Introduction
Meet the Author
I’d like to welcome you to the field of earth science. My name is Helen Bastin. I’m a resident of Bloomington, Indiana (known for Indiana University and, in the world of earth science, limestone and karst topography caves). I’ve been a high-school classroom and independent study teacher for many years and enjoy the challenges that education brings. I’m married and have one son.
Though I currently live in Indiana, my roots are in New Jersey. My undergraduate work included many field trips to the Appalachian Mountains, where my fellow college classmates and I would collect minerals; metamorphic, sedimentary, and igneous rocks; and numerous fossils. On any given Saturday, we could be seen stopped at an outcrop along the highway chipping away with our hammers. I’m amazed that there were never any casualties!
I’m a runner; I love to sew, quilt and garden; and I collect paperweights. I also have a sand collection in my classroom (my favorite place to be is at the beach), which my students and I use for some of our lab work. I don’t coach any teams, but I try to help with our Indiana State Champion Science Olympiad team (Bloomington High School North), fund-raisers at school whenever possible (Bloomington North’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity). I also still love to walk through creeks and look for unusual-looking rocks and fossils, and spend as much time outside as possible.
But enough about me. I hope you enjoy this course no matter the reason you’re taking it. Earth science is a great subject because the subject matter is so varied. There’s usually something to appeal to everyone—and there isn’t much math! I hope you enjoy what I’ve put together, and I wish you the best of luck!
