The towering Rocky Mountains and their neighboring lands contain a rich history awaiting discovery. The great range was uplifted 50 to 100 million years ago, while the Great Plains to the east were formed by deposition of sediment eroded from the uplifting mountains. Extending southward from the north, the Central Lowlands consists of relatively undeformed Paleozoic and Mesozoic strata; it is part of the United States that geologically is considered to be the stable interior, or craton. From the stromatolites of Glacier National Park to the dinosaur-rich beds of the Hell Creek and Morrison formations, over one billion (1,000,000,000!) years of Earth’s story is recorded within the United States Rocky Mountain region!

Coming in Spring 2012 the Teacher-Friendly Guide to the Geology of the Rocky Mountains will serve both formal and informal educators with a “go-to” reference that will provide a comprehensive overview of the area’s history and features, answering the question: Why does this place look the way it does?  Standard textbooks make few references to the geology of any one area because of their nationwide audiences, and popular geology literature concentrates on a particular state, often failing to show how local geology fits into a regional context. The Teacher-Friendly Guide will fill this need. Intended as a curriculum supplement, the guide will provide educators with the content and tools necessary to introduce local and regional Earth system science into their classrooms. Although targeted for 8-9th grade Earth science teachers, the guides are appropriate for anyone who incorporates Earth science into their curriculum, from elementary school through college.