This guide uses three broad regions based on natural geological divisions:
 
  • Region 1: Blue Ridge and Piedmont
  • Region 2: Inland Basins
  • Region 3: Coastal Plain 

General Philosophy of the Guide

  • This is not a curriculum; you are encouraged to incorporate ideas from the guide into your own existing curriculum.
  • Introduce geologic history into your curriculum early. This guide is organized historically because regional history is responsible for and makes sense of rocks at the surface, topography and other regional geologic patterns.
  • Try to understand your local geology in the context of the geologic history of the Southeast. The guide is intended to make sense of the detail of regional geology and provide the tools to understand your local geology.
  • Using real geology is inherently open-ended; don't be intimidated by rocks that you don't recognize or the detail and language of geology. 

How to Reference the Guide

Please feel free to reproduce any text or images from the Teacher-Friendly Guide for your educational purposes. The proper citation of the guide is:

Picconi, J. E. 2003. The Teacher-Friendly Guide to the Geology of the Southeastern U.S. Paleontological Research Institution, Ithaca, NY. 

Support for the Guide 

PRI is grateful for the generosity and support of the  Atlantic Philanthropies, Inc., the Camp-Younts Foundation, the Childress Foundation, and the River Branch Foundation.