volume xxv, issue 4 winter 2009 $10* the earth scientistchoose your own adventure ® ... these are...

The earTh ScienTiST

Read it online at www.nestanet.org

Volume XXV, Issue 4Winter 2009

$10*

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park. Photo taken on May 1, 2009 by Parker Pennington IV

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

From the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

From the Executive Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Editor’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2009 Index of TES Articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Five Activities for Differentiated Instruction on Human‑Induced Climate Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Students’ Inquiry in and about the Earth Science Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Improving Comprehension of Geomorphic Concepts through Inquiry‑Based Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Advertising in the NESTA Quarterly Journal, The Earth Scientist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Improving Earth Science Instruction with an Integrated Earth Systems Science Matrix . . . . . . . 19

Understanding the Rock Cycle Through a Choose Your Own Adventure® Classroom Activity . . . . 23

The Rewards and Challenges of Integrating Graduate Student Teaching Fellows into the Middle and High School Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Integrating Google Earth with the QUEST for Earth Science Literacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Designing Sustainable Communities: An Inquiry‑Based Approach to Teaching Earth Systems Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Membership Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

The Earth Scientist (TES) Manuscript Guidelines. . . . . 42

NESTA Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

*ISSN 1045-4772

This themed issue sponsored by The Pennsylvania State University TESSE Team

The Earth Scientist

© 2009 National Earth Science Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

From The PreSidenT

neSTa conTacTS

EXECUTIVE BOARD

President

Dr. Michael J. Passow

[email protected]

President-Elect

Ardis Herrold

[email protected]

Past President

Parker Pennington IV

[email protected]

Secretary

Missy Holzer

[email protected]

Treasurer

Bruce Hall

[email protected]

Board Representative

Tom Ervin

[email protected]

Executive Director

Dr. Roberta Johnson

[email protected]

Your FuTure in/The FuTure oF earTh Science educaTionby Dr. Michael J. Passow, NESTA President 2008 - 2010

This message is being written in the midst of “Conference Season,” as I look over the Rochester (NY) Convention Center where attendees at the Science Teachers Association of New York State hurry to workshops, subject area luncheons, and special talks. Last night, Jerome Ringo of the Apollo Alliance (www.apolloalliance.org) gave a rousing keynote about the interconnections among economy, environment, and education.

Two weeks ago, the Geological Society of America brought thousands of geoscientists to Portland (OR) for sharing cutting‑edge research and developing plans to support ES education at all levels. We continue to learn of school districts that diminish Earth Science offerings, and even of college geology departments who very existence is threatened. On the positive side, at that meeting plans were announced to host a “Summit on Earth Science Education” next February. NESTA’s Executive Director, Dr. Roberta Johnson, serves on the organizing committee.

The first NSTA area convention has just ended, and two more are rapidly approaching. Many NSTA members are presenting in our Share‑a‑thins or otherwise involved at these meetings. State science education conferences are also recently passed or soon approaching. These are ideal opportunities to gather inspiration from workshops and sample curriculum materials, as well as network with colleagues. Whether you are a first‑year teacher or experienced educator, participating in a conference makes a major impact on what ones does in the next few weeks, the rest of the school year, and over one’s career. It’s also great to travel to new places and see new land‑scapes.

But the reality is that many of us cannot easily get away from our schools to attend conferences, whether by district policy restrictions or for financial limitations. Things aren’t always fair, and it is what it is.

So what are the alternatives? One, of course, is to utilize the online resources we in NESTA provide for each other. Our website, www.nestanet.org, is designed to be inter‑active—every member can add to our growing collection of images, lesson plans, etc. Everyone can benefit from what we all share. We can make our website the equivalent of a “virtual conference” with your assistance and contributions. Sure, it’s not the same as flying or driving somewhere, staying in hotel rooms, and browsing exhibit displays. But if you can’t be at the meeting, then help make our website become a good substitute.

Second, make yourself someone whom your district will be proud to have attending conferences. Participate in a Share‑a‑thon, field trip, or workshop. Become valuable, or even invaluable!

Better yet, consider taking on the challenges of NESTA leadership. Our Fall 2009 Elec‑tion is the most open in many years. We must select a new Treasurer in light of the retirement of Bruce Hall, our longest‑serving Executive Committee member. We elect five Regional Directors and our Secretary. We also need volunteers to serve on NESTA Committees. President‑Elect Ardis Herrold ([email protected]) or I (michael@earth‑2class.org) will readily provide more information—just send us an e‑mail.

Volume XXV, Issue 4


From The execuTive direcTorDear NESTA Members,

I hope you enjoy this themed issue of The Earth Scientist, which focuses on Earth System science education, sponsored by The Pennsylvania State University TESSE Team (with support from an award from the National Science Foundation).

As we all know, the Earth sciences – geology, atmospheric science, oceanography, environmental science, space science, and other disciplines – are not isolated and unrelated fields. Instead, the interconnectedness of the Earth sciences has become more and more apparent in recent decades. As disciplinary scientists work to refine their understanding of aspects of the Earth and other planets, they find themselves needing to take into account processes that involve other disciplines. In recognition of this, educators and scientists have increasingly promoted the value of taking a systemic perspective to our science. Earth system science is the study of the phys‑ical, chemical, biological, and social processes and interactions that determine the state and dynamic behavior of the planet on which we live.

With support from NSF and NOAA, there have been a number of recent efforts to identify the key concepts that “literate” people should understand about components of the Earth System – the atmosphere, the ocean, Earth science, and climate. These concepts have been brought together in the form of “frameworks”, and most have been cross‑correlated with the National Science Education Standards. Information on all of them, with links to the individual framework websites and pdfs of the associated brochures, are available at www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/teacher_resources/main/teacher_resources.html .

The theme of NESTA’s Earth and Space Science Resource Day on Saturday at the NSTA in Philadelphia will be on Earth System science. The day will include several lectures, as well as a Share‑a‑Thon that focuses on classroom activities and resources that bring this theme to life in the classroom. If you can make it, please plan on attending. Better yet, if you have Earth System science resources you would like to share with your colleagues, please consider presenting at the Share‑a‑Thon yourself! You can apply online to present at this (or any of the other NESTA Share‑a‑Thons on Friday on Geology, Atmospheric and Oceanic science, or Space Science) at www.nestanet.org/cms/content/conferences/nsta/shareathons/apply, or contact NESTA’s Share‑a‑Thon coordinator, Michelle Harris, at [email protected].

As Michael Passow, our NESTA President, mentions in his President’s Letter found elsewhere in this issue of TES, we are now in the thick of the NESTA fall conference season, with our activities at the Minneapolis and Fort Lauderdale NSTA Regional Conferences behind us, and ready to leave for Phoenix shortly. Our events have been very successful – well attended with enthusiastic participants. I believe I’ve detected a renewed energy and enthusiasm for Earth science education at these events. I’ve been hearing about clusters of activity across the country, where Earth science teachers are organizing to promote Earth science education in their states, in collaboration with NESTA. NESTA leadership is excited about this development, and is working now to develop pathways to support this movement.

Best regards,

Roberta Johnson

neSTa conTacTS

REGIONAL DIRECTORSCentral Region ‑ IL, IA, MN, MO, WIYvette [email protected]

East Central Region ‑ IN, KY, MI, OHRon [email protected]

Eastern Region ‑ DE, NJ, PAMichael [email protected]

Far Western and Hawaii Region ‑ CA, GU, HI, NV Wendy Van [email protected]

Mid-Atlantic Region ‑ DC, MD, VA, WVMichelle [email protected]

New England Region ‑ CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VTLisa Sarah [email protected]

New York Region ‑ NYGilles [email protected]

North Central Region ‑ MT, NE, ND, SD, WY Richard [email protected]

Northwest Region ‑ AK, ID, OR, WA & British ColumbiaJo [email protected]

South Central Region ‑ AR, KS, LA, OK, TXKurtis [email protected]

Southeastern Region ‑ AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, PR, SC, TNBob [email protected]

Southwest Region ‑ AZ, CO, NM, UT Howard [email protected]

Directors-at-LargeSteve [email protected]@charter.net

Tom [email protected]

The Earth Scientist


DISCLAIMER

The information contained herein is provided as a service to our members with the understanding that NESTA (National Earth Science Teachers Association) makes no warranties, either expressed or implied, concerning the accuracy, completeness, reli‑ability, or suitability of the information. Nor does NESTA warrant that the use of this information is free of any claims of copy‑right infringement. In addition, the views expressed in The Earth Scientist are those of the authors and advertisers and may not reflect NESTA policy.

ediTor’S cornerWelcome to this special issue of The Earth Scientist, sponsored by The Pennsylvania State University TESSE Team and featuring the work of some of the middle and high school teachers, and graduate and undergraduate students who have participated in our program over the past three years.

TESSE – Transforming Earth System Science Education – is a collaborative project among scientists and educators from the University of New Hampshire, Dillard University, Elizabeth City State University, and the Pennsylvania State University. This multi‑year project is funded by the National Science Foundation (Award #0631377). In‑service middle school and high school teachers enroll in a graduate‑level course that includes an extended summer residential workshop focused on Earth System Science content and inquiry‑based pedagogy. The summer workshop involves the active participation of pre‑service teachers and graduate students majoring in an Earth Science‑related field. Following the summer workshop, the graduate students act as science content experts, partnering with the in‑service teachers for the academic year. The graduate students and teachers work as a team to develop and implement hands‑on curricular materials and assessment vehicles. This partnership enriches the professional capabilities of the graduate students and the teachers in complementary ways, strengthening both current and future members of the educa‑tional workforce in this critical area.

The teachers and students whose works appear in this journal come from across the state of Pennsylvania and include veteran and new Earth Science teachers at both private and public schools. We are so proud of the creative efforts of the Penn State TESSE Team, and hope you will enjoy their innovative and creative contributions!

