ED51B-0015 0800h
Geography, Resources, and Environment of Latin America: An Undergraduate Science Course focused on Attracting Hispanic students to Science and on Educating Non-Hispanics about Latin America.
With NSF-CCLI funding, we have developed, taught, and evaluated a new lower-division science course for non-majors, entitled "Geography, Resources, and Environment of Hispanic America" (GRELA). This is an adaptation of a similar course, "Geology and Development of Modern Africa" developed by Barbara Tewksbury (Hamilton College), to attract African American students to science by highlighting cultural ties with their ancestral lands. We think that a similar approach focusing on Latin America may attract Hispanic undergraduates, at the same time that it increases awareness among non-Hispanic students about challenges facing our neighbors to the south. GRELA is an interdisciplinary exploration of how the physical and biological environment of Mexico, Central America, and South America have influenced the people who live there. The course consists of 20 lectures and requires the student to present a report partnering with correspondents in Latin American universities. GRELA begins with an overview of Latin American physical and cultural geography and geologic evolution followed by a series of modules that relate the natural resources and environment of Latin America to the history, economy, and culture of the region. This is followed by an exploration of pre-Columbian cultures. The use of metals by pre-Columbian, colonial, and modern cultures is presented next. We then discuss hydrocarbon resources, geothermal energy, and natural hazards of volcanoes and earthquakes. The last half of the course focuses on Earth System Science themes, including El Nino, glaciers, the Amazon river and rainforest, and coral reefs. The final presentation concerns population growth and water resources along the US-Mexico border. Grades are based on two midterms, one final, and a project which requires that groups of students communicate with scientists in Latin America to explore some aspect of geography, natural resources, or the environment of a Latin American region of common interest. The course was taught in 2003 to 8 students and is being taught this Fall to 10. Lecture materials are distributed to the class as a series of PowerPoint presentations. Assessment of the course has been favorable, but the lack of a suitable text is a problem. Development of a GRELA textbook, perhaps in Spanish as well as in English, is essential for broad dissemination of a course like this, which is designed to introduce modern scientific observations to an undergraduate audience that is often not comfortable with science. We believe that the general approach and topics covered have great potential to stimulate the scientific interest of Hispanic undergraduates and that developing a GRELA text is essential for widespread adoption of this course.
ED51B-0016 0800h
Integrating outdoor activities into the FOSS curriculum: Effect on teacher practices on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Montana
A goal of the Center for Learning and Teaching West based at the University of Montana is to provide in-depth professional development through a combination of on-site and distance education activities to mathematics and science middle and high school teachers at identified high-needs schools. In accordance with the Center's goal, teachers on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation have been contacted as they meet the "high-needs" criteria: the schools are in a rural setting and educate mainly Native American students. Since the spring of 2003, contact with the directors of the Rural Systemic Initiative (RSI) on the Blackfeet Reservation has uncovered the need for integration of local outdoor earth science activities into the current Full Option Science System (FOSS) curriculum used in the middle school classrooms. This information combined with the results of a teacher interest survey sent out to the Blackfeet educators in early 2004 indicates an interest in professional development (PD) that covers training in both earth science and field experiences. This research focuses on the earth science teachers and their use of outdoor activities in their science curriculum. Much research has been conducted on the learning styles of Native American students and show that these students have some tendency toward: global/holistic style of organizing information, visual style of mental representation in thinking, reflective style for information processing, and preference of collaborative work on assigned tasks (Hilberg and Tharp, 2002). Though native students generally perform poorly in science, the belief is that their learning styles matched with hands-on, outdoor instruction may improve the students' connection with science and their performance on science assessments. Therefore, the first step in the process is to work with the teachers through professional development in order to incorporate activities that match the learning styles of their students. The workshop designed for the middle school teachers on the Blackfeet Reservation provides support for teachers with regards to FOSS training, content, and activities at local field sites (example is the outdoor classroom at Cut Bank Creek outside of Browning, MT) specific to the Earth History FOSS kit activities chosen for the workshop. The field activities will highlight National and Montana Science Content Standards identified by the teachers and specifically Montana Science Content Standard 5 which reads: "Students understand how scientific knowledge and technological developments impact society." The specific focus on this standard provides opportunity for the "traditional" and "practical" earth science experiences to be "integrated into the more formal content approach of school science (Cajete, 1988)"; a format more accessible to native students."
ED51B-0017 0800h
Enhancing Earth Science And IT Literacy Through Environmental Science Information Technology Activities
The Environmental Science Information Technology Activities (ESITA) program provides grades 9 and 10 students with under-represented minority backgrounds in the East San Francisco Bay Area with real-world opportunities to learn about and apply information technologies through a series of project-based activities related to environmental science. Supported by the NSF Information Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, ESITA activities engage students in the use of newly acquired information technology (IT) skills and understandings while performing air and water quality research investigations. One project that ESITA students have become involved in relates to the currently relevant issue of elevated levels of lead found in drinking waters in Washington, D.C. Students based in the Bay Area have initiated and maintained E-mail correspondence with children who attend elementary schools in the D.C. area. After receiving a thorough explanation of required sampling procedures devised by the Bay Area students, the elementary school children have sent 500 ml water samples from their homes and schools to Berkeley along with information about the locations from which the water samples were collected. These samples were then prepared for lead analysis at Lawrence Hall of Science by ESITA students, who used resulting data to perform a preliminary assessment of the geospatial distribution of lead trouble spots throughout Washington, DC. Later, ESITA student scientists will work with students from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health to develop surveys and questionnaires that generate high quality information useful with regard to assessing the impact of the current lead crisis on younger children in the Washington, D.C. area. Through the application of new understandings to current, real-world environmental problems and issues such as that related to lead, positive changes in students' attitudes towards IT and science have occurred, which accompany increases in their content learning and skills acquisition abilities.
ED51B-0018 0800h
Summary of the Journal of Geoscience Education Urban Theme Issue (Published in November, 2004)
The urban geoscience education theme issue includes twelve manuscripts describing efforts to make geoscience more inclusive. These efforts reflect two central beliefs: (1) that urban geoscience education more effectively serves urban residents (slightly more than 80% of the American population) and (2) that urban education encourages minority participation in the geosciences. These convictions spawned educational programs serving many different kinds of learners. Educators developed unique curricula to meet the needs of each audience, but most curricula incorporate content associated with the built environment. The following paragraphs summarize audience characteristics and curricular content. Audience Urban geoscience education served many different kinds of learners. Although most programs targeted an audience with a specific level of educational experience (e.g., elementary school students) at a specific location (e.g., Syracuse, NY), audience characteristics varied greatly from one program to another: (1) Participants included elementary, middle, and high school students, undergraduates (both majors and non-majors), K-12 teachers (both pre-service and in-service), graduate students, realtors, and community members. (2) At least three programs served populations with substantial numbers of African American, Hispanic, and Asian American students. (3) Audiences were drawn from every corner of the nation except the Pacific Northwest and Florida and resided in cities varying greatly in population. These cities included the nation's largest combined metropolitan area (New York City, NY-NJ-CT-PA), other metropolitan areas containing populations of over one million, and communities as small as Ithaca, NY (population: 96,501). As illustrated by the preceding examples, urban geoscience education served learners with different levels of educational experience, some programs focused on minority learners, and program participants lived in cities both big and small. Content Most urban geoscience curricula include content associated with the built environment. Some content is organized around themes that are unique to the largest cities, but much content is explicitly suburban. Examples follow: (1) A good example of a theme unique to the largest cities is the impact of geology on the construction of early Twentieth Century skyscrapers. (2) Much explicitly suburban material addresses human-environment interactions in urbanizing areas. The above examples show that curricula described in the theme issue include content relevant to both big city and suburban learners. Summary Although urban geoscience education programs serve many different kinds of learners, most curricula include content focusing on the built environment. Taken together, urban geoscience education programs utilized content relevant to both big city and suburban learners and served audiences with different levels of educational experience and various ethnic backgrounds.
ED51B-0019 0800h
Integrating policy issues into a university space weather curriculum
The integration of science and policy has been a challenge, or even absent, in graduate research programs at universities. While some universities offer science policy courses on a broad scale, offering science policy courses catered to graduate science students has been a major challenge for various reasons. This presentation will discuss a project aimed at integrating policy into a space weather curriculum. The goal is to educate the next generation of space weather scientists to gain an understanding and appreciation of policy so that they can assist policy makers to make sound public policy decisions. Space weather is a field where policy, societal, and economic aspects are becoming increasingly important as our society is becoming more dependent on activities and technology that are affected by conditions in the space environment. Solar and geomagnetic events can impact many different sectors that affect our daily lives--navigation, satellites, communications, pipelines, electric power systems, and human health in space and flight. A new generation of scientists are increasingly interested in the social and policy impacts of their science. It is important that young scientists are prepared to fully participate in the challenging opportunities that lie ahead, including communicating to policy makers, making sound public policy decisions, and communicating science to the public. Although this project is focused on the development of a space weather policy curriculum, it is anticipated that the project will serve as a model for broader science policy curricula.
ED51B-0020 0800h
The DEVELOP Program as a Unique Applied Science Internship
The NASA mission includes "Inspiring the next generation of explorers" and "Understanding and protecting our home planet". DEVELOP students conduct research projects in Earth Systems Science, gaining valuable training and work experience, which support accomplishing this mission. This presentation will describe the DEVELOP Program, a NASA human capital development initiative, which is student run and student led with NASA scientists serving as mentors. DEVELOP began in 1998 at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia and expanded to NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi and Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama in 2002. NASA's Ames Research Center in California began DEVELOP activity in 2003. DEVELOP is a year round activity. High school through graduate school students participate in DEVELOP with students' backgrounds encompassing a wide variety of academic majors such as engineering, biology, physics, mathematics, computer science, remote sensing, geographic information systems, business, and geography. DEVELOP projects are initiated when county, state, or tribal governments submit a proposal requesting students work on local projects. When a project is selected, science mentors guide students in the application of NASA applied science and technology to enhance decision support tools for customers. Partnerships are established with customers, professional organizations and state and federal agencies in order to leverage resources needed to complete research projects. Student teams are assigned a project and are responsible for creating an inclusive project plan beginning with the design and approach of the study, the timeline, and the deliverables for the customer. Project results can consist of student papers, both team and individually written, face-to-face meetings and seminars with customers, presentations at national meetings in the form of posters and oral papers, displays at the Western and Southern Governors' Associations, and visualizations produced by the students. Projects have included Homeland Security in Virginia, Energy Management in New Mexico, Water Management in Mississippi, Air Quality Management in Alabama, Invasive Species mapping in Nevada, Public Health risk assessment in California, Disaster Management in Oklahoma, Agricultural Efficiency in South Dakota, Coastal Management in Louisiana and Carbon Management in Oregon. DEVELOP students gain experience in applied science, computer technology, and project management. Several DEVELOP projects will be demonstrated and discussed during this presentation. DEVELOP is sponsored by the Applications Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate.
http://develop.larc.nasa.gov
ED51B-0021 0800h
An Exploration Geophysics Course With an Environmental Focus for an Urban Minority Institution
A hands-on exploration geophysics field course with an environmental focus has been developed with NSF support for use at the City College of New York in Manhattan. To maximize access for the students, no prerequisites beyond introductory earth science and physics are required. The course is taught for three hours on Saturday mornings. This has resulted in it attracting not only regular City College students, but also earth science teachers studying for alternate certification or Master's degrees. After a brief introduction to the nature of geophysics and to concepts in data processing, the course is taught in four three-week modules, one each on seismology, resistivity surveying, electromagnetic ground conductivity, and magnetic measurements. Each module contains one week of theory, a field experience, computer data analysis, and a final report. Field exercises are planned to emphasize teamwork and include realistic urban applications of the techniques. Student surveys done in conjunction with this course provide insights into the motivations and needs of the mostly minority students taking it. In general, these students come to the course already comfortable with teamwork and with working in the field. The questionnaires indicate that their greatest need is increased knowledge of the methods of geophysics and of the problems that can be attacked using it. Most of the students gave high ratings to the course, citing the fieldwork as the part that they most enjoyed. The results of these surveys will be presented, along with examples of the field exercises used. The computer analysis assignments written for this course will also be available.
ED51B-0022 0800h
Spanish Language Version of the "Windows to the Universe" Earth and Space Science Education Web Site
"Windows to the Universe" is a web site that provides over 6,000 pages of content on a broad range of Earth science and space science topics to K-12 students and teachers and to the general public. The entire site is being translated into Spanish (see http://www.windows.ucar.edu/spanish); approximately 1,000 pages have been translated and are currently available online. The site also includes write-ups of more than 80 hands-on classroom activities, about 20 of which have been translated into Spanish to date. Windows to the Universe was first offered to students and educators in 1995; the first Spanish language versions of pages were posted online in late 2003. This presentation will describe our efforts to date to make science education materials available to Spanish-speaking and bilingual students, educators, and the general public. It will cover our outreach efforts through the web, television and other traditional media outlets, presentations at science teachers' conferences, local schools, and other channels. Statistics describing usage of the Spanish language sections of the web site indicate that our efforts to reach Spanish-speaking learners are succeeding. As of early September 2004, the monthly averages for traffic to the Spanish language pages of the site are around 112,000 visitors, 120,000 sessions, and 349,000 pages viewed. These values account for 25%, 24%, and 16% of the total traffic to the entire (English and Spanish combined) site, respectively. Since a significant fraction of the English-language portion of the site still remains to be translated, and since approximately 13% of the population of the United States is of Hispanic origin, these numbers represent a remarkable success in terms of disseminating science education materials to Spanish-speaking students and teachers.
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/spanish
ED51B-0023 INVITED 0800h
Physics Education Research: Increasing Student Success Through Interactive Engagement
Over the last several decades the physics community has expanded to include educational research topics specific to the learning of physics - referred to as Physics Education Research (PER). PER includes pure research on student learning of physics as well as applied research leading to the development of curricular reforms. Impressive results have been achieved by curricular reforms that incorporate Interactive Engagement (IE) - involving the students more in their learning. Through validated diagnostic instruments such as the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and Maryland Physics Expectations Survey (MPEX), researchers have shown IE methods to improve both the learning and the attitudes of students in a physics course. Research has also shown these reforms to increase the success of minority and female students. The talk will present how particular curricular changes were successfully implemented and how the success was measured.
ED51B-0024 0800h
Project SMART at the University of New Hampshire: Integrating Space and Environmental Sciences Studies
We present an overview of the Science and Mathematics Achievement through Research Training (SMART) program at the University of New Hampshire. This academic program, designed for high school sophomores and juniors, emphasizes multidisciplinary development through active involvement in scientific research. Students with diverse backgrounds meet over a four week period in the summer at research centers across the University, and are given the opportunity to explore in depth fields of science that are not generally offered in high school curricula. Fields of study include Space Science, Biotechnology, Environmental Sciences, and Chemistry. The program includes interdisciplinary lectures, demonstrations, field trips, and "hands on" research experience. Our statistics from previous years of Project SMART indicate that typically more than $50%$ of the enrollees are women. Student research in Space Science this summer has involved several NASA flight missions (Wind, ACE, Cluster) and computer simulations. Environmental Science research topics focused on aquatic and terrestrial studies, many involving remote sensing analysis and image processing methods. The knowledge students gained was tied together in the form of research posters they presented on the last day of the program and defended in a public viewing to other researchers, friends, and families. We present examples of cross-disciplinary studies integrating concepts from both Space and Environmental Sciences and of student-generated research.
