GK-12 Project WEST (Water, the Environment, Science and Teaching)

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Title: GK-12 Project WEST (Water, the Environment, Science and Teaching) Institution: University of Utah P.I.: David S. Chapman, Department of Geology and Geophysics Number of Fellows: 11 graduate fellows; 3 undergraduate fellows School District Partners: Salt Lake City School District first year Target Audience: Grades 4, 8, and 9 Setting: Urban with rural outreach NSF disciplines: Geosciences Track: Track 1 GK-12 Project WEST (Water, the Environment, Science, and Teaching) links the University of Utah, the Utah Museum of Natural History, and the Salt Lake City school district in enhancing inquiry based science teaching in grades 4, 8, and 9 and the interdisciplinary training of university graduate and undergraduate students in the geosciences. The unifying theme of WEST (water and the environment) is significant is the west because of its obvious importance for human survival and livelihood in this arid region. National standards and Utah standards for teaching science in this grade range focus on this theme. Every school and university student and every resident in the State of Utah is impacted by the local hydrological cycle: our mountain ranges receive ten times the precipitation of valley floors, water runs off in streams or percolates into the ground supporting the many ecosystems found between 12,000 ft and 3,000 ft elevation, water provides for both agriculture and urban consumption, and flows ultimately to the unique ecosystem of the Great Salt Lake. Water affects recreation, the economy, and settlement. By gaining an enhanced understanding of the role of water in the environment, particularly in this time of severe drought, students will contemplate their place in nature. Seven specific activities are designed to accomplish WEST and GK-12 goals: (1) teacher-fellow workshops, (2) a graduate fellow interdisciplinary research project/seminar, (3) a graduate fellow teaching/learning seminar, (4) classroom teaching activities and preparation of teaching resources, (5) K-12 student field trips, (6) development of a WEST web site, and (7) an annual WEST retreat that will link research discovery with effective teaching practice. Project WEST facilitates integrative and inquiry based learning among elementary, middle, and high school students within a framework of core curriculum requirements and state standards. It provides professional development tools to K-12 teachers in the form of materials, observatories, workshops, and field trips that promote more effective science teaching. The multidisciplinary nature of WEST (geology, geophysics, meteorology, ecology) provides intellectual stimulation and enhanced learning opportunities for graduate students and undergraduates selected as GK-12 Fellows. The NSF intellectual merit of this project is found within the conceptual theme and activities 2,3, and 7 above. The broader impacts include the diversity of the schools participating in WEST. Evaluation of the project at every stage ensures that best practices are discovered and followed. This project is partially supported by funds from the Directorate for Geological Sciences.