Global Environmental Change and Local Ecosystems: A Kansas MSP-Start Project for P-20 Students

这个关于全球环境变化和当地生态系统的MSP-Start项目正在努力通过使用堪萨斯地区研究和教育网站（KARES）来加强科学教育，该网站为托皮卡公立学区的P-20学生提供了一个户外学习论坛。该项目包括来自堪萨斯大学、堪萨斯州立大学、501美元（托皮卡公立学校）、社区领袖和州决策者的合作伙伴。Start项目的长期目标是为2011年制定一个完整的MSP目标提案。这项MSP-Start奖助金的短期目标是：分析堪萨斯州科学教育的全州合作模式的有效性。这项MSP- start拨款的智力价值在于促进公立学校教师、大学研究人员、政府和社区领导人之间的牢固伙伴关系，然后利用这些伙伴关系为P-20的学生开发一个世界级的教育项目，重点关注堪萨斯州的全球环境变化和当地生态系统。领导团队认为，至关重要的是，这些学生要培养对全球范围内正在发生的环境变化的认识，并了解这些变化如何影响他们所生活的当地生态系统。这些概念可以通过探究式学习方法最有效地传达，同时适合年龄并符合堪萨斯科学教育标准。501美元的重点学区是一个为少数民族服务的学区，致力于与大学和国家合作，通过开发和研究一个户外学习中心来加强国家的科学教育，学生可以从事探究性学习方法。

This MSP-Start project on global environmental change and local ecosystems is working to enhance science education through the use of the Kansas Area Research and Education Site (KARES), which provides an outdoor learning forum for P-20 students in the Topeka Public school district. This project includes partners from the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, USD 501 (Topeka public schools), community leaders, and state policy-makers. The long-term goal of the Start project is to develop a full MSP Targeted proposal for 2011. The short-term goals of this MSP-Start grant are:1. To analyze the efficacy of a state-wide collaborative model for improving science education in Kansas.2. To develop strong collaborative partnerships for meeting the long-term goal of a strong MSP proposal The Intellectual Merit of this MSP-Start grant is in promoting strong partnerships between public school teachers, university researchers, and government and community leaders and then using these partnerships to develop a world-class education project for students in P-20 that focuses on global environmental change and local ecosystems in Kansas. The leadership team believes it is critical that these students develop an awareness of environmental changes that are occurring on a global scale, as well as that they understand how these changes may influence the local ecosystems in which they live. Such concepts can most effectively be conveyed through inquiry-based learning methods, while simultaneously being age appropriate and meeting the Kansas Science Education Standards. The key school district, USD 501, is a minority-serving district, which commits to work with the university and the state to enhance science education in the state through the development and study of an outdoor learning center where students can engage in inquiry-based learning methods.