Exploring Geoscience Methods

Jim Ebert (SUNY Oneonta)
Scott Linneman (Western Washington University)

Jeff Thomas (Central Connecticut State University)
Editor: Anne Egger (Central Washington University)

This material was developed and reviewed through the InTeGrate curricular materials development process. (view details)

This material was developed and reviewed through the InTeGrate curricular materials development process. This rigorous, structured process includes:

team-based development to ensure materials are appropriate across multiple educational settings.
multiple iterative reviews and feedback cycles through the course of material development with input to the authoring team from both project editors and an external assessment team.
real in-class testing of materials in at least 3 institutions with external review of student assessment data.
multiple reviews to ensure the materials meet the InTeGrate materials rubric which codifies best practices in curricular development, student assessment and pedagogic techniques.
review by external experts for accuracy of the science content.

Initial Publication Date: September 18, 2014

Summary

This module gives pre-service secondary science teachers the opportunity to use and reflect on geoscientific thinking. The module begins with an exploration of how geoscience methods are similar to and different from the stereotypical experimental scientific method. Then, students use methods of geoscience (e.g., systems thinking, multiple converging lines of evidence, developing spatial and temporal frameworks) in a data-rich, interdisciplinary exploration of the human impacts of global climate change. They will use spatial and temporal data, data visualizations and Google Earth to address the scientific question "To what extent are coastal communities at risk due to climate change?" and the socio-scientific issue "To what extent should we build or re-build coastal communities?" Finally, pre-service teachers explore high-quality, freely available curricular resources to develop a standards-based, interdisciplinary lesson that embeds geoscientific thinking and content as part of biology, chemistry, Earth science, physics or social science instruction. Pre-service teachers further explore societal impacts in the lessons that they develop. The module can be taught in 6-12 hours of class time, plus substantial homework.

Strengths of the Module

Students who learn with this module will:

Develop a deeper understanding of the process of science and how to foster that understanding in their students
Engage in a data-rich activity that is well-aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
Make an argument about the development of coastal communities based on evidence from sea level rise and tropical storm intensity
Become familiar with high-quality, online resources for teaching Earth science

In working with data, students will:

Use Google Earth to measure distances, elevation, and areas
Graph numerical data in Excel, and analyze the graphs for trends
Use climate forecast models to make predictions

Show NGSS addressed in this module

Supported Next Generation Science Standards:

Performance expectation: HS-ESS3-5. Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.
Science and engineering practices: Analyzing and interpreting data
Cross-cutting concepts: Systems and system models; stability and change
Disciplinary core ideas: ESS2.D Weather and climate, ESS3.D Global climate change
Connections to nature of science: Scientific investigations use a variety of methods

Show literacy principles addressed in this module

Supported Earth Science Literacy Principles :

Big idea 8: Natural hazards pose risks to humans.

Supported Essential Principles of Climate Science:

Essential principle 7: Climate change will have consequences for the Earth system and human lives.

Supported community developed, nationally-recognized Ocean Science Literacy Principles :

Essential Principle 6: The ocean and humans and inextricably interconnected.

Addressed community developed, nationally-recognized Atmospheric Science Literacy Principles :

... 6: We seek to understand the past, present, and future behavior of Earth's atmosphere through scientific observation and reasoning.

Addressed grand challenges in earth and environmental science ( This site may be offline. ) :

Mitigate risk and build resilience from natural and human-made hazards (AGI)
Quantify consequences, impacts, effects (GSA)

A great fit for courses in:

Secondary science methods*
Earth science education
Elementary science methods
Nature of science
Environmental studies

Show me more about secondary science methods courses*

This module is designed for courses in Secondary Science Teaching Methods. Most colleges and universities that offer secondary teacher certification have such a course. Methods courses are taught commonly by faculty from a college/department of education (science education specialists), but may also be taught by disciplinary education specialists from science departments. The course typically focuses on instructional strategies appropriate for middle and high school science and usually includes designing (and sometimes peer-teaching) instructional units in the discipline for which the student is seeking certification. The course is usually taken after students have completed their disciplinary coursework and before student teaching. Students in methods courses commonly have widely varying academic backgrounds, with no to major expertise in any particular science discipline. For example, the pre-service Earth science teachers (with experience in many geoscience courses) may be classmates with pre-service physics teachers, who may have no geoscience experience. Therefore, this short module will introduce all pre-service secondary science teachers to the unique methods of geoscience and give them experience in embedding geoscience methods and content in interdisciplinary lessons.

Instructor Stories: How this module was adapted
for use at several institutions »