There are four one-day field evaluation exercises that occur within the course. Students, working independently of other students and faculty, collect basic stratigraphic and structural data, construct a geologic map and cross sections for the area, and decipher the geologic history of an area that they have not previously visited. A topographic map and stereo pair air photos are provided for traverse route planning and also serve as the base maps for the work. For the first and second independent exercises the geology is selected to reflect the stratigraphic units and structural styles that are similar to the mapping exercise that had just been completed. By the time the third and fourth independent exercises take place, the full range of units and structural styles found in the region, may be encountered.