INTEGRATING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE IN RURAL SHCOOL

长期目标是开发一种引人入胜的模式，将环境健康科学融入农村6-8年级的数学、英语语言艺术、社会研究和科学。强调农村是因为公众对德克萨斯州农村地区与环境有关的疾病(出生缺陷、铅中毒等)数量增加的担忧。与城市学校相比，农村学校不太可能获得关于环境健康的最新信息，但可能最需要这些信息。农村学校与大学教授的互动较少，这可能会影响他们的职业选择。之所以选择中学，是因为它是社交技能的黄金发展期，也是引导青少年融入美国主流生活的关键，因为他们在学业和个人能力(以及由此产生的社会贡献)方面取得了巨大进步。它是确保我们国家在数学和科学领域处于领先地位的最有力的场所，但这一时期近年来几乎没有得到教育改革。环境与农村健康中心的教师提供的环境健康信息和研究经验将由教育学院整合到四个学科中，并通过现有的大众媒体、远程学习方法和德克萨斯州农村系统倡议的专业教师发展计划传播到农村环境中。科学家-教师的方法将指导公立学校内部的教职员工之间的互动。具体目标是：1)将现有的环境健康材料/问题整合到为农村中学生量身定做的多媒体学习材料中[开发综合课程(数学、英语、社会研究和科学)，通过目前建立的和受欢迎的互联网网站传输到公立学校]；2)提供专业的教师发展方案[(为同一所学校的教师团队开发/执行短期课程)，结合实施基于网络的环境健康科学课程单元，以提高教师对环境健康问题和解决方案的认识]；3)提供人机界面和在线互动，直接在中学和科学家之间建立合作伙伴关系(教职员工、研究生和本科生直接或在线访问和介绍环境健康问题，以及向公立学校学生进行研究的兴奋)。通过有关新发现的信息和地方/农村环境健康主题的整合，将宣传关于某些行为/情况增加人类疾病风险以及需要进行基础研究以改善公共健康的知识。跨学科整合农村环境健康科学重要主题，有助于降低学习门槛，提高学习积极性和主人翁精神，提高整体学业成绩。通过ARCH学科拟议的教育主题，更深入地了解环境如何与个人年龄和影响人类健康的易感性相互作用，将减少环境影响造成的人类疾病或功能障碍的负担。

The long-term goal is to develop an engaging model for integrating environmental health science into math, English language arts, social studies, and science of rural grades 6-8. Rural is emphasized because of public concern for increased numbers of environmentally-related diseases in rural Texas (birth defects, lead poisoning, etc.). Rural schools are less likely than metropolitan schools to receive state of the art information on environmental health, but may need it most. Rural schools have less interaction with college professors that might influence their career choices. Middle school was chosen as it is the prime developmental period for social skills and is central to channeling young adolescents into the mainstream of American life by making vast improvements In their academic and personal competence (and resulting societal contribution). It is the most powerful venue to ensure our nation's leadership in math and science, but this period has received little education reform in recent years. Environmental health information and research experiences provided by faculty from the Center for Environmental and Rural Health will be integrated into the four disciplines by the College of Education and disseminated into rural settings via existing mass media distant learning methods and professional teacher development programs through the Texas Rural Systemic Initiative. The scientist-teacher approach will direct faculty human interface within public schools. The specific aims are: 1) to integrate existing environmental health materials/issues into engaging multimedia learning materials tailored for rural middle school students [develop integrated curricula (math, English, social studies, and science) transmitted to public schools via currently established and popular Internet Web sites]; 2) to provide professional teacher development programs [(develop/execute short courses for teams of teachers from the same school) that integrate implementing Web-based environmental health science curriculum units that enhance teachers' awareness of environmental health problems and solutions]; and 3) to provide a human interface and online interaction to establish partnerships among middle school and scientists directly (faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates visit and present environmental health issues and the excitement of conducting research to public school students directly or online). Through information on new discoveries and integration of local /rural environmental health themes, the knowledge that certain behaviors/situations increase risk of human disease and that basic research is needed to improve public health will be publicized. Important rural environmental health science themes integrated across disciplines will help reduce barriers to learning, improved enthusiasm and ownership for learning, and improved overall academic performance. A greater depth of understanding of how the environment interacts with individual age and susceptibility to impact human health through the proposed educational themes that arch disciplines will reduce the burden of human illness or dysfunction from environmental influences.