discuss implications for survival of glaciers if one set is <32 deg F and the other >32 deg F. How do median, mode, and mean produce different interpretations?
• Other potential datasets to work up intro stats for: set of strike and dip measurements; daily streamflow values; stream solute chemistry, with relevance to aquatic health criteria; glacier terminus retreat per year….
• Discuss overlap and differences between what the two of you are thinking.
• using introductory stats (avg., max., min. var., std., range)

The Math You Need, When You Need It

math tutorials for students majoring in the earth sciences

#6 Scientific Notation - Jeff and Antony

• What course do you plan to test this module in? (describe briefly the student level, course goals, term)
• Remote sensing
• also useful for intro courses
• Engineering physics background (Antony - Meteorology, physics)
• What is an example math problem from your sub-discipline that you would want your students to be able to solve (within your particular module topic)?
• how do we use Lidar to track distances - scientific notation makes work more efficient
• Adding exponents
• area or volumes – exponents get multiplied rather than added (exponent rules)
• measuring scale on map
• orders of magnitude or estimation
• Scientific notation may show up in different forms, but all mean basically the same thing
• Discuss overlap and differences between what the two of you are thinking.
• Agreed upon working on a very fundamental level for the activity so that they learn the basics
• Exp notation is an efficient way to express and work with numbers
• May need to add subunits on rounding and algebraic rules for exponents

The Math You Need, When You Need It

math tutorials for students majoring in the earth sciences

Whole Group Report Out (Beth)

• What overlap or differences (also surprising or challenging) arose during the breakout group discussion?

Unmute and talk

(also fine to add things in Chat)

The Math You Need, When You Need It

math tutorials for students majoring in the earth sciences

Looking ahead

• May 5 - Complete the Participant & Travel Info form (if not done already)�
• Final meeting sometime May 22-31 (doodle poll coming)
• Collect more examples of questions you would want your students to be able to answer (both your module topic and others)
• Further consider what might help you determine scope of your module�

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The Math You Need, When You Need It

math tutorials for students majoring in the earth sciences