Penn State TESSE Project Leaders and Guest Writers of this Editor’s Corner – Tanya Furman, Professor of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State UniversityLaura Guertin, Associate Professor of Earth Science, Penn State Brandywine

TES Editor

Tom Ervin

Yellowstone in Winter. Ready for a Steam bath?  Photo by Rich Jones.

Volume XXV, Issue 4


2009 index oF TeS arTicleSTITLE AUTHOR ISSUE PAGE

Earth Science Revolution ‑ TXESS Airhart, M. Spring 5‑9

Professional Development Through Effective Distance Learning

Gillam, D. & Sherman‑Morris, K.

Spring 10‑13

NCAR Online Climate Discovery Courses: Professional Development for Geoscience Educators

Henderson, S., Johnson, R., Gardiner, L., Ward, D., Russell, R., Meymaris, K., Hatheway, B.

Spring 14‑18

Young Astronomers Video Contest Herrold, A. Spring 19‑20

NESTA 2008 Membership Survey Results Part 1: Demographics

Johnson, R. Spring 21‑23

Delta Dynamics: Understanding Land‑Loss in Louisiana

Trowbridge, J. Spring 24‑26

A Call to Action – Let’s Bring Rigorous Earth Science to the High Schools

Van Norden, W. Spring 27‑29

Wind Chill Vavrek, R.J. Spring 30‑34

NESTA Awards and Recognition Pennington, P. Summer 7‑9

NESTA 2008 Membership Survey Results Part 2: Resources and Programs

Johnson, R. Summer 10‑13

Linking the Geologic with the Biologic: Ecological Stewardship as a Means to Teach Geology Related to Costal Land Loss

Blanchard, P. Summer 14‑21

Building a Model in the Classroom to Illustrate Human Interference with Sand Drift

Pereira, H. Summer 22‑24

Misconceptions in Astronomy: Identifying Them in Your Students and a New Teaching Resource to Help Address Them

McDonald, J. Summer 25‑29

Creationism in the New Texas Standards for Earth and Space Science

Newton, S. Summer 30‑33

NESTA 2008 Membership Survey Results Part 3: Member Needs, Concerns, and Trends

Johnson, R. Fall 6‑13

The Earth Scientist


2009 index oF TeS arTicleS conT.

TITLE AUTHOR ISSUE PAGE

Why Was New Orleans Built and Why Should It Be?

Burke, J. 14‑17

Understanding ClimateCelebrate Earth Science Week 2009

Camphire, G. Fall 18‑20

Shake It Up! Engaging Students in Engineering Problems and Experimental Design

Smith, M., Scharsig, J., Smth R.

Fall 21‑26

Earthlearningidea – An Initiative for the International Year of Planet Earth and Beyond.

King, C., Kennett, P., Devon, E.

Fall 27

What Can High School Students Discover Experimentally about the Evolution of the Atmosphere

Signorelli, J. Fall 28‑33

Five Activities for Differentiated Instruction on Human‑Induced Climate Change

Dorsch, A.,Furman, T., Guertin, L.

Winter 7‑9

Students’ Inquiry in and about the Earth Science Classroom

Drozynski, D., Ellis, J., Furman, T., Guertin, L.

Winter 10‑13

Improving Comprehension of Geomorphic Concepts through Inquiry‑Based Learning

Ellis, J., Furman, T., McAninch, S., Stout, H.

Winter 14‑18

Improving Earth Science Instruction with an Integrated Earth Systems Matrix

Charles, L., Klein, C., Narkiewicz, M., Furman, T., Guertin, L.

Winter 19‑22

Understanding the Rock cycle Through a Choose Your Own Adventure © Classroom Activity

Hartwell, B., Schoch, K., Furman, T., Guertin, L.

Winter 23‑26

The Rewards and Challenges of Integrating Graduate Student Teaching Fellows into the Middle and High School Classroom

Nelson, W., Furman, T., Guertin, L.

Winter 27‑30

Integrating Google Earth with the QUEST for Earth Science Literacy

Neville, S., Guertin, L. Winter 31‑34

Designing Sustainable Communities: An Inquiry‑Based Approach to Teaching Earth Systems Science

Hoffman, J., Vishio, N., Furman, T., Guertin, L.

Winter 35‑39

Volume XXV, Issue 4


abSTracTThe topic of climate change is an important topic for middle school students to learn about, not only for the scientific information but also for the connec‑tions it makes to human activities. Typically, the textbook used in a 7th grade science curriculum does not adequately address this current issue, and informal feedback and test scores show that students do not have a good understanding of atmospheric dynamics. To engage students in learning about climate change and to provide them ownership over their learning, a differentiated instructional approach was introduced. Students were allowed to work as individuals or in teams on one of five different projects connected with human‑induced climate change. With this hands‑on, differentiated approach, the instructor saw a marked improvement in student content knowl‑edge and enthusiasm for learning about global climate change and human impacts.

background Teaching about the Earth’s atmosphere comprises one quarter of the 7th grade science curriculum at Shenango Junior/Senior High School. The textbook for this course discusses climate change in one section of the final chapter, and dedicates only a few pages to possible impacts of human‑induced climate change, including global warming. In previous years, the topic was covered through traditional peda‑gogical methods, i.e., notes to accompany the information in the book. This approach was insufficient for a topic of such social and scientific importance. Students who received this traditional instruction were not able to demonstrate comprehension of the connections between human activities and climate impacts on examinations, despite having specifically reviewed the material in class prior to the exam. These students were also fundamentally confused about the scientific material, completing the unit without being able, for example, to explain the difference between climate change and ozone depletion on unit tests. The lead author sought a more mean‑ingful approach to the topic that would facilitate students’ ownership of the concepts surrounding climate change. This effort was initiated during the summer 2008 Trans‑forming Earth System Science Education (TESSE) workshop at Penn State University, and was refined and implemented in the 2008‑2009 school year.

Five acTiviTieS For diFFerenTiaTed inSTrucTion

on human-induced climaTe change

Al Dorsch, Shenango Area School DistrictTanya Furman, Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University

Laura Guertin, Division of Earth Science, Pennsylvania State University Brandywine

The Earth Scientist


aPProachIn order to incorporate atmospheric studies using an Earth System approach, climate change had to be addressed using a more scientific and thoughtful approach than that of the available textbook. The understanding that humans can cause global disruption in one of Earth’s major systems is essential for human survival and merits the best of teaching strategies. Annually, from 2004‑2008, the students had been polled prior to the climate change unit and their responses demonstrated a clear deficit in their understanding of this topic. Most students understood the term global warming, although there was widespread moderate confusion as to the causal relationship between human activity and climate change. There was great confusion about the negligible role of ozone depletion in climate change; a majority of students thought that ozone depletion and global warming were the same phenomenon. These findings underscore the importance of a project emphasizing these topics.

Students received traditional instruction on climate change in class using materials from the textbook, videos and articles. This instruction focused on identifying green‑house gases, recognizing sources and sinks of gases, understanding the greenhouse mechanism and predicting its effects, and integrating the atmospheric system as an important component of the Earth System. Each student then selected one of the five scenarios described below, and took on the role of an adult with a profession that required understanding of climate change. The job and project choices cover a wide range of skills, and students could choose the scenario that they felt would best exhibit their strengths. This differentiated instructional approach enables students with a broad range of abilities to feel ownership of the project and the material, and permits students to choose whether to work in a group or on their own. Students were able to use three class periods for their work, and any additional time was invested outside of class.

ProjecT choiceS and deScriPTionS

1. Awareness Campaign (2 or 3 students per group)Students take on the role of local employees of the Environmental Protection Agency based in New Castle, PA. The students’ job is to inform local citizens about climate change and outline ways that individuals can reduce their individual carbon and energy footprints in order to avoid a new tax. Deliverables for this project take the form of various media, including posters, pamphlets or a brochure.

2. NOAA Survey (3 or 4 students per group)Students act as government employees working for the National Oceanic and Atmo‑spheric Administration. Their job is to develop and implement a reliable survey with which students at Shenango are polled to discover their knowledge regarding global warming. The final products of this scenario are the survey and an analysis of the findings.

3. Research Paper (individual) A student plays the role of a research scientist who also writes for Discover magazine. The task is to find evidence defending the viewpoint: “Global warming is real” and present the findings in the form of a cited research paper with maps, diagrams and graphs.

4. Climate Change Newscast (3 or 4 students per group)Students act as television news reporter assigned to report on global warming in the year 2110. They express through a fictional, recorded newscast, based on scientific evidence known today, the effects of climate change 100 years in the future on agri‑culture, wildlife, sea level and human health.

Volume XXV, Issue 4


5. Journalist (individual)A student is assigned by the Associated Press to report on global warming in the year 2110. The deliverable is a newspaper article, based on scientific evidence known today, about the historic effects of climate change on agriculture, wildlife, sea level, human health, and other areas over the intervening 100 years.

ProjecT rubricSThe lead author found that the bulk of his effort went into developing a detailed rubric for each of the five scenarios; these rubrics are available at http://tinyurl.com/pennstatetesse.

leSSonS learned in The ProjecTEvery student was required to present their creative and investigative products. Students were allotted 5 minutes to present their projects to the class, followed by time to answer questions. It quickly became apparent from the presentations, ques‑tions and the graded work that the students had not only learned the information regarding climate change, but had confidence in their work and knowledge of the topic that the lead author had not seen in the past from his students. The students learned more than was initially expected, including bringing to the group new information on climate change and ways to reduce carbon emissions. An unexpected but welcomed impact was the community learning, as students joined groups devoted to combating climate change, and engaged their families in their projects. Many family members were enlisted to assist students in the project for jobs that included acting, recording of newscasts and assisting in research.

