Overcoming Challenges of Teaching Earth History Classes for Teachers in a Rock-free, Urban Environment
Douglas W. Haywick, Lee S. Yokel, Memory Wedgeworth 2004 Journal of Geoscience Education v52, n5, p429

Abstract - Instructing university-level Earth history to future teachers is made all the more difficult when it is being done in an urban environment devoid of any local rock outcroppings. At the University of South Alabama, which is located along the rock-free central Gulf Coast, we have attempted to improve Earth history instruction to education majors by using a three-pronged approach: (1) designing a course specifically for students intending to become science teachers; (2) encouraging students to think “locally” when designing geological teaching activities and (3) offering future teachers relevant field excursions and directed research opportunities. Our main objective is to demonstrate to new science teachers that geology is all around them, regardless of their location. It is this philosophy that we wish them to communicate to their students in the public school system.


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Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Historical Geology
Resource Type: Pedagogic Resources:Research Results, Journal Article