Development of Alaska Earth Systems Field School

地球系统科学(40)该项目正在响应本科生和K-12教师的需求，在地球系统实地学校引入更多的实践、基于探究的、面向实地的跨学科科学课程。这个为期6周的夏季课程在阿拉斯加的亚北极区和北极环境中使用了三个为期两周的模块，重点是威廉王子湾、楚加奇山脉和德纳利国家公园等地的沿海、北部和苔原生态系统。菲尔德学院正在为跨学科、动手实践的科学带来新的兴奋，并正在促进教员持续的团队合作和跨科学学科和部门的合作。正在通过因特网和万花筒项目网络传播从适应项目中吸取的经验教训。适应哥伦比亚地球系统实地学校提供了一个模范的，经过验证的跨学科，基于探究的学习模式。这种模式通过将生态学和地质学的学科结合在一起，并见证它们之间的相互依赖，教会学生以一种综合的方式理解风景。学生通过收集现场数据并使用它来测试模型，从而建立他们自己的生态系统过程的概念和数值模型。它们是绘制地图、识别、描述和分析的学习技术，所有这些都是在理解当前环境问题的背景下进行的。地球系统外地学校的概念框架将于2001年夏天试行。整个为期六周的课程将于2002年夏季提供。该计划建立在现有的课程设置、研究计划和社区合作伙伴关系的基础上。除了将课程从沙漠转移到泰加之外，该项目还在大力调整课程，以更好地服务于K-12教师候选人(以及一般非理科专业的学生)，并向他们提供可转移的科学素养和科学热情。该项目还在进行重组，以增加老年学生和阿拉斯加原住民的入学机会，这些学生在阿拉斯加大学的学生中占很大比例，而在K-12预科和文科学生中，阿拉斯加原住民的比例较低。

Earth Systems Science (40) This project is responding to the needs of undergraduates and K-12 teachers by introducing a more hands-on, inquiry-based, field-oriented, interdisciplinary science courses into an Earth Systems Field School. This 6-week summer course in the Subarctic and Arctic environments of Alaska uses three two-week modules focusing on coastal, boreal, and tundra ecosystems in sites such as Prince William Sound, the Chugach Mountains, and Denali National Park. The Field School is generating new excitement about interdisciplinary, hands-on science and is promoting ongoing faculty teamwork and collaboration across science disciplines and departments. The lessons learned from the adaptation project are being disseminated over the internet and through the Project Kaleidoscope network. Adapting the Columbia Earth Systems Field School provides an exemplary, proven model of interdisciplinary, inquiry-based learning. This model teaches students to understand landscapes in an integrated fashion, by using the disciplines of ecology and geology together and witnessing their dependence on each other. Students build their own conceptual and numerical models of ecosystem processes by collecting field data and using it to test models. They are learning techniques for mapping, identification, description, and analysis, all within the context of understanding current environmental problems. The conceptual framework of the Earth Systems Field School is being piloted the summer of 2001. The full six-week program is being offered in summer 2002. The program builds on existing course offerings, research programs, and community partnerships. In addition to transporting the curriculum from desert to taiga, the project is vigorously adapting the curriculum to better serve K-12 teacher candidates (and non-science majors generally) and equipping them with transferable science literacy and science enthusiasm. The program is also being restructured to increase its accessibility to older students who make up a large proportion of the University of Alaska's student body and to Alaska Natives who are underrepresented in the preK-12 and liberal arts student populations.