Table Of ContentA PROBLEM CENTERED APPROACH TO EARTH SCIENCE
FOR THE LOS ANGELES AREA
A Project
Presented to
the Faculty of the School of Education
The University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Science in Education
by
Donald Freeman Utter
August 1950
UMI Number: EP46631
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of the School of Education in partial fulfillment of
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Science in Education.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE PROBLEM..................................... 1
Statement of the problem ..................... 1
Background of the problem ................... 2
II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE........................ 4
Literature on broadening the science
teaching program ......................... b
Literature on providing instructional
materials to meet local needs ........... 5
Literature on the selection of Important
principles ................................ 6
BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................... 8
III. THE GEOLOGY OF THE LOS ANGELES A R E A ........... 10
General physiography ......................... 10
Structure and structural history ........... . 14
IV. WATER PROBLEMS.................................. 17
Overdraft on ground water basins ............. 18
Securing additional water ................... 21
V. FLOOD CONTROL.................................. 24
Local flood background ....................... 24
Flood control measures ....................... 26
VI. SOIL CONSERVATION.............................. 29
The problem in California................... 29
Beach e rosion................................ 31
iii
CHAPTER PAGE
VII. EARTHQUAKES.................................... 34
Southern California faults ................... 3^
Earthquake history ............................ 37
Some conclusions on earthquakes ............. 38
VIII. SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES . . . 40
Classroom activities ......................... 40
Geological points of interest ............... 42
Field t r i p s ................................ 42
Exhibits.................................... 45
Agencies concerned with earth science
problems.................................... 46
Federal agencies.......... 46
State agencies.............................. 47
County agencies ............................ 48
Municipal agencies ......................... .48
Other sources.............................. 48
IX. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................... 49
S umm ary ...................................... 49
Recommendations .............................. 50
BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................ 51
LIST OP FIGURES
FIGURE PAGE
1. GeneralizedG eologic Map oft he Los Angeles Basin 13
2. Flood Control in the Los AngelesC ounty Drainage
A r e a .......................................... 27
CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM
The study of earth science would seem almost by de
finition to be down to earth. Unfortunately, this subject
has often been treated in such a detached, formal way as to
render it dull and of little use to the average student. In
an area where pressing geological problems exist and varied
geological experiences may be had easily, earth science can
be practical and interesting.
I. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The purpose of this study was to assemble some of the
resources that could be useful for the teaching of earth
science in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The geographi
cal limitation was imposed so that a reasonably rounded
selection of local teaching materials could be presented.
The geological problems of this area are sufficiently varied
to allow the teaching of important principles to stem from
the study of very real local problems. The study may be
considered as a search for answers to the following ques
tions :
1. What are the important local geological problems?
2. What agencies are concerned with geological
problems?
2
3. What are some of the local possibilities for field
trips and excursions?
4. What are some of the useful published sources on
the geology of the Los Angeles area?
II. BACKGROUND OP THE PROBLEM
The traditional division of the sciences into rigid
subject matter areas has had the unfortunate effect of ex
cluding from the curriculum the consideration of many impor
tant problems. The concern of this paper is with some of
the problems in the earth science field which have lain out
side the sciences usually taught in the secondary school.
With the trend towards recognition of the values of general
education has come the opportunity for including such prob
lems in general science and social studies courses.
The movement towards a broadened curriculum has pre
sented difficulties in the matter of instructional materials.
Textbooks do not usually deal with current issues, nor can
they deal with strictly local problems. There must be other
materials available to tie the principles of any study to
student experience. In the case of this study it means
giving the students experiences with the geology of their
community.
In the Los Angeles area an excellent opportunity
exists for student experiences in earth science. A wide
variety of geological points of interest may be found.
Problems dealing with conservation (of soil, water, and
minerals), flood control, and earthquakes demand civic
attention. Earth science need not be a dead study unless
one closes his eyes to the consideration of issues of import
to the health, safety, and economic welfare of his community.
It may be worth mentioning that the need for the
integration of science with other subjects in the curriculum
may be approached by using as ’’focal points” real problems
instead of principles. Too often there is no time for the
thorough application of principles to really meaningful
situations. Perhaps by starting with problems, principles
may be better and more easily taught.
A large literature has been published on the geology
of the Los Angeles Basin and its environs. Little of this
information has been presented in a simplified form suitable
for use by the average secondary student. This situation
is improving, but the burden of providing much of the actual
instructional material will fall on teachers and local cur
riculum workers.
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OP THE LITERATURE
Much has been written on the aims and content of
science programs for general education. A very short review
of some of these studies having relevance to the present
problem will be given.
Literature on broadening the science teaching program.
McGrath has edited a collection of descriptions of science
courses for general education.^ Most of the discussion is
about courses at the college level, but the question of aims
and the problems of content selection are essentially the
same as would be met in organizing a secondary program.
Cahoon gives a strong argument in favor of the inclusion of
2
a physical science course in the high school. In Joliet,
Illinois a course in earth science was given to all high
school freshmen, and Wilson has assembled a perhaps loaded,
but impressive list of fifteen values gained from the course
instead of a general science course.^
^ Earl J. McGrath, Science in General Education, 400 pp.
2 G. P. Cahoon, ’’Teaching Science for General Educa
tion in the Secondary School," pp. 281-87.
3 Ben Hur Wilson, "Earth Science," p. 622.