A discussion on climate change will typically involve differing viewpoints on the subject. For example, although some parents are resistant to the idea of global warming as a scientific reality, feedback on the project was generally positive. When resistance surfaced in the classroom regarding the validity of climate change, it was explained that this activity was a research project and students were on a mission to seek factual information, not to justify what one thinks may be the truth. This emphasis on research was new to the students, and is an important aspect of the project.

The classroom experience was tremendously positive. Some of the greatest creativity and responsibility that the lead author has seen in 14 years of teaching was displayed in the course of this project. Students clearly enjoyed their jobs and this enjoyment was manifest in enthusiasm for the final products. Their satisfaction from this whole experience was immense, and provided encouragement and energy for additional projects.

As the project continues in future years, the focus will be on adding valuable research skills and opportunities. In an effort to keep students from falling behind (as some lack time management skills) a progress sheet will be developed to help keep all participants on track, likely consisting of a checklist of benchmarks to be reached by specific dates when working on the project in class.

abouT The auThorSAl Dorsch, Shenango Area School District, New Castle, PA

Tanya Furman, Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Laura Guertin, Division of Earth Science, Pennsylvania State University Brandywine, Media, PA

The Earth Scientist


inTroducTionThe lead author began his teaching career in the field of technology education where he was accustomed to the project‑based (“build a light bulb”) and design‑challenge (“design the most efficient truss bridge”) approaches to learning. These types of assignments require students to synthesize information and think critically to arrive at a solution. He transitioned recently to teaching Earth Science, where he continues with the development of these higher‑order thinking skills in students by teaching Earth systems and processes through an inquiry‑based mode. In an effort to imple‑ment an inquiry‑based strategy in the 8th grade Earth Science unit, he took a simple but important first step: asking each student to write one Earth Science question each day for the duration of the 45‑day unit.

Why have the students ask questions? Generally, when one asks students a ques‑tion and all they have to do is demonstrate knowledge or comprehension in their response, their contribution is low on the Bloom’s taxonomic scale of cognitive skills (Bloom 1956). When students have to formulate their own questions, they are challenged and provided the opportunity to think across Bloom’s taxonomic scale, including the higher‑order cognitive processes such as analysis, synthesis and evalu‑ation. When a student asks a question, the student is primed and ready to learn. It means the student is interested in the topic, attentive and waiting for a response.

Shenango Area Middle School values and encourages students to formulate and ask questions. To motivate students to ask questions, a poster was mounted on the lead author’s classroom wall with a quote from Albert Einstein: The most important thing is to never stop questioning. In addition, the school provides a yearly academic award to the male and female eighth graders who ask the most frequent and best science questions in class. Formulating good questions is an important skill that can be learned and supported. Through the activity described here, and with the support of the school, the Earth Science students gained the opportunity to improve their ques‑tion‑writing approaches. In the process, we learned a great deal about the students’ background knowledge and perspectives.

STudenTS’ inquirY in and abouT The earTh Science

claSSroom

Don Drozynski, Shenango Area School DistrictJenna Ellis and Tanya Furman, Department of Geosciences,

The Pennsylvania State UniversityLaura Guertin, Division of Earth Science, Penn State Brandywine

Volume XXV, Issue 4


imPlemenTing The earTh Science queSTion oF The daYAs the students entered the lead author’s classroom each day, they were required to get a piece of 2x3 inch colored construction paper from a bin in the front of the room, write down a question, and tape it to the class bulletin board, which in this case was located outside the classroom in the hallway. Students were also required to rewrite the question in their notebook for future use. There were approximately 100 students enrolled in the 45‑day unit, so in a short period of time, the bulletin board was packed with student questions and was cleared by the teacher every week. The questions came in at all different levels of sophistication and insight; some silly ques‑tions needed to be removed, but most were appropriate. The questions came from all different areas of science.

Unfortunately, this overall strategy lacked the ability for the teacher to address and respond to all the students’ questions in class. The questions came in faster than they could be answered in a timely manner. As many questions as possible were answered during lectures or through investigations, activities and worksheets. For example, during a classroom earthquake activity, the opportunity arose to discuss a student question, “What was the first earthquake?” in addition to monitoring equip‑ment, record keeping and the concept of uniformitarianism. In some cases, student questions were deferred specifically to another time when the subject was more perti‑nent. In other cases, questions triggered discussions about current events.

The students were required to hand in their questions for a grade at the end of the unit. The rubric was simple: score forty‑five points for forty‑five questions that were anywhere on the science radar. Although they could post questions anonymously on the board, students were required to have their names on the document that they turned in for credit.

queSTion analYSiSWe evaluated a working file of student questions, with all names removed, to explore the topical areas of greatest interest and record the depth of student thought with regard to Bloom’s taxonomy. Classification was not always an easy process, because some questions that appeared simple were in fact very difficult to answer, such as “Why is there gravity?” and “Do rocks freeze?” In these cases, students may not have been aware of the complexity of their question and indeed may not have desired a complex response. Some questions were certainly not classic Earth Science questions. In an effort to return genuine original Earth Science questions, one student asked, “How are you supposed to come up with questions when you have no book?” (the textbook for this unit had not yet been passed out to the class). The full list of questions and their classifications are available at http://tinyurl.com/tessedissemination.

The themes of the questions did not all match topics within the Earth Science curric‑ulum. About 10% of the questions dealt with biological topics (large and/or abundant animals, domestication of animals, grass and tree growth, insects, etc.), suggesting that the students had lingering and fundamental questions that had not been answered in the previous year’s science course that had a biological focus. There were also many astronomy questions: “Is Pluto a planet?”, “How is a black hole made?” and “Why do meteorites hit the earth?” even though the unit did not include astronomy. There were many questions regarding color: “Why is the sky blue?”, “Why is grass green?” and “Why is lava red?” which could either reflect student apathy towards asking more insightful questions, or might reflect a genuine desire to connect observations to interpretations.

Of the 645 distinct questions tallied, the majority (61.5%) were classified as belonging to the lowest order of Bloom’s taxonomy, and focus on remembering or

The Earth Scientist


recalling factual information. These questions are dominated by “What is…” followed by a term the student had encountered either in class or in the textbook (e.g., lava, seismic wave, mudflow, subduction, meteor). A surprising number of questions dealt with phenomena about which we expected the 8th graders to have greater clarity (e.g., What is thunder? What are clouds? Why do we have day and night?). Over one‑third of the questions (34.6%) were classified as relating to understanding, the second tier of the taxonomic scale. Most of these questions dealt with fundamental processes, and begin with “How do/does…” (e.g., trees grow, sand form, tectonic plates form, the earth rotate and we don’t feel it), “How do scientists know…” (e.g., what is inside the earth, the age of the earth) and “Why…” (e.g., does wind make temperatures colder, are there lakes, is lava hot, don’t we have earthquakes in Pennsylvania). A small frac‑tion of the questions (3.9%) sought application of understanding to new situations, on the third tier of Bloom’s taxonomy. These questions generally begin “What would happen if …” (e.g., there were no sun, there were no convection currents, the Earth’s orbit changed), and can readily form the basis for thoughtful discussion.

We note that the most frequently‑asked questions are divided almost equally between “remembering” (13) and “understanding” (14) (Table 1). These questions remind us that while students often need more assistance than we realize in connecting with the many terms and facts that underpin the field of Earth Sciences, they also express keen interest in achieving deeper understanding. While it is important to address their questions of terminology, we cannot lose sight of their hunger for fundamental under‑standing of Earth processes.

Table 1. Most frequently-asked questions by topic area and Bloom’s taxonomic rank

Most common questions: Remembering

Most common questions: Understand-ing

How big is the Earth?

How old is the Earth?

How many layers are in the Earth?

How hot is lava?

How deep are the oceans?

How many gallons of water are there on the Earth?

What is petroleum?

What are geysers?

What is centripetal force?

What is erosion?

What is the Phanerozoic Era?

Did the Bering Strait exist?

How long does it take for coal to form?

What is Earth Science?

What is a hypothesis?

Why is Earth round?

What does climate have to do with Earth Science?

How are rocks formed?

What causes tectonic plates to move?

Is it possible for Pangaea to form again?

How are mountains formed?

How is lava formed?

How do fossils form?

How are caves formed?

Do islands float?

Why is the sky blue?

Why is the grass green?

obServaTionS and reFlecTionSThis activity took very little time, yet provided excellent insights into the level and direc‑tion of students’ thinking. Most of the time investment took place before class. The activity also took very little material and very little space. The students utilized construc‑tion paper, tape, and a pencil, and made a special place on the class bulletin board.

Students liked this activity for many reasons. They chose their favorite color of construction paper and raced for a good posting spot on the board – a nice change for a group who typically hesitates to raise their hands to ask questions in class. As the bulletin board was located in the hallway, the students hung out in the hall and

Volume XXV, Issue 4


abouT The auThorSDon Drozynski, Shenango Area School District, New Castle, PA, [email protected]

Jenna Ellis, Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, [email protected]

Tanya Furman, Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, [email protected]

Laura Guertin, Division of Earth Science, Penn State Brandywine, Media, PA, [email protected]

read other students’ questions; a bulletin board inside the classroom would serve the same function. In general, it gave them a chance to move around productively before the bell. In class, students were excited to hear their names or their friends’ names and questions during discussions. It also provided a good opportunity for some students who normally lacked participation to be involved, as questions were allowed to be anonymous.

