Track 1, GK-12: Inquiry-based Approaches to Earth System Science

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This Track 1 project enhances middle and high school Earth Science education, specifically, the understanding of terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric interactions, by introducing educators and students to geospatial technology.Intellectual Merits- The partnership between Earth Science faculty, K-12 teachers and a county level educational services center enhances the science education of Fellows and K-12 students. The Fellows enhance K-12 student learning by using the local environment as a natural laboratory to explore relationships between geology and climate in Northeast Ohio. Fellows train using inquiry-based methods, and they develop the communication and leadership skills needed to excel in a variety of academic or business settings. The synergistic activities of the project include: (i) STEM education of graduate and undergraduate Fellows using inquiry approaches, (ii) placement in K-12 classrooms as content providers, (iii) professional development opportunities for K-12 teachers, and (iv) research opportunities for K-12 teachers and their students. These activities foster understanding of Earth Science concepts and to promote the use of geospatial technology in the classroom as a tool for inquiry-based K-12 learning. The educational materials employed in the program are aligned with Ohio Academic Content Standards for Earth and Space Science, Science and Technology, Scientific Inquiry, and Scientific Ways of Knowing. Fellows develop curriculum modules based on analysis of the local environment using field methods and on-line geospatial databases.Broader Impacts- Through the enhancement of existing educational partnerships between Kent State University and the Stark County Educational Services Center, the project seeks to improve the quality of middle and high school Earth Science education in high-risk schools from the seventeen school districts of Stark County, OH. The 270 middle and high school teachers in Stark County educate more than 35,000 student in a mix of urban, rural, and suburban districts. This method partners overlapping pairs of nine graduate (GK-12) and five undergraduate (UK-12) Fellows with teams of teachers comprising entire science departments of targeted Stark County schools. In this way, the project directly impacts 36 middle and high school science teachers per year and their almost 5,000 students. Partnering pairs of Fellows with teams of teachers is a powerful approach that allows rapid institutionalization through dissemination of learned techniques, peer support, and administrative "buy-in". Teacher participants are empowered to disseminate their knowledge to peers at other departments in their districts.This project is receiving partial support from the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences.