GP-EXTRA: Fostering Interest in Earth Science Teaching Through the Reflective Practice of Science

地球科学在这个国家扮演着关键的角色？美国的安全和福利。寻找能源和矿产资源，保护水质，为气候变化的影响做好准备，保护公民免受洪水和地震等灾害的影响，这些对国家来说都是至关重要的。生活质量。为了让年轻人选择地球科学的职业道路，他们需要有充分准备的教师，他们要反映我们国家的民族、种族和性别多样性。这些教师应该能够有效地传达地球科学中的重要概念，以及地球科学家如何收集和解释信息。我们的项目验证了这样一种观点：让孩子们参与地球科学家的知识和实践的最好方式是让他们的老师有直接的科学研究经验。该项目将创建一个为期10周的暑期项目，每年有8名本科生获得进行科学研究的直接经验，并将这些研究经验转化为课堂教学。来自西密歇根大学、密歇根湖学院和卡拉马祖山谷社区学院的科学专业或K-12教育专业的学生将获得四个相互交织的组成部分的经验：为期两周的地表水质量和湖泊系统介绍；(2)实践科学？在当地一个城市湖泊进行为期六周的水质调查。与大师老师进行两周的教学准备和实践，然后在中学夏令营进行两周的监督教学；(4)Think Science ？在十周的课程中，学生们将学习科学家们是如何实践地球科学的，以及他们如何最好地将这些实践传授给孩子们。该项目的最终目标是更好地为未来多样化的地球科学工作人员做好准备。我们期望参与的本科生将在他们的教学生涯中继续影响成千上万的K-12学生，为国家做出贡献。并激励其中一些孩子成为地球科学家。此外，该项目明确从所有参与机构招募有色人种和女性学生，作为增加地球科学教育劳动力多样性的一种手段。最后，如果这个项目在培养未来教师方面非常有效，我们打算在整个大学和全国范围内推广这种模式。随着美国各州采用下一代科学标准（NGSS），或采用受NGSS启发的州标准，地球科学在K-12年级中发挥了更加突出的作用。多样化和准备充分的教师对于扩大地球科学劳动力的参与变得越来越重要。让孩子们参与到地球科学家的知识和实践中来的最好方法是教师自我认同为地球科学家，这可以通过提出问题、收集和分析数据以及用证据证明主张等科学实践的真实经验来实现。这个项目将创建一个为期10周的暑期项目，在这个项目中，来自西密歇根大学和两个地区社区学院的中小学科学教育本科生将获得开展科学研究的直接经验，并在工作反思的指导下将研究转化为课堂教学。每年8名学生将在四个相互交织的组成部分获得经验：(1)学习科学？为期两周的地表水水文地质学和湖泊系统入门课程；(2)实践科学？在当地一个城市湖泊进行为期六周的水质调查。两周的指导教学准备和实践，然后是两周的夏令营指导教学经验，以及(4)Think Science ？在为期十周的课程中，学生将学习科学的本质和科学探究，反思他们的研究经验，设计夏令营的课程，并反思他们的教学经验。因为真正的研究、教学和对地球科学研究和教育的反思将结合在一起，这个项目的结果将是中小学科学教师将自我认同为地球科学家，就像他们作为教师一样强烈。通过这种综合的方法，我们将提高未来的教师？了解地表水水文地质和地球化学的内容、技能和科学实践，提高他们设计和开展实地和实验室调查的能力，增加他们对科学方法背景的理解，提高他们设计和教学中学生的技能。提高他们在课堂上的科学实践知识，以及如何利用这些知识激励更多的年轻人投身于地球和环境科学领域。正在进行的外部评估将提供数据，告知项目团队我们是否达到了规划目标，以及规划可以改进的地方。当他们继续从事K-12科学教学时，预计参加这个项目的24名本科生中的每一位都将共同影响数千名儿童。通过自我认同为科学家，并表现出对科学思维和实验的舒适，他们将能够让自己的学生更适应科学，从而增加他们考虑科学职业道路的机会，从而使我们的项目毕业生能够激励未来的地球科学家。在地球科学和相关领域的职业讨论将是这个计划的一个明确的部分。此外，该项目明确从所有参与机构招募有色人种和女性学生，作为增加地球科学教育劳动力多样性的一种手段。我们期望这个项目也会通过与同龄人的互动影响其他职前教师。最后，我们将传播通过评估确定的项目模式和最佳实践，以便其他教师培训机构可以采用我们的关键方面。

PART 1Earth Science plays a key role in the nation?s security and welfare. Finding energy and mineral resources, protecting water quality, preparing for the impacts of a changing climate, and keeping citizens safe from hazards such as floods and earthquakes are essential to the nation?s quality of life. In order for young people to choose career paths in Earth Science, they need well-prepared teachers who reflect the ethnic, racial, and gender diversity of our nation. These teachers should be able to effectively convey both the important concepts in Earth Science, and how Earth scientists gather and interpret information. Our project tests the idea that the best way to engage children in the knowledge and practices of geoscientists is for their teachers to have direct experience with scientific research. This project will create a 10-week summer program in which 8 undergraduate students per year gain direct experience in conducting scientific research and in translating this research experience into classroom lessons. Students majoring in science or in K-12 education from Western Michigan University, Lake Michigan College, and Kalamazoo Valley Community College will gain experience in four interwoven components: (1) Learn Science ? a two-week introduction to surface water quality and lake systems, (2) Practice Science ? a six-week water quality investigation in a local urban lake, (3) Teach Science ? two weeks of teaching preparation and practice with master teachers, followed by two weeks of supervised teaching in a middle school summer camp, and (4) Think Science ? ten weeks concurrent with other program components in which students learn about how Earth Science is practiced by scientists and how they might best teach these practices to children.The ultimate goal of this project is to better prepare a diverse future Earth Science workforce. We expect that participating undergraduates will go on to impact thousands of K-12 students during their teaching careers, contributing to the nation?s scientific literacy and inspiring some of these children to become Earth scientists. Additionally, this project explicitly recruits students of color and women from all participating institutions as a means for increasing the diversity of the Earth Science education workforce. Finally, if this project is highly effective in preparing future teachers, we intend to advocate for this model to be adopted across our university and across the country. PART 2As states in the U.S. adopt the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), or adopt NGSS-inspired state standards, Earth Science takes a more prominent role across K-12 grades. Diverse and well-prepared teachers become ever more critical to expanding participation in the geoscience workforce. The best way to engage children in the knowledge and practices of geoscientists is for teachers to self-identify as geoscientists, which can be achieved through authentic experiences with scientific practices such as asking questions, gathering and analyzing data, and justifying claims with evidence. This project will create a 10-week summer program in which elementary and secondary science education undergraduates from Western Michigan University and two regional community colleges gain direct experience in conducting scientific research and in translating this research into classroom lessons while being guided through reflection of the work. Cohorts of 8 students per year will gain experience in four interwoven components: (1) Learn Science ? a two-week introduction to surface water hydrogeology and lake systems, (2) Practice Science ? a six-week water quality investigation in a local urban lake, (3) Teach Science ? two weeks of mentored teaching preparation and practice followed by a two-week mentored teaching experience as summer camp instructors, and (4) Think Science ? ten weeks concurrent with other program components in which students learn about the nature of science and scientific inquiry, reflect on their research experiences, design lessons to be taught at the summer camp, and reflect on their teaching experience. Because authentic research, teaching, and reflection on Earth Science research and education will be coupled, the outcome of this program will be that elementary and secondary science teachers will self-identify as geoscientists just as strongly as they do as teachers. Through this integrated approach, we will improve future teachers? knowledge of content, skills, and scientific practices in surface water hydrogeology and geochemistry, improve their ability to design and carry out a field- and laboratory-based investigation, increase their understanding of the context of the scientific method, improve their skill in designing and teaching lessons to middle school students, and improve their knowledge of classroom practices of science and how to use these to inspire more young people into careers in earth and environmental science. Ongoing external evaluation will provide data informing the project team as to whether we are meeting program goals, and where the program may be improved. As they go on to a career in teaching K-12 science, each of the 24 undergraduate students expected to participate in this program will collectively impact thousands of children. By self-identifying as a scientist and displaying comfort with scientific thinking and experimentation, they will be able to make their own students more comfortable with science and hence increase the chances that they will consider scientific career paths thus enabling our program graduates to inspire future geoscientists. Discussion of careers in the geosciences and related fields will be an explicit part of this program. Additionally, this project explicitly recruits students of color and women from all participating institutions as a means for increasing the diversity of the Earth Science education workforce. We anticipate that this program will also impact other pre-service teachers through interactions with peers. Finally, we will disseminate our program model and best practices as identified through evaluation so that key aspects can be adopted at other teacher preparation institutions.