For the teacher, this activity provided a good chance to read questions while doing hall duty during class changes, and comfort knowing that students were being constructive before the start of class. While the students were thinking science right away, the teacher was collecting his thoughts and finding a special knot with which to tie the students’ interests to the lesson.

concluSionS and FuTure direcTionSThe question per day assignment was a simple attempt at implementing inquiry‑based learning. It turned out to be an easy way to introduce inquiry without overhauling the curriculum, and produced several important results:

· The students practiced asking good science questions.

· The teacher had a good way to intertwine student interest with the existing curriculum.

· Students were more attentive during class knowing their name or question could be addressed at any time.

· Students focused on science immediately at the beginning class.

In the future, students will be provided resources and encouraged to find answers to their own questions. In order to eliminate questions of limited relevance to Earth Science, more teacher guidance will be given at the start of the unit. In the first itera‑tion, students were given an extra credit opportunity to make a poster that answered one of their (teacher‑approved) Earth Science questions. This extra credit project allowed some students to pursue an Earth Science topic of interest, and proved so meaningful to their learning that it will become a requirement for all students.

This project was a great lift to the Earth Science unit. The students took ownership in a way that allowed the teacher to keep the curricular agenda, and gave fresh insight into what the students were thinking which would have never surfaced otherwise. It improved delivery and development of conceptual aspects of the material. The students appreciated the opportunity to ask questions in a non‑threatening way. They surprised each other and shared with one another their thoughts about science.

reFerenceBloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives, handbook I: The cognitive domain.

New York: David McKay Co.

The Earth Scientist


abSTracTInquiry‑based programs at the middle school level have generally been found to enhance student performance, particularly in the areas of laboratory skills, graphing skills, and data interpretation. This paper assesses the effective‑ness of inquiry‑based learning, rather than direct instruction, to enhance comprehension of tectonic geomorphology. Our new instructional unit focuses on relationships between sedimentary rock types, weathering processes and landforms in the central Pennsylvania Valley and Ridge province. We examine two sample groups: (1) 139 seventh graders from Park Forest Middle School engaged in an inquiry‑based and hands‑on learning unit; and (2) 45 eighth graders from Candlewood Middle School, NY, exposed to direct instruction as part of Regents preparation. Student learning assessed through pre‑ and post‑unit quizzes suggests that inquiry‑based instruction can produce dramatic improvements that may not be achieved with direct instruction. Our approach of integrating across sub‑fields is in keeping with new insights into how learning takes place in the geosciences (Kastens 2009), and contrasts with more typical compartmentalization and memorization strategies. Overall strong student performance on higher‑order thinking assessment questions suggests that this approach is an effective instructional methodology for middle school Earth Sciences.

inTroducTionEarth Science provides an integrated and interdisciplinary vehicle to understand Earth processes and the evolutionary history of the planet. In this complex field of study, it is often difficult to find the most beneficial way for students to master both factual and conceptual material. Even for teachers with strong Earth Science backgrounds, the nature and amount of content required by typical state standards of learning makes it challenging to determine key areas of emphasis that lend themselves to integrated learning activities. In cases where educators do not have deep under‑standing of the subject, they are more likely to focus classroom time on memorization of factual content material, rather than actively engaging in discovery learning. One particularly difficult topic is the study of rocks and minerals; while many resources exist for identification of small samples, there are few opportunities to help students make the link to geological phenomena operating in nature. In our approach, we focus on the interrelationships between rock type, weathering and erosion processes, plate

imProving comPrehenSion oF geomorPhic concePTS

Through inquirY-baSed learning

Jenna Ellis and Tanya Furman, Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University

Steve McAninch and Heath Stout, Park Forest Middle School

Volume XXV, Issue 4


tectonics, and landscape development in the central Appalachians by using an inquiry‑based learning unit. Our assessment of student performance suggests that this approach is more successful than direct instruction at promoting student mastery. This unit, and its assessment, formed the undergraduate thesis research of lead author Ellis, and are available at http://tinyurl.com/tessedissemination.

We developed an inquiry‑based, 10‑day learning unit entitled Tectonic Geomorphology: Weathering and Erosion, for seventh grade students at Park Forest Middle School in State College, Pennsylvania, with the goal of fostering rich comprehension of critical content areas and mastery of key scientific skills. Co‑authors McAninch and Stout have strong Earth Science credentials, but the demands of an integrated Biology‑Earth Science curriculum had inadvertently led to greater emphasis on life sciences within the classroom. We sought to redress this balance through a self‑contained unit that brings together observational and measurement skills in rock analysis, map reading and water chemistry within a local framework that supported students’ prior knowledge.

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the new integrated approach, we developed a pre‑ and post‑unit assessment quiz to be administered to two different student groups. The 139 seventh grade students of Park Forest Middle School were our experimental group. The control group was an eighth grade class of 45 students from Candlewood Middle School, NY who received direct instruction as part of the Middle School Regents Preparation. Although these comparisons are imperfect, they provide insight into the power of our integrated and inquiry‑based approach.

uniT develoPmenTThe learning objectives of our Tectonic Geomorphology unit weave together several of the Pennsylvania Academic Standards in Science and Technology in Earth & Space Sciences. At the end of the unit, students are expected to have a clear and strong understanding of the relationships between rock type, weathering and erosion processes, plate tectonics, and modern morphology of the Valley and Ridge. Specific learning objectives for this unit are:

1. Predict the relative importance of physical and chemical weathering on sand‑stone, limestone, and shale.

2. Predict the regional topographic morphology on the basis of rock type.

3. Identify the potential effects of natural and anthropogenic influences on stream and/or groundwater pH.

4. Predict the geological and tectonic future of central Pennsylvania based on the relationship between rock types and tectonic processes.

The unit begins with detailed observations of hand specimens of local sedimentary rocks, emphasizing grain size and shape, with guided inquiry questions regarding transport history, source region and rock strength under various climatic conditions. Samples of the local rocks are then carefully weighed, placed in beakers with water of varying acidity, and left to sit for the duration of the unit when they are weighed again to determine dissolution loss. Samples of rain and snow collected throughout the school year indicate the pH of local precipitation and enable students to select appro‑priate pH levels for this experiment. A field trip to a local cemetery allows students to explore the durability of these same rocks under normal weathering conditions, and engenders discussion on the differences between weathering and erosion (a common sticking point for students at all stages of learning). A second field trip to multiple sites along a stream that traverses several bedrock types and passes through resi‑dential, agricultural and small‑scale industrial centers focuses on the changing pH of surface water in response to geological and anthropological factors. In‑class activi‑ties include having students draw topographic profiles using U.S. Geological Survey

The Earth Scientist


maps from across the region, and identify the rock types found at key points of both high and low elevation using local geological maps. This suite of activities unites and integrates rock and mineral identification, portions of the rock cycle, stream behavior, geomorphology and human /environment interactions, all of which are reflected in the middle‑school learning goals. Related activities on plate tectonics and the geological history of the region provide students with a contextual vehicle for understanding the challenging concept of deep time. While the unit was designed for the Valley and Ridge province, it can readily be adapted for other geological areas.

aSSeSSmenT vehicle develoPmenTTo assess student learning, Ellis developed a pre‑ and post‑unit assessment relevant to the geomorphology and stream chemistry content. The pre‑unit assessment was administered to both groups in February 2009 and the post‑assessment was admin‑istered in late March 2009 after both groups had received instruction on the content material. In the first year of implementation (2008‑2009), neither McAninch nor Stout had sufficient class time to complete the entire 10‑day sequence of activities, and the questions were not adjusted to reflect the portion of material covered. The assessment consists of 22 multiple choice/matching questions taken from sources that focus on conceptual learning at the sixth through eighth grade and/or introduc‑tory undergraduate level (Libarkin & Anderson 2005, Marshak 2009). Assessment questions classified on the basis of Bloom’s taxonomy incorporate the categories of Remembering (15 questions), Understanding (6 questions) and Analysis (1 question), and emphasize basic geological information, pH, weathering and erosion. Questions specific to the Valley and Ridge province were not included. Identical quizzes were given to both groups of students; no incentives were provided.

FindingS On the pre‑unit assessment, Park Forest students struggled in all areas of content and understanding and performed substantially more poorly than students from Candlewood (Figure 1). The results of the post‑unit test are striking both in the great improvement among Park Forest middle school students and in the lack of change in Candlewood students (Figure 1). These results provide powerful evidence for enhanced student comprehension through inquiry based learning. The overall perfor‑mance of Park Forest students improved from a mean score of 43% (range from 13% to 77%) to an average of 84% correct with a minimum score of 40% and a maximum and frequent score of 100%. McAninch and Stout found the students were intrigued by the activities and displayed a high level of curiosity on the unit content and related material.

Candlewood students did very well on the pre‑unit assessment with a mean of 79%; the group’s post‑unit mean score was 83% (a t‑test finds these scores to be different at the 92% confidence level). While the Candlewood students started out

Figure 1. Histograms showing student

performance on all items in the assessment vehicle

both before and after the classes covered material on tectonic

geomorphology. Students from Park Forest Middle School showed dramatic

improvement on their overall scores whereas

students from Candlewood Middle School showed

only minor improvement.

Volume XXV, Issue 4


more successfully than the Park Forest group, they did not display much improvement through direct instruction. This result could be due to pressure on the teacher and/or district to focus on material for the New York State Regents tests, and raises the question of whether the students achieve deep conceptual understanding.

Evaluating the student responses through the lens of Bloom’s taxonomy produced some surprising results. Both of the groups show improvement in questions that measure lower‑order thinking, therefore suggesting that both instructional methods—inquiry and direct instruction—improve remembering. On the basis of overall performance in the higher order thinking assessment questions, inquiry‑based instruction appears to be more effective. On the pre‑unit assessment, the Park Forest students had lowest scores in all categories, but their post‑unit assessment scores were generally on par with those of the Candlewood students on questions that measure recall, conceptual understanding and analysis (Figure 2).

In some cases, individual recall questions produced unexpected results. Candlewood students showed unusually little change in the area of pH, suggesting that this topic was not covered in their curriculum. On the lone analysis‑level question about weath‑ering, Park Forest students’ scores improved from 27% incorrect to fewer than 10% incorrect, bringing them in line with the other students.

imPlicaTionSWe caution ourselves and others against over‑interpretation of our assessment results. The most striking features of the data are the following:

1. Middle school students receiving inquiry‑based instruction showed tremendous improvement in all levels of understanding.

2. The Park Forest students showed improved understanding in content areas that were not specifically addressed during their learning unit.

Figure 2. Student performance results sorted by question topic and Bloom’s taxonomic level. Questions A-I reflect first-order general knowledge of rocks, minerals and plate tectonics. Questions J-L and M-P evaluate first-order skills in the areas of pH and erosion/ weathering, respectively. Questions Q-V focus on higher-order understanding of erosion and weathering. Park Forest Middle School (PFMS) students show major gains in all categories, and approach parity with Candlewood Middle School (CMS) students on the questions related to erosion and weathering at all taxonomic levels.

The Earth Scientist


abouT The auThorSJenna Ellis, Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, [email protected]

Steve McAninch, Park Forest Middle School, State College, PA, [email protected]

Heath Stout, Park Forest Middle School, State College, PA, [email protected]

Tanya Furman, Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, [email protected]

These observations suggest that the students’ ability to reason and integrate across content areas was supported by the teachers and the inquiry‑based learning environ‑ment. This approach differs from the traditional focus on content areas as isolated phenomena without overarching themes, processes and connections. In particular, students have a great deal of difficulty making the link from rock and mineral identi‑fication to any real conceptualization of physical phenomena and rock properties on appropriate geological scales of time and space. The activities outlined in this paper, all available at http://tinyurl.com/tessedissemination, build upon key observational skills deployed in examining specimens from the local area and help students identify and understand interrelationships between geological processes operating over long time scales.

reFerenceSKastens KA, Manduca CA, Cervato C, Frodeman R, Goodwin C, Liben LS, Mogk DW, Spangler

TC, Stillings NA & Titus S, 2009, How geoscientists think and learn. EOS, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 90, 265‑266.

Libarkin JC & Anderson SW, 2005, Assessment of learning in entry‑level geoscience courses: results from the Geoscience Concept Inventory. Journal of Geoscience Education, 55, 394‑402.

Marshak S, 2009, Essentials of Geology. WW Norton and Co., 648 pp.

Advertising in the NESTA Quarterly Journal, The Earth Scientist

NESTA will accept advertisements that are relevant to Earth and space science education. A limited number of spaces for advertisements are available in each issue.

ArtworkWe accept CD or electronic ad files in the following formats: high‑res PDF, TIFF or high‑res JPEG. Files must have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. Ads can be in color.

Advertising RatesFull‑page (9 5/8 X 7 3/8 inches) $500Half‑page (4 13/16 X 3 11/16) $250Quarter‑page (2 7/16 X 1 13/16) $125Eighth‑page (1 3/16 inches x 7/8 inches) $75

Submission Deadlines for AdvertisementsSubmission dates given below are the latest possible dates by which ads can be accepted for a given issue. Advertisers are advised to submit their ads well in advance of these dates, to ensure any problems with the ads can be addressed prior to issue preparation. The TES Editor is responsible for decisions regarding the appropriateness of advertisements in TES.

Issue Submission Deadline Mailing Date

Spring January 15 March 1Summer April 15 June 1Fall July 15 September 1Winter October 31 January 1

For further information contactBruce Hall, Treasurer, [email protected]

Volume XXV, Issue 4


abSTracTIt is important for students to understand that the Earth works as a system. However, teaching Earth as a system is not commonplace in the high school curriculum, as Earth Science is often broken into parts for ease of teaching. New state assessment vehicles require students to retain and integrate material from across the high school science curricula. When we discovered that our students relied on memorization and often forgot key information as soon as it was taught, we changed our teaching to integrate the idea of the Earth operating as a system. We now have the students form the connections between the systems through the completion of an Earth Systems Matrix. The students now demonstrate stronger comprehension and retention of how Earth systems work.

inTroducTionThis study reports on an innovative approach to high school Earth Science teaching developed at a rural school district in Northeastern Pennsylvania (Tunkhannock Area School District). In spring 2006, the Pennsylvania Department of Education piloted an assessment vehicle designed for high school science under the auspices of the Penn‑sylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) to be administered annually in the 11th grade. Earth Science questions comprise a large fraction of both the factual recall and “nature of science” portions of the PSSA, making it imperative that students retain Earth Science knowledge and understanding for two years after taking the course. In response to this external driver, we began looking at the required freshman Earth Science curriculum for a realignment to integrate the topics for better content retention.

The goal of our experiment was to devise curricular approaches that enable students to understand how the hydrosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, exosphere and anthrosphere interact with one other to create the dynamic changes on Earth. At Tunkhannock, the freshman Earth Science course is taught over one semester in an 86 minute block class. This format makes it possible for teachers to employ inquiry‑based methodologies and conduct longer activities than are feasible in a

imProving earTh Science inSTrucTion wiTh an

inTegraTed earTh SYSTemS Science maTrix

Laura Charles, Tunkhannock Area High SchoolCindy Klein, Tunkhannock Area High School

Marielle Narkiewicz, Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, Pennsylvania State University and Chevron Corporation

Laura Guertin, Division of Earth Sciences, Pennsylvania State University Brandywine*Tanya Furman, Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University

* Corresponding Author

The Earth Scientist


normal 40 minute class period. The Earth Science faculty, two of whom were new to Tunkhannock High School in 2006, viewed introduction of an Earth Systems Science approach as an innovation worthy of implementation within this structure. The timing of our experiment was fortuitous, as the district was due for new textbooks and the teachers were at liberty to make a selection designed to meet new curricular needs. Charles and Klein attended a summer workshop hosted by the TESSE (Transforming Earth System Science Education) group at the University of New Hampshire and worked with Penn State graduate fellow Narkiewicz under the guidance of Penn State faculty members Guertin and Furman during the 2007‑2008 school year. The workshop and academic year follow‑up activities were funded by the National Science Foundation through the GEO‑Teach Program (NSF EAR 0631377), awarded to a partnership among the University of New Hampshire, Dillard University, Elizabeth City State University and Penn State University.

old meThodFigure 1 shows a typical unit outline for our older curriculum, in this case using the teaching of maps as an example. Both teachers presented a seven day unit beginning with the all‑familiar road maps and progressing through levels of maps with increasing complexity, culminating with topo‑graphic maps. The unit stressed legends, scale and block grid systems as features common to all maps. Students were provided labs and inter‑active activities asking them to find locations on various map types, describe topographic features utilizing contour intervals, compare scales of different maps and finally draw a topographic map with specific features present.

new meThodAt the beginning of the semester, Tunkhannock Earth Science teachers now hand each student a matrix that outlines each of the Earth’s spheres (Figure 2). Across the top and down the left side are listed lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, exosphere, biosphere and anthrosphere. The matrix has open boxes in the center to allow the students to write examples of how each sphere can act on and interact with all the other spheres. Throughout the course, students are asked to add to their matrices to describe the primary mechanisms that act on each sphere. For example, greenhouse gases from the anthrosphere negatively affect the hydrosphere by thin‑ning the ice sheets. This matrix forms the essence of the new Earth System Science approach to learning.

During the implementation of this new systems approach, the concept of maps became multi‑dimensional. The unit is still entitled Maps, but it has become an investigation of comparison (Figure 3). The learning approach to contour intervals became “If you look at the line patterns and recognize that close lines indicate steep terrain whereas wide spaces indicate gradual terrain, what type of features would you anticipate on this map? What might account for these features? How would the hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, exosphere and anthrosphere cause these features?

As a specific example, students consider the mutual interactions of the six spheres as they relate to the appearance of a mountain. The hydrosphere would wear down a mountain, causing the contour lines to have a wavy pattern representing ravines. In detail, students observe that glaciations cause “U’ shaped valleys and stream erosion causes “V” shaped valleys. The atmosphere could cause the mountain’s leeward side to be dry, which would reduce vegetation resulting in faster physical

MAPS

Part I: Types of Maps

TopographicMaps Road Maps

Maps vs.Globes

Part II: Features of Maps

Legend, contourlines, contour

interval, latitude,longitude

Legend, politicaland geographicalborders, scale

Mercator,Robinson and

Conic

Figure 1. Original curricular outline of

map unit taught in the Tunkhannock schools.

Volume XXV, Issue 4


erosion and steeper terrain. At a larger scale, the moun‑tain itself was formed by convergent plate boundary motion, and students can determine from its shape whether it is a volcanic moun‑tain or an uplifted feature. Finally, a comparison of old topographic maps of Tunkhannock prior to the construc‑tion of Business/Bypass Route 6 with modern maps lends itself to observa‑tions of anthrosphere influence on the lithosphere. We are fortunate to have several of these features apparent on local maps, as students are able to feel connected to their learning, and we use the local context as a spring‑board to more complex activities involving new geographical regions.

Elements of the traditional method were retained in the new curriculum, including water marks for contour interval patterns, determining scale, reading a legend and stream tables. The final assess‑ment project of creating a topographic map with specific features was also retained, and has proven critical to assessing comprehension through application. However, the utilization of computers brought this unit alive with Google Earth and the various layers available to interpret urbanization.

diScuSSionWe have documented an overall improvement in student participation and compre‑hension as a result of implementing our Earth System Science matrix approach. Performance data from three assignments demonstrate the improved learning that we observe. All data come from morning classes with 15‑20 students from our General Earth Science course, which enrolls low achieving and special education students. The three assignments were not changed during implementation of the matrix approach. They are: (a) a contour map lab that incorporates a body of water, (b) a topographic map activity where students draw assigned features, and (c) the end‑of‑unit exam for the map study section of the course. Student mean scores are indicated in Table 1.

