Honors-level Earth System Science Course Development Workshop

该项目包括在国家科学基金会召开一个为期两三天的地球系统科学课程开发研讨会。在2004年9月。本次研讨会的主要目标是审查和讨论目前的地球系统科学课程在高中和入门大学水平，并开始的过程，导致创建和营销一个严格的，实验室认证的，“荣誉级”，地球系统科学（ESS）课程，以大学为目标的学生。开设这一课程的目的有三：（1）提高地球科学在高中教育中的意识、地位和重要性，（2）更好地为有才华的高中生在地球科学领域的职业生涯做好准备，以及（3）创建一个对大学生有吸引力的动态ESS课程该讲习班有可能改变高中地球科学课程、教学和学习的性质。在过去的几十年里，地球科学一直被作为地质学，气象学，海洋学和天文学的独立，不相关的单元教授。这一努力将为高中地球和空间科学的教学带来统一的地球系统科学方法。一个严格的，顶点，高中地球科学课程，丰富的数学和技术，并建立在基础上的生物学，化学和物理学的概念，在早期的年级学习将有利于地球科学在所有教育水平。从经济，环境和科学的角度来看，这是必要的，所有学生都有机会了解地球和近空间环境。除了改变我们如何教和学习地球和空间的性质外，该项目还为即将成为未来领导者和选民的大学生提供了参与严格的相关地球科学研究调查的机会，并使他们接触到地球和空间科学的新职业机会。

This project involves the convening of a two-three day Earth System Science Course Development Workshop at the National Science Foundation. in September 2004. The primary goal of this workshop is to review and discuss current Earth System Science course offerings at the high school and introductory college levels and begin the process leading to creation and marketing of a rigorous, lab-certified, "Honors-level", Earth System Science (ESS) course to college-bound students. The purpose in creating such a course is three-fold: (1) to raise the awareness, status, and importance of the Earth sciences in high school education, (2) to better prepare and excite talented high school students for career pathways in the Earth sciences, and (3) to create a dynamic ESS curriculum that will be attractive to college-bound students (as well as teachers and parents).This workshop has the potential to change the nature of Earth science curricula, teaching, and learning at the high school level. For the past several decades, the Earth sciences have been taught as distinct, unrelated units on Geology, Meteorology, Oceanography, and Astronomy. This effort will bring a unifying Earth System Science approach to the teaching and learning of Earth and space science at the high school level. A rigorous, capstone, high-school geoscience course, rich in mathematics and technology, and building on the foundations of biology, chemistry, and physics concepts learned at earlier grade levels will benefit the geosciences at all educational levels.From economic, environmental, and scientific perspectives, it is imperative that all students have the opportunity to learn about Earth and the near-space environment. In addition to changing the nature of how we teach and learn about Earth and space, this project provides college-bound students, who will become future leaders and voters, with opportunities to participate in rigorous, relevant Earth science research investigations, and expose them to new career opportunities in the Earth and space sciences.