The Rio Grande River Project: An Interdisciplinary Math/ Science Curriculum for College Freshmen and Sophomores

通过其里奥格兰德河项目，拉雷多社区学院正在开发一个两门课程的本科跨学科课程，重点是里奥格兰德河。该计划将整合生物学、代数、三角和物理科学，使用问题提出、发现学习、河流监测和探索、电话会议、微型计算机和学生主导的迷你科学研讨会作为最终活动。该项目的直接受益者是100名大一和大二学生，他们将参加这些课程，以满足他们对副学士学位、数学和科学的要求。这些课程是为职前教师、科学和数学专业的学生以及其他专业和职业的学生设计的。该项目的主要目标是：1)培训教师设计跨学科的数学/科学课程；2)设计两门课程序列，为大学数学和科学的四个领域提供所需的基础；3)使参与项目的学生保持较高的学术成就；4)增加数学、科学和数学/科学教育方面的职业知识，特别是对女性和西班牙裔学生；5)加快课程的制度化；6)有效地管理项目。该项目将对数学/科学教育领域作出的重大贡献是，它把重点放在一种主要的国家濒危资源(格兰德河)上，以此作为整合四门学科的一种手段，并强调制定对学生有效的方法，特别是对以英语为第二语言的拉美裔学生。这种跨学科的方法对于那些以从事K-12科学教学为职业的学生来说将特别有价值。

Through its Rio Grande River Project, Laredo Community College is developing a two-course undergraduate interdisciplinary program of studies focusing on the Rio Grande River. The program will integrate biology, algebra, trigonometry and the physical sciences using problem-posing, discovery learning, river monitoring and exploration, teleconferencing, microcomputers, and a student-led mini-science symposium, as the culminating activity. The immediate beneficiaries of the project are 100 freshmen and sophomores who will take the courses in fulfillment of their associate degree math and science requirements. The courses are designed for pre-service teachers, and science and math majors, as well as for students pursuing other majors and careers. The major objectives of the project are: 1) Train faculty to design interdisciplinary math/science courses; 2) Design a two-course sequence which will provide the required foundations in four areas of college math and science; 3) Maintain high level of academic achievement for participating students; 4) Increase career knowledge in math, science and math/science education, especially for female and Hispanic students; 5) Expedite institutionalization of the courses; 6) Manage the project effectively. The major contribution which the project will make to the field of math/science education is its focus on a major national resource at risk (the Rio Grande River) as a means of integrating the four disciplines and the emphasis on developing approaches which are effective with students, specifically Hispanic students for whom English is a second language. This interdisciplinary approach will be particularly valuable as a model for those students who will pursue K-12 science teaching as a career.