Scott Linneman: Using Exploring Geoscience Methods with Secondary Education Students in Methods in Secondary Education for Science Teachers at Western Washington University
This one quarter, 5-credit course is for pre-service secondary science teachers. It includes the study of literature, curriculum, and teaching strategies in life, Earth, and physical sciences for grades 4-12. Students also participate in peer teaching and school observations. Prerequisites include admission to the secondary teaching program and a major or concentration in natural sciences; one course as an introduction to secondary education; and one course as an introduction to science education.

Jeff Thomas: Using Exploring Geoscience Methods with Secondary Education Students in the History and Nature of Science at Central Connecticut State University
During the first five weeks of the course, students are introduced to the history and nature of science, the methods of science, and crosscutting science concepts (e.g. patterns, systems). This includes theoretical constructs (e.g. readings about inductive and deductive scientific reasoning) as well as applications for the secondary science classroom (e.g. doing inquiry-based activities). During the second five weeks, students implement an inquiry-based activity based on a major scientific discovery that incorporates the nature and methods of science. Students also create a formal presentation about this discovery (e.g. history of the discovery, methods utilized by scientists), as well as the impact of this discovery on society.

Cara Thompson: Using Ocean Sustainability in Physical Oceanography at Santa Monica College
Cara Thompson, Arizona State University Campus Immersion
I implemented the Ocean Sustainability Module in my introductory Physical Oceanography course at a two-year junior college (Santa Monica College). Many of our students struggle in science courses. It was great to see those students grasp concepts through the hands-on, student-lead learning provided in this module.

Michelle Kinzel: Using Ocean Sustainability in GEO 101 — Introduction to Physical Geography at Southwestern College
MICHELLE KINZEL, Southwestern College
This module was piloted with a dynamic and enthusiastic group of non-majors students in a science course. These students began the semester with trepidation and a fear of science, and after completing this unit, they were confident in speaking and writing about ocean sciences and issues of sustainability. I am confident these modules help develop strong environmental stewards who are empowered to make good citizen decisions regarding our oceans.

Louisa Bradtmiller: Modeling Earth Systems at Macalester College
Louisa Bradtmiller, Macalester College
Building skills and confidence through modeling This course attempts to teach students to think like a modeler in a single semester, without any pre-requisites in math or computer science. By using a visually-based software package and introducing a few new ideas and skills each week, students acquire the tools they need to test hypotheses with their own independently-constructed models by the end of the course. The course was unique for me because there was almost no lecturing; just a few minutes at the start of each week's 3-hour block. The fact that the students spent almost all of in-class time each week working on translating the readings into working models meant that they got to try, fail, ask questions, talk with each other, and try again, all with the instructor present.

Kirsten Menking: Using Modeling Earth Systems in Modeling the Earth at Vassar College
Kirsten Menking, Vassar College
I used the Modeling Earth Systems materials in my senior seminar at Vassar College in the spring of 2016. I have taught a numerical modeling course for many years now, but this was the first time that the course focused entirely on the climate system. Fourteen students, drawing from the programs in Earth Science, Biology, and Environmental Studies, took the course. During that time, students learned the fundamentals of modeling in the context of exercises about Earth's radiative equilibrium with the sun, the role of life in moderating climate, the impact of changes in Earth's orbital cycles on the growth and decay of ice sheets, how climate change affects thermohaline circulation (and vice versa), and how human greenhouse gas emissions are altering global temperatures, among other topics.

Dr. Dave Bice: Using Modeling Earth Systems in Modeling the Earth System at The Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
David Bice, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
This course attempts to teach students to think like a modeler and learn about Earth System dynamics through the construction and experimentation with computer models. At Penn State, this is a required class for a new major on Earth Science and Policy, and its prerequisites include calculus, chemistry, and introductory earth science. There were no traditional lectures in this class; students came to each class period having completed the background reading. The class periods were working sessions in which the students worked through exercises that guided them through constructing and then experimenting with models created in STELLA (a visually-based program for creating models).

Rebecca Teed: Using Changing Biosphere in Concepts in Earth Science for Middle-Childhood Educators II at Wright State University-Main Campus
Rebecca Teed, Wright State University-Main Campus
Earth Systems for Pre-service Science Teachers My students are preparing to teach science themselves, and are expected to learn through inquiry. This course is intended to address a number of major themes in middle-grades science standards, and to emphasize approaches and topics that are especially challenging, like systems thinking and Earth history. This module offers an important hook for Earth history: the current mass extinction resulting from multiple modern ecological crises including climate change, invasive species, and habitat destruction. Systems thinking is vital to understanding the chains of cause and effect that drive both ancient and modern mass extinctions. My students were very interested in the similarities between ancient and modern disasters.

Camille Holmgren: Using Changing Biosphere in World Natural Environments at SUNY Buffalo State
Camille Holmgren, SUNY Buffalo State University
This module was used over several weeks in an introductory physical geography course. Although required for Geography majors, it is primarily populated by non-majors seeking to fulfill their natural science requirement. The focus on a big issue facing society, extinctions and biodiversity loss, led to a high level of engagement among students who came to the course with a range of academic backgrounds, interests, and abilities. Students were also introduced to scientific uncertainty and the idea that there is not always a single answer or approach for addressing societal issues such as setting priorities for biodiversity conservation.

Ashlee Dere: Introduction to the Critical Zone at University of Nebraska at Omaha
Ashlee Dere, University of Nebraska at Omaha
The Introduction to the Critical Zone modules work well as a small (< 20 students) upper level/graduate course for geoscience majors and is now a permanent part of our geoscience curriculum. The materials employ active learning techniques that are enjoyable to work on with the students and provide a strong foundation in Critical Zone Science. Students really enjoyed the interdisciplinary nature of the material and the opportunity to use real data and practice skills they are likely to use in their jobs. The students reported and demonstrated improvement in their critical thinking skills and confidence in problem solving because the course focused on building skills rather than memorizing content.