An In-Service Summer Workshop in Natural Science for Middle/High School Science Teachers Including Research Experience in the Grand Canyon

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Dr. Stanley S. Beus of Northern Arizona University (NAU) will direct 6-week in-service workshops for 26 science teachers (grades 6-12). Workshops will begin in the summer of 1990 and continue for 3-summers. Each summer 6 participants identified as Master Teachers, may earn seven-graduate credits and 20 as "Research Assistants" may earn six-graduate credits. Participating teachers will come from Arizona and other southwestern states. The workshops have 3 two-week phases. An intensive Phase I emphasizes content in biology and geology with classroom, laboratory and field experiences. Phase II is a 12-day outdoor field-research camp in the Grand Canyon with a focus on biological and geological aspects as well as uses of the canyon and river (STS aspects). During Phase III, back at NAU, participants guided by research scientists, will prepare their findings from Phase II and guided by master teachers will develop teaching materials based on the previous experiences. It is intended that the teaching materials will translate the workshop experiences into using the outdoor resources of the home district; be it a canyon environment or a flat desert environment for earth-science instruction. Follow-up activities include a science activity manual with contributions from all participants, a Grand Canyon slide set, a bi-monthly newsletter, ongoing electronic communications via CISCO-NET and a two-day workshop in Flagstaff. Finally, Master Teachers will conduct two or more workshops in their home school districts for their peers. The Research Assistant teachers will attend one or more of these workshops. This carefully crafted project uses a variety of teaching/learning techniques, reinforcement and support for both the well-prepared and underprepared science teacher. It uses an exciting national resource yet customizes classroom activity material to make use of local outdoor resources. It builds upon exemplary cooperation between NAU, local school districts, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Museum of Northern Arizona, and private industry. NSF support will enable teachers from Native American settlements to participate. This focus, the cooperation and a study of resource management of this "national treasure" give the project a strong science, technology and society component and significant minority impact. There is cost sharing in an amount of $182,368 which is 50% of the NSF award.