So, I've spent my first day in STEM working on my own learning at the Underground Labs Learning Centers. It has been amazing. I can see numerous lessons to pull the Geology together with Geography: why people choose to settle in certain locations, why people would attempt to mine in the ground, how the ground formation creates new technologies for mining, how seismographs can be used to monitor moon "tidal" pull in rocks. Beyond these: how a mine impacts a town (Seriously - would you move a WHOLE town THREE times?), how a mine needs to be closed down, and general usage / property rights / water rights impact what can be done (all that legal writing --- tell me that commas don't matter!).
I've also found out that ONE INCH of rain = 12 million gallons of water into the underground mines. That alone is amazing, and I can think of lessons about how that water could be removed, used, ect.
Here's to more learning! Oh, and I've met a bunch of interesting teachers from all over the State of South Dakota! Several of us are already coming up with ways to link our classes and projects to expand student horizons into a global environment!
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