STUDENTS URGED TO GO
'ROCKIN' DOWN THE HIGHWAY' IN VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP EXPLORING
NJ GEOLOGY
In observance of National Earth Science
Week, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP) today announced a statewide competition in which students
will develop geological field trips, comprised of maps,
text, photos and other data, to be posted on DEP's website.
"New Jersey has a host of places
to explore, whether you're looking for prehistoric fossils,
fluorescent, neon-colored minerals, Cape May diamonds, or
a glacial lake," said DEP Commissioner Bob Shinn. "The
object of this contest is to increase student and public
interest in New Jersey's unique geology by promoting easily
accessible field trips through the web."
The theme for this second annual "Earth
to Earth Challenge" is "Rockin' Down the Highway."
The contest is open to students in grades 6 - 12. Entries
must be submitted in HTML format either electronically or
on disk and may include original music to enhance the electronic
"journey" to any of the state 's unique geologic
sites, explained Tanya Oznowich, environmental education
supervisor at DEP.
National Earth Science Week runs from Oct.
7 to 13. Participants in the contest must register by Feb.
15, 2002, and entries must be submitted by March 8, 2002.
Only one entry per school is allowed. Winners will be announced
on or before Earth Day, April 22, 2002 and a recognition
ceremony will be held at DEP April 25, 2002. All eligible
entries will become featured field trip sites on DEP's "Rockin'
Down the Highway" website.
The class projects are designed to enhance
research, writing, mapping and technology use skills, and
support a variety of classroom standards in science, social
studies and language arts.
Each submission must include a variety
of requirements, including directions to the site, the geological
features or geological significance of the site, a question
sheet or other study aid to help visitors explore and understand
the site's unique features, maps of the site, and best times
to visit the site.
The contest is sponsored by the Environmental
Education Program in DEP's Office of Communications, and
the New Jersey Geological Survey. For more information or
to register, contact Marc Rogoff at DEP at 609-292-1474
or visit the DEP website at www.state.nj.us/dep/seeds/e2e2002.htm
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