Figure 2. Sample matrix completed by a student. The new Tunkhannock Earth System Science matrix is closely aligned with Pennsylvania state standards used in student learning assessment, and we find it produces deeper student understanding and greater retention of learned material than traditional approaches involving memorization of facts and concepts.

Figure 3. New curricular outline of map unit taught in the Tunkhannock schools.

Primary Causal Mechanism

Acting on Lithosphere

Acting on Atmosphere

Acting on Hydrosphere

Acting on Biosphere

Acting on Anthrosphere

Acting on Exosphere

Lithosphere: Materials Processes Resources

volcanic activity produces new crust

ash from volcanoes helps form clouds

volcanoes alter river courses, add minerals to water

major volcanic eruptions can kill

volcanoes and earthquakes can destroy property, change landforms

volcanoes on other planets

Atmosphere: Layers Weather Climate

carbon-rich compounds turn to fossil fuels

ozone keeps troposphere from overheating

warmer atmos = ice melt, higher sea level; wind makes ocean surface currents

weather affects animal habitats and migration patterns

weather affects wind, solar energy; atmosphere protects us from UV

blocks UV rays; burns up meteors

Hydrosphere: Water Ice Oceans

water erodes rock; glaciers carry rock and create landforms

ocean currents & bodies of water affect climate

more ice melt means decrease in oceans' salinity

evolution of animals from aqueous to terrestrial (frogs)

tsunamis can kill; we're made mainly of H2O

we have the only planet with a water cycle

Biosphere: Plants Animals

coal made from plant matter; shells turn into limestone

plants give off O2, animals give off CO2, CH4

affects water chemistry with use of minerals for shells

animals eat plants; plants give off O2 for animals

provide us with food; animals can spread disease, kill

we're the only known planet with life

Anthrosphere: Humans

emits CO2 that makes acid and hastens weathering

pollute, give off CO2

construct dams that alter water courses

deforestation; create new animals w/genetic engineering

kill other humans

odd space garbage

Exosphere: Universe Solar System Earth/Moon

solar energy important for rock cycle

tilt of Earth axis affects seasons and weather

moon controls ocean tides; sun powers water cycle

our magnetic field affects migration

we need the sun in order to live

sun's gravity holds solar system together

MAPS:What featuresdo you see andhow did theyget there?

Anthrosphere-Lithosphere

Local resources:Quarries, mines, etc.Urbanization effects:

Runoff, erosion Atmosphere-Lithosphere

Specific heat variationsPoint-source pollution

Orogenic effects

Lithosphere-Lithosphere

Mountain-buildingTopography

Mass wastingEarthquakes

Biosphere-Lithosphere

Locations of farmsWetland features

Plant/animal speciesat key elevations

Hydrosphere-Lithosphere

WatershedsUrban runoff

Lakes, rivers, swampsGlacial features

Exosphere-Lithosphere

PA soils vs. lunar soilsErosion on moon

Martian volcanoes

The Earth Scientist


We attribute the improved student performance to the greater degree of under‑standing developed by the students in creating and working with their Earth System Science matrices. By focusing on the “big picture” of how events occur, we are able to emphasize process‑level science through story‑telling, and our explanations have become more complex and more detailed. We no longer emphasize memorization of facts and definitions, allowing these lower‑order thinking skills to be absorbed in the higher‑order learning. Interestingly, we came to recognize that our assessment vehicles were already designed to test higher‑order skills and that our former teaching methodologies were not adequately preparing students for our assignments. This discovery came to light only when our pedagogic approach modeled for the students the expectations that we had always held for them, but had not shown them how to attain.

It is worth noting that the improved student learning data presented here are for the lowest group of academic performers in our school. Our data enable us to see that these students are capable of greater synthesis and depth of understanding than has typically been expected of them. We are confident that the same is true of students from higher‑achievement levels, where memorization of simple facts is also routinely employed in pre‑college Earth Science. We encourage our peers to adopt this approach in order to improve student learning and comprehension.

The TESSE workshop at Penn State will be available in the future as an on‑line course as part of the M.Ed. in Earth Science Education offered through the Department of Geosciences. We are seeking funding to make this transition and hope to have it completed by summer 2010. Current teachers interested in this course can contact Tanya Furman; individuals wishing further information on the M.Ed. should contact Eliza Richardson via e‑mail at [email protected].

Date

Spring 2007

Spring 2008

Contour Lab

70.8

99.6

Topographic Map

84.6

99.1

Unit Exam

76.8

89.7

Table 1. Comparison of student performance;

the matrix approach was instituted in Spring 2008

abouT The auThorSLaura Charles, Tunkhannock Area High School, 120 West Tioga Street, Tunkhan‑nock PA 18657, [email protected]

Cindy Klein, Tunkhannock Area High School, 120 West Tioga Street, Tunkhannock PA 18657, [email protected]

Marielle Narkiewicz, Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, 110 Hosler Building, Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA 16802; Chevron Corporation, Houston TX 77042, [email protected]

Laura Guertin, Division of Earth Sciences, Pennsylvania State University Brandywine, 25 Yearsley Mill Road, Media PA 19063, [email protected]

Tanya Furman, Department of Geosciences, 333 Deike Building, Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA 16802, [email protected]

Volume XXV, Issue 4


abSTracTThe rock cycle lends itself to a fairly simple graphic, but it is the foundation for many fundamental concepts in Earth Science curricula. At the most basic level, the rock cycle is a framework within which students develop a concep‑tual understanding of the processes that form the various types of rocks that occur naturally. The rock cycle also provides a framework to integrate the important principle of conservation of mass, the complex geochemical and hydrologic cycles that define Earth System Science, and the foundational concept of geologic time. Guiding students through these complex pathways is challenging, in part because any sequence of events chosen by the teacher is viewed as the “correct” answer. In this article, we present an innovative approach to the rock cycle that empowers the student to make directional choices and to explain the processes involved with each transition. Our approach can be adapted readily to sub‑cycles within the rock cycle, or other forms of nutrient cycling in the environment.

our aPProach To The rock cYcleThe rock cycle is typically presented in textbooks as a graphic to be memorized by students, with little elaboration or explanation about the underlying processes, envi‑ronments and time scales. In our activity, students use descriptive, narrative language to guide a reader through all the possible pathways of the rock cycle. Similar to the popular 1980s book series Choose Your Own Adventure® (CYOA, see www.cyoa.com/), this activity engages students to write a story that allows the reader to select the outcome of the story. On a typical page of a CYOA book, there is a brief develop‑ment of the story (between two and four paragraphs), followed by two or three options from which the reader selects the direction of the storyline. Our classroom assign‑ment follows the same concept, leading a student reader to choose the path through the rock cycle. Unlike the Adventure books, the rock cycle story the students design does not have an ending, enforcing the continuous cycling of Earth’s materials.

In the first part of the activity, students are assigned three specific rocks to include in their rock cycle story (andesite‑sandstone‑quartzite, granite‑shale‑slate, etc.). Students research the identifying rock properties and hone their skills at observing characteristic features such as grain size, texture and internal structure. They then must develop geologically reasonable ways to relate the three rocks to one another.

underSTanding The rock cYcle Through a

chooSe Your own advenTure® claSSroom acTiviTY

Brad Hartwell, Department of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University

Ken Schoch, Manheim Township Middle School Laura Guertin, Division of Earth Science, Penn State Brandywine

Tanya Furman, Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University

The Earth Scientist


Rock pairs may be found together in a single tectonic environment (i.e., limestone developing on basaltic ocean crust) and several processes may need to be invoked to explain their relationships.

Students use graphic organizers to make it easier to take notes about the rocks. The second part of the activity turns the completed rock cycle graphic organizer into a Choose Your Own Adventure® story in MS PowerPoint. We present an example story to the class in PowerPoint utilizing the carbon cycle to demonstrate the CYOA story concept. Students are encouraged to be creative with their rock cycle story and require varying degrees of guidance in developing descriptions of their assigned rocks instead of revealing the rocks’ identities. The final stage of the activity is to have students read two or three rock cycle stories created by their classmates, asking them to identify which specific rocks are described in those stories. It is important to note that this assignment can be tailored to teach any of Earth’s cycles, such as the carbon, nitrogen and water cycles. See Appendix A for a full description of the activity.

This assignment requires each student to make detailed and objective rock descrip‑tions and then write about each stage and process in the rock cycle. In order to write the narrative, the students need a good understanding of both the processes and the mineralogical and textural features of the rocks they are aiming to describe. After creating their own rock cycle story, students must identify the different rocks described in other students’ stories by applying rock identification properties. Having the students both develop descriptors for their assigned rocks, as well as make educated determinations on other author’s rocks, will ensure rock identification is reinforced in the students.

This activity was developed for the middle‑school classroom, yet it can easily serve as a vehicle for interaction with elementary students. The older students are eager to share their adventure stories, and the younger learners enjoy the visual self‑determi‑nation of the presentation. Providing a few key rock samples enables the students to share and compare their observations and show how rock and mineral textures are fundamental to understanding both the rock cycle and Earth evolution at the broadest scale.

The overall student attitude when implementing this assignment was one of enthu‑siasm. The students liked having creative freedom over both the narrative language as well as the slideshow format. The activity not only allows students to understand the concept of a never‑ending and complex interconnected cycle, it provides the opportunity to students to utilize technology for creativity and to demonstrate their new content knowledge.

aPPendix a – ouTline oF The chooSe Your own advenTure® rock cYcle acTiviTYThis classroom activity is designed for grades 7‑9 and should take between two to three class periods to complete.

Materials:

• Graphic organizer

• Computers with MS PowerPoint and internet connectivity (one per student)

• An example Choose Your Own Adventure® MS PowerPoint file (available at Penn State TESSE blog, http://tinyurl.com/tessedissemination/)

• How to create a Choose Your Own Adventure® MS PowerPoint file (available at Penn State TESSE blog, http://tinyurl.com/tessedissemination/)

Volume XXV, Issue 4


ParT 1: reSearching rock idenTiFicaTion deTailSStudents describe a trio of specific rocks from several key tectonic environments. The students should have already been introduced to rock and mineral properties used for identification and have a good understanding of the tectonic environments and processes that govern the rock cycle.

Class IntroductionStudents are handed a graphic organizer with blank boxes for key stages in the rock cycle. Each box and all process arrows should be labeled beforehand both to save time and to eliminate any confusion (e.g., sedimentary rock, metamorphic rock, pres‑sure, crustal melting, etc.)

Students are assigned different combinations of rocks for their individual rock cycle adventures, with careful selections of rocks that share chemical and mineralogical features or can be related by reasonable geological processes.

Student InstructionsYou have been assigned a suite of rocks that you will describe in enough visual detail for another student to be able to determine the type of rock, without giving away the rock’s identity. Describing the rock in detail will require some research. Using suitable websites, research each rock’s identifying properties: textural pattern, grain size, fossils, etc. As you are researching, fill out the graphic organizer with the details you will want to include in your rock cycle story.

Lesson AdjustmentsIf time is limited, students can include the name of their specific rock in their story, while still including rock identification descriptions. This will eliminate the need to carry out Part 3 of this activity. Also, it may make more efficient use of class time to ask the students to write a story completing the longest path through the rock cycle using their rock descriptions as a homework assignment between Parts 1 and 2 of the activity.

It is important to note that this assignment not only applies to the rock cycle but also works for the carbon, nitrogen and water cycles. The only change would be to prepare a different graphic organizer.

ParT 2: creaTing a chooSe Your own advenTure® PowerPoinTIn the second part of the activity, each team of students develops a rock cycle story in PowerPoint that gives the reader the opportunity to decide how they move through the rock cycle. In order to facilitate commonalities of approach, each place in the rock cycle will get its own PowerPoint slide. The number of arrows pointing away from the box on the graphic organizer will be the number of possible options from which the reader has to choose in order to proceed forward through the rock cycle. The options will correspond to the arrows from the graphic organizer, which represent the processes that link the different stages of the rock cycle together.

Class IntroductionExplain to the students the Choose Your Own Adventure® book series and how the format is different from other books. Then show the example CYOA PowerPoint file (available at http://tinyurl.com/tessedissemination). To make instructions clear, utilize a couple of the PowerPoint slides as examples of what general format the students should follow. Remind the students to use vague phrases in the beginning of each slide’s narrative, because there will often be more than one slide linking

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to it, and the description needs to flow from all of the preceding slides’ contexts. Encourage the students to be creative with the narrative story.

Student Instructions1. Create a title slide (Slide 1) with a creative name for your rock cycle story.

2. Next to the boxes on your graphic organizer, write the boxes’ designated slide numbers. (Your first content slide should be designated 2 because Slide 1 is the title slide.) These numbers are for you to reference at a later time.

3. Develop slides based on your completed graphic organizer, and remember to include the process details at the top of each slide, along with the rock’s descrip‑tion. Be as creative as you like with the story, as long as the appropriate scientific descriptions are present. The options on each slide should include the possible processes the rock at that stage can undergo.

4. For each option (process), find clip art or pictures online that correspond. These images will be used as the hyperlinks for the reader to navigate through the rock cycle story. Remember that if the picture is found on the internet, you must appro‑priately cite the website it came from near the picture in your story.

5. Add hyperlinks to all option pictures by right clicking on the image, click “Hyper‑link,” select the “Place in this document” button in the left column, and then choose the slide to which the picture should link. Remember to refer to the graphic organizer to verify which slide number the hyperlink should link to for the reader.

6. Finally, put the PowerPoint in slideshow mode and click through to try to find any errors in the hyperlinks. Have another classmate, who is also finished, test it after you think it is error free. Note: The slideshow should go through an endless loop, as it is a cycle (see example at http://tinyurl.com/tessedissemination).

ParT 3: reading oTher STudenTS’ chooSe Your own advenTure® PowerPoinTSThe goal for this part of the activity is for students to follow the rock cycle along different pathways as described by their peers. By reviewing other students’ Power‑Point files, students practice applying rock identification properties in determining the author’s rocks, based on the descriptions provided.

Assign students to observe up to three other students’ stories. Make sure the students are actually identifying the different rock types in each story. Have the students list how they came to the conclusion for each specific rock.

Student instructions:

1. Open up your PowerPoint on a computer and put it in slideshow mode.

2. Move to a different computer with a PowerPoint created by one of your peers. Read their story. While reading their slideshow, do the following:

• Navigate by clicking the option pictures with the mouse. DO NOT USE ARROW KEYS OR ENTER.

• Write down details about the rocks that are described.

• Go through the cycle several times, picking different pathways each time.

• Identify which rocks are being described in this author’s rock cycle.

3. Repeat Step 2 by trading computers with peers.

abouT The auThorSBrad Hartwell, Department of Energy and Geo‑Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Ken Schoch, Manheim Township Middle School, Lancaster, PA

Laura Guertin, Division of Earth Science, Pennsylvania State University Brandywine, Media, PA 19063


Volume XXV, Issue 4


AbstrActThe TESSE program uses graduate students as science content experts for in‑service middle and high school teachers. Graduate fellows assist teachers with creating and implementing new lessons and hands‑on activi‑ties, including traveling periodically to the classroom. This paper reports a number of rewards and challenges associated with involving graduate fellows in the classroom. Teachers and graduate fellows who participated in regular activities felt the involvement of graduate fellows in the classroom was a positive experience. The program provided fellows with invaluable outreach and professional development opportunities. In‑service teachers had access to a content expert to help with deep understanding of Earth Science prin‑ciples. After a warm‑up period students also seemed to embrace the graduate fellows and welcome the fellow’s contributions to the classroom. The majority of the challenges of the program are communication issues linked to the distance between the participating teachers and graduate fellows as well as defining the specific role of the graduate fellow in the classroom.

IntroductIonAs part of the Transforming Earth System Science Education (TESSE) program at Pennsylvania State University, graduate students involved in various Earth Science disci‑plines are paired with three or four middle or high school teachers in order to provide the teachers with a “scientist in residence” as they endeavor to teach Earth Science topics as interrelated systems using inquiry‑based activities. The TESSE program begins with a summer workshop designed to introduce teachers to new activities and pedagog‑ical techniques as well as partnering them with the graduate fellows. Over the course of the academic year, the graduate fellows helped teachers create lessons and hands‑on activities, found resources (i.e., actual datasets) and visited the classroom to present or assist with lessons. In turn, the graduate students gained valuable Earth Science outreach, classroom and teaching experience. Together, the teacher and the graduate fellow worked to help students conceptualize Earth Science principles, integrating inquiry‑based learning techniques when possible. The graduate fellow ideally is present

The rewardS and challengeS oF inTegraTing graduaTe STudenT Teaching FellowS inTo The middle and high School claSSroomWendy R. Nelson*, Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington and Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State UniversityTanya Furman, Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State UniversityLaura A. Guertin, Division of Earth Science, Pennsylvania State University Brandywine

* Corresponding author

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in the classroom bi‑weekly to monthly, depending on the distance to the participating teacher’s school. When in the classroom, the role of the graduate fellow is flexible and determined by the needs of the teacher and the students.

During the first two years (2007 and 2008) of Pennsylvania State University’s TESSE program, six graduate students (three per year) participated in the program. Each program began with a summer workshop in which in‑service teachers and graduate fellows were able to interact and begin building working relationships. The graduate fellow‑teacher relationship should have been forged during the summer workshop and therefore be well‑established before the school year began.

Through interviews with the graduate fellows and teachers, we have identified a number of rewards and challenges associated with trying to incorporate graduate students into middle and high school setting. This article highlights some of these observations in order to improve future graduate student‑teacher partnerships. Penn‑sylvania State University’s TESSE program is a three‑year program. At the time of writing this article, the third year had just gotten underway. Therefore, we only report graduate fellow experiences from the first two years. We hope that our experiences will guide others in developing effective use of graduate students as science content experts and consultants in the classroom.

geograPhic diSTribuTion oF ParTiciPanTSDuring the first two years of the TESSE program, three graduate fellow participants were selected from various Earth Science disciplines at Pennsylvania State Univer‑sity in University Park, PA (Figure 1). The secondary education teachers were located across the state, with some teachers residing over 3 hours’ drive from the university.

In order to minimize travel time and maximize classroom utility, each grad‑uate fellow was assigned to work with up to 4 teachers within a geographic region of Pennsylvania. Because none of the in‑service teachers were from central Pennsylvania, teachers and graduate fellows needed to rely heavily on telecommunication (email, tele‑phone, etc.) in order to plan and execute lessons efficiently and effectively. The geographic distribution of participants proved to be a greater challenge than

initially anticipated. Both teachers and graduate fellows found it difficult to stay in contact consistently. Some graduate fellow‑teacher pairs were able to successfully communicate and execute lessons within the classroom while other graduate fellows were unable to contact their teachers at all after the initial summer workshop.

“Our graduate student was from our area and so it was easy for her to come home for the weekend and spend the Friday and Monday in our classrooms. I realize we were fortunate in this. I feel having her in the classroom was probably the best part of this program, I feel like every effort should be made to make this process feasible.” 

– PA teacher

graduaTe Fellow – Teacher inTeracTionSThe presence of a graduate fellow as a “science content expert” in the classroom was received with mixed results. Some teachers welcomed their graduate fellow. They actively worked with the fellow to develop useful lessons to explain concepts. Teachers utilized the fellow’s areas of research expertise (energy, geology, etc.) to prepare unique lessons and activities. These included short, one‑day lessons that

Somerset

Pittsburgh

Tunkhannock

Pennsylvania State University(University Park)

New YorkLake Erie

New

Jersey

MarylandWest Virginia

Ohi

o

Pennsylvania

Shenango

Erie

Landisville

New CastleOrwigsburg

Robesonia

Philadelphia area

Lancaster

Figure 1: Geographic map of the location of

the graduate fellows (Pennsylvania State University) and the

participating in-service teachers. Schools involved

in the first year of the program are shown by

red stars while locations of teachers participating in the second year of the

program are shown by yellow stars. Philadelphia

area = Rosemont, West Chester, Chester.

Volume XXV, Issue 4


could be taught by the graduate fellow as well as multiple day units to be carried out by the teacher or the graduate fellow. The teachers also helped mentor the graduate fellow in adjusting content and teaching style from the university level to that appro‑priate for middle and high school. Several articles in this issue of The Earth Scientist resulted from successful collaborations between teachers and graduate fellows.

“I am so glad I participated in this program. I feel I have become a better teacher and I have reenergized my classes with the latest content information as well as pedagogical techniques that will help my students in the future. Having the grad-uate fellow was definitely a worthwhile part of the course and I wish there was some way to continue this relationship.” 

– PA teacher

Other teachers found the flexible role of the graduate fellow to be one of the biggest stumbling blocks even though the program was designed with this flexibility to make the graduate fellow‑teacher relationship more effective. The role of the graduate fellow was purposely left somewhat open‑ended in order for each graduate fellow‑teacher pairing to determine the best way to utilize the fellow’s knowledge as a scientist while meeting teaching objectives for each class.

“There was a “truth in advertising” problem. We thought we would be assigned our own grad student but then found out that there were only three to be shared among us.  [The grad fellows] are in school and I felt I would be imposing on them to invite them to my school. I won’t yank them out of school to come 3 hours east for an hour. It’s awkward—they are not pre-teachers—why would I make them make up a lesson plan?” 

– PA teacher

“One of my in-service teachers was a chemistry teacher that enjoyed Earth Science. We tried incorporating geology-based labs to help teach principles in chemistry. It was a challenge that ultimately proved to be too much, and the teacher decided it wasn’t worth the effort.”

– Penn State graduate fellow

“One of my teachers was really last minute with his needs. I had practically no time to get things done. Another teacher told [me] upfront he wasn’t going to need me.”


graduaTe Fellow – STudenT inTeracTionSWhen in the classroom, the graduate fellows had the opportunity to interact directly with the students. All of the participating graduate students had been out of high school for at least 4 years. Their teaching experience was mostly limited to teaching assistantships for undergraduate university courses. As a result, the fellows had to adjust their teaching style to the appropriate knowledge base as well as the variety in learning attitudes and student abilities. The reactions of the students to the graduate fellow varied. Some teachers observed that more academically‑focused students welcomed the graduate fellow into the classroom while other students were indif‑ferent to the change in instructors.

“I think my grad student had a learning curve of realizing students in public education do not all want to learn.  Trying to come up with activities that are motivating yet have good content knowledge is hard.” 

– PA teacher

The graduate fellows themselves found the classroom experience rewarding but chal‑lenging. They had to learn how to communicate with non‑university students, which most found to be difficult in the beginning. However, involved activities helped “break the ice” and encourage students to invest their attention and interact with the graduate fellow.

The Earth Scientist


“I had no expectations or biases towards any of the students, so I pushed them equally which I have found to be difficult once you get to know students. This was my most rewarding aspect - getting a sense that some of the students were not accustomed to being pushed! I could tell by their grins that they had not answered many questions before or at least not correctly.” 


GrAduAte Fellows’ experIenceAs a whole, the graduate fellows walked away from their experience with a height‑ened respect for educators and pedagogy. They were introduced to various teaching styles and the amount of time and preparation needed to create a quality, engaging classroom lesson. The graduate fellows developed new skills in teamwork, time management, and flexibility. They discovered that good teaching requires a degree of entertaining in order to create an open, interactive classroom setting. For those fellows that are planning on pursuing teaching, the classroom experience was particu‑larly valuable.

“I liked going into the classroom and working with the kids. [Two of my teachers] were good mentors on how to be good teachers. I want to go into teaching.  The experience gave me confidence.” 


As a whole, graduate fellows felt welcome in the classroom. On a few occasions one graduate fellow was able to teach a lesson to seven classes in a single day. The teacher provided helpful feedback on teaching technique to help the graduate fellow improve lesson presentations and more effectively engage the students. Because this fellow taught a lesson on the scientific method during his first classroom visit, the students nicknamed the fellow “Scientist Dude” for the remainder of the academic year. Another fellow was invited to put together a lesson on her research on ancient lavas in Egypt, to which the students responded with inquiries and enthusiasm. This allowed the graduate fellow to act as a scientist and mentor rather than simply teaching science content.

recommendaTionS For incorPoraTing graduaTe FellowS in The claSSroomThe involvement of graduate fellows in the classroom has shown great potential in helping teachers present Earth Science concepts. The graduate fellows are able to act as a content resource for the teachers as well as provide students with a real life example of a scientist. In some situations, limits on the geographic distribution of participating teachers and graduate fellows may facilitate better working relation‑ships. However, except for select urban areas, graduate schools are not commonly located in regions with high concentrations of Earth Science teachers. Therefore, it is requisite to design a program that can overcome the realities of distance through purposeful interactions between graduate students and teachers who are committed to the process. In order to most effectively utilize graduate fellows in the class‑room, we recommend providing ways for graduate fellows and teachers to build even stronger relationship during the initiatory TESSE summer workshop in order for the relationship to effectively benefit both the teachers and students. Establishing specific graduate fellow‑teacher partnerships early in the workshop may better promote this working relationship over any distance and help encourage ongoing communication once the academic year begins. During the workshop, a specific plan needs to be made to ensure utilization of the graduate fellow over the course of the school year. We also recommend planning 1‑2 days of classroom observation at the beginning of the year in order to help the graduate fellow familiarize themselves with the students and the type of classroom setting in which they are going to be involved.

abouT The auThorSTanya Furman, Department of Geosciences, 333 Deike Building, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, [email protected]

Laura Guertin, Division of Earth Science, Pennsylvania State University Brandywine, 25 Yearsley Mill Road, Media, PA 19063, [email protected]

Corresponding author:Wendy Nelson, Department of Terrestrial Magne‑tism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5241 Broad Branch Rd., NW, Washington, D.C. 20015 and Department of Geosciences, 333 Deike Building, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, [email protected]

Volume XXV, Issue 4


abSTracTGoogle Earth allows viewers to explore satellite imagery from across a virtual globe. Users of this technological tool can develop and customize objects in the viewing window to follow a set path. We are designing a series of Google Earth files termed QUESTs (Questioning and Understanding Earth Science Themes). A QUEST is a journey in Google Earth based on nonfiction books with Earth science content, where the static words found in the books are integrated with geographic locations and available images. Place marks are set at locations where events occur from the story, and text, images, and/or hyperlinks appear in the pop‑up window at each mark. The place marks can be linked with the pathway tool, allowing the participant to travel on the same journey as the character(s) in the non‑fiction earth science book. Each QUEST is supplemented with a list of terms, names, and critical thinking questions relevant to the book. QUESTs can be a valuable tool for teachers that are unable to purchase copies of the books for their classrooms but want their students to improve their scientific and geographic literacy.

inTroducTionAs technology in this modern day and age advances, students have access to an ever‑growing library of resources to enhance their learning. The internet is home to search engines that transport students to useful material for school projects or research papers. Because of the Internet, almost every American home has a local bookstore with shelves filled to the brim with educational literature. However, there is a large amount of research in the Earth sciences documented in nonfiction books written for the general public to which students, for a number of reasons, do not have access. Schools may not have the funds to purchase these relevant content, nonfiction books. With strict curriculum guidelines, some teachers may not have the time to delve into Earth science‑based books with their students. In addition, twelve year‑old students would probably not pick up a book about a topic such as plate tectonics on their own accord. Scientists have published books with great significance for our young popula‑tion, but children and teenagers are often not challenged or motivated to read them. By integrating technology with these valuable sources of scientific information, Google Earth QUESTs can offer students and their teachers easy and free access to relevant Earth science content.

inTegraTing google earTh wiTh The queST For

earTh Science liTeracY

Sara E. Neville and Laura A. GuertinDivision of Earth Science, Pennsylvania State University Brandywine

The Earth Scientist


Penn State University sponsored a summer workshop for in‑service and pre‑service middle school and high school teachers, focusing on technological tools and inquiry‑based activities with an Earth systems focus. The National Science Foundation‑funded TESSE (Transforming Earth System Science Education) Workshop encourages its participants to renovate their approach to teaching. TESSE recently finished its third successful year and aims to bring fresh ideas and a systems approach with inquiry‑based activities into the classrooms of its participants. One of the activities TESSE implements is utilizing a common read as a means of discussion for the teachers, with each year requiring a different common read. In the past, participants have had difficulty bringing the book and its content to their students during the school year. Some of the content was even difficult for the teachers to visualize, as evidenced by some of the 2009 participants’ feedback. “It was hard to initially get into