Careers in Earth Science
It takes an earthquake to remind us that we walk on the crust of an unfinished earth...
Career Expert: Feifei Zhao
Presentation Times: 11:00, 12:00, 1:00
Guest Speaker Bio & Presentation Topic:
Rocks: The Timekeepers of the Universe
Meet a scientist who is learning to read the language of rocks! Feifei Zhao has criss-crossed the country to conduct geological research. This summer, she spent six weeks hiking across seven states while learning to interpret different types of rocks and structures—find out what they told her about Earth’s deep history. Feifei is currently completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at Austin and plans to pursue her PhD in Earth Science. She will share her field experiences, career aspirations, and her insights as a student in geology.
Hands-on Activities
Stations run continuously from 10am-2pm
1. Fossil Game - Step back in time and into the role of a prehistoric organism. How hard is it to become a fossil? Will you be discovered someday? Roll the dice to find out as you play our fossil game!
2. Fossils Up Close - Stop by our table to examine an assortment of real fossils—you’ll even be able to touch some of the specimens.
3. Convection Currents - Warm air and cold air move differently above Earth’s surface: one sinks and the other rises. See this process in action by trying out a convection current demonstration, and learn how convection currents impact our weather, the oceans, and the movement of Earth’s mantle.
Learning Labs (Limited space; reserve your spot)
Kinder-2nd Grade (ages 5-8) - Soil Layers, 10:30am, lasts 45 minutes
Discover the layers of soil that make up our earth, then work with a partner to design and build a model of soil layers using Legos.
3rd-5th Grade (ages 8-11) - Earthquake Vibrations, 11:30 am, lasts one hour
Get answers to all your earthquake questions: What are they? How much damage can they do? Does building size and type of construction material matter? How do scientists study and measure them? Then make and test your own resonant rings to take home. The rings show firsthand how objects of different size and stiffness tend to vibrate at different frequencies during earthquakes.
6th-12th Grade (ages 11-18) - Earthquake Proof, 1 pm, lasts one hour
What does it take to make a building earthquake-proof? Learn how civil and earthquake engineers design buildings to withstand earthquake damage by first building their own model structures. Then test your skills with your earthquake engineering team to design and build a structure that can stay standing after a round on the Science Mill “shake table.”