Bringing Relevance to Earth Science Introductory Curricula through Images Showing Human/Landscape Interaction

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To increase student interest in Earth Science, this project is developing four learning modules that teach fundamental concepts in Geology by demonstrating their relevance to society. The catalyst for this work is a 10,000+ image collection of current and historical photographs contained in the NSF-supported Landscape Change Program digital archive. The project objective is to demonstrate that student interest and learning increase when Earth Science is taught and learned visually in the context of the human experience. The outcome of this work will be students who recognize the relevance of Earth Science as a discipline and its ability to inform debate on a variety of pertinent societal issues. The intellectual merit of this project lies in the developing, testing, and evaluating of four instructional modules, each focused on different ways in which the Earth and people interact. Each module includes image-rich interactive web-based introductory learning tools as well as a PowerPoint template and accompanying active learning exercises for use in the classroom. This project targets the Earth Science (Geology and Geography) student population at the advanced high school and introductory college level in order to make the broadest possible impact. Collaborations with other institutions and with the University of Vermont Center for Teaching and Learning assure that the materials we develop are tested using a cross-section of the student population.