INTEGRATING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE IN RURAL SHCOOL

长期目标是开发一个吸引人的模式，将环境健康科学融入数学，英语语言艺术，社会研究和农村6-8年级的科学。强调农村是因为公众关注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）的增加。农村学校不太可能比大城市的学校获得最先进的环境卫生信息，但可能最需要它。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。选择中学是因为它是社会技能的主要发展时期，并且是通过在学术和个人能力（以及由此产生的社会贡献）方面取得巨大进步来引导青少年进入美国生活主流的核心。这是确保我们国家在数学和科学方面领先的最有力的场所，但这一时期近年来几乎没有进行教育改革。环境卫生信息和研究经验提供的教师从中心环境和农村健康将被整合到四个学科的教育学院和传播到农村环境通过现有的大众媒体远程学习方法和专业教师发展计划通过得克萨斯州农村系统倡议。科学家-教师方法将指导公立学校教师的人际交往。 具体目标是：1）将现有的环境卫生材料/问题纳入为农村中学生量身定制的多媒体学习材料[制定综合课程（数学、英语、社会研究和科学）通过目前已建立和流行的互联网网站传送到公立学校]; 2）提供专业的教师发展计划[（为同一所学校的教师团队开发/执行短期课程），以环境健康科学为基础的课程单元，以提高教师对环境健康问题和解决办法的认识];和3）提供一个人机界面和在线互动，直接在中学和科学家之间建立伙伴关系（教师，研究生和本科生访问和介绍环境健康问题和直接或在线向公立学校学生进行研究的兴奋）。通过提供关于新发现的信息和整合地方/农村环境卫生主题，宣传某些行为/情况会增加人类疾病风险以及需要进行基础研究以改善公共卫生的知识。跨学科整合的重要农村环境卫生科学主题将有助于减少学习障碍，提高学习的热情和所有权，并提高整体学习成绩。更深入地了解环境如何与个人年龄和易感性相互作用，通过提出的教育主题影响人类健康，拱学科将减少人类疾病或功能障碍的负担环境的影响。

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.