ED51B-0025 0800h
New Courses in Earth and Space Science for Students in Science, Engineering, and Science Education
We describe a new two-semester course in Earth and Space Science, recently initiated at Howard University, sponsored by a NASA Aerospace Workforce Development Program grant (by way of the DC Space Grant Consortium) and a NASA/USRA Earth System Science Education for the 21st Century (ESSE21) program grant. This course is open to students majoring in science, engineering, or education (science focus). The courses include reviews of some of the basic physical science topics applicable to remote sensing, atmospheric science, rockets and space flight, and astrophysics. A major theme is that Earth Science is now considered to be a specialty in the broader topic of Planetary Science, and the same basic physics applies to all. It gives (as examples) both the programs carried out with Earth-viewing spacecraft (such as Terra, Aqua, and Aura), and planetary missions such as Lunar Prospector, Mars Odyssey, and Cassini-Huygens, and planetary observations with the Hubble Space Telescope. We also include "hands-on" activities in optics, spectroscopy, and astronomical observations. We will also discuss the results of the first semester course (Spring 2004) and plans for the second (Fall 2004) session.
ED51B-0026 0800h
MAEA Interactive Science Programs: An Innovative Approach to Address the Under-representation of Minorities and Women in Science, Math, and Technological Fields.
Minority Aviation Education Association Inc. (MAEA) was founded in 1992 by Darryl Lee Baynes to address the under-representation of minorities and women in all science, math, and technological fields. The organization is committed to exposing minorities and women to science, math, and technology in grades K-12. The first objective of MAEA is to educate teachers on how to integrate hands-on experiments in their class and include inquiry based learning in their science curriculum. A second objective is to educate students, teachers, and the community regarding the history of minorities in the fields of science, math, and technology, in order to provide role models in these fields. The last objective is to demonstrate the relevance of science in everyday life, with the intention of stimulating future career interest in the fields of science, math, and technology. MAEA currently offers more than 70 hands on inquiry-based programs that are aligned with the 2061 Bench Marks and National Science Standards. The programs are divided into four main categories: auditorium/classroom, enrichment and outreach, after school, and professional development. For the last 14 years, MAEA has served communities and schools across the country with remarkable success and therefore offers an alternative model for K-12 science education. This alternative is significant to the scientific community because it links the under-served population to an active academic and professional pipeline.
http://www.maeasciencecenter.org
ED51B-0027 0800h
Environmental Science Education at Sinte Gleska University
At Sinte Gleska University, basically we face two problems 1. The lack of natural resources/environmental education instructors and students. 2. High turnover in the drinking water (and waste water / environmental monitoring) jobs. As soon as people are trained, they typically leave for better paying jobs elsewhere. To overcome these In addition to regular teaching we conduct several workshops year around on environmental issues ranging from tree plantation, preserving water resources, sustainable agriculture and natural therapy (ayurvedic treatment- the Lakota way of treating illness) etc. We offer workshops about the negative impacts brought about by the development and use of hydropower, fossil fuel and nuclear energy (but include topics like reclamation of land after mining). Not only does the harvest and consumption of these energy forms devastate the land and its plants, animals, water and air, but the mental, spiritual, and physical health and culture of Native peoples suffer as well. In contrast, wind power offers an environmentally friendly source of energy that also can provide a source of income to reservations.
ED51B-0028 0800h
Sun-Earth Scientists and Native Americans Collaborate on Sun-Earth Day
Sun-Earth Connection scientists have established partnerships with several minority professional societies to reach out to the blacks, Hispanics and Native American students. Working with NSBP, SACNAS, AISES and NSHP, SEC scientists were able to speak in their board meetings and national conferences, to network with minority scientists, and to engage them in Sun-Earth Day. Through these opportunities and programs, scientists have introduced NASA research results as well indigenous views of science. They also serve as role models in various communities. Since the theme for Sun-Earth Day 2005 is Ancient Observatories: Timeless Knowledge, scientists and education specialists are hopeful to excite many with diverse backgrounds. Sun-Earth Day is a highly visible annual program since 2001 that touches millions of students and the general public. Interviews, classroom activities and other education resources are available on the web at sunearthday.nasa.gov.
http://sunearthday.nasa.gov