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.

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).

Karl Kreutz: Using Systems Thinking in Global Environmental Change at University of Maine
Karl Kreutz, University of Maine
My course focuses on the reservoir of atmospheric carbon dioxide – what controls it, how it has changed in the geologic past, how it is changing now and the role that humans have played in its evolution, the effects on Earth's energy balance, and potential future climate and environmental implications. Because these processes play out on a range of time and space scales, direct experimentation is difficult in an undergraduate setting. Systems thinking provides an ideal platform for understanding the flow of carbon between reservoirs, and for gaining an appreciation of how important the intersection of earth science and society is with respect to carbon, climate, and energy. Implementing this module made a dramatic difference in the class, improving student learning on everything from global models of the carbon cycle to the formation and flow of methane in our local peat bog.

Nicole Davi: Hydrology and the Environment at William Paterson University of New Jersey
nicole davi, William Paterson University of New Jersey
Students in my hydrology class were very engaged and excited to use these materials. The instructions were clear and the students did a great job working through the module in the time allotted. Having them analyze and compare datasets firsthand was very effective and motivating. Students developed a much deeper sense of our water problems and how they connect to them and also a better sense at how to evaluate data first hand.

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.

Dr. Kristen Cecala: Using An Ecosystem Services Approach to Water Resources in Biology 210 at Sewanee: the University of the South
Kristen Cecala, Sewanee: the University of the South
Ecology regularly integrates expertise developed in other disciplines to allow us to understand interactions in the natural world. Teaching concepts in ecosystem ecology that require rudimentary comprehension of chemistry for nutrient cycling and availability can be challenging for two reasons: 1) students have the misconception that scientific disciplines don't inform one another, and 2) nutrient cycling can seem abstract.

Adam Wymore: Introduction to Critical Zone Science at University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Adam Wymore, University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
This course was taught as an upper-division elective to Environmental Science Majors at the University of New Hampshire. The student body reflected a mix of students specializing in Ecosystem Ecology, Soils, and Hydrology. This diversity, as well as my training as a biologist made for an rich combination of perspectives on Critical Zone Science. At the end of course, students really appreciated the holistic approach to environmental and earth system science.

Tara Jo Holmberg: Using the A Growing Concern and Soils, Systems, and Society Modules in Introduction to Environmental Science at Northwestern Connecticut Community College
Tara Holmberg, Northwestern Connecticut Community College
This course was taught within a newly designed 21st century classroom. The 16 students were from a variety of majors, most taking it as their science elective and 3 as a major requirement. This particular class was one of the most engaged I have ever had. While the personality of the class was unique, upbeat, and engaged, the design of the classroom cannot be overlooked as a contributing factor in the success of this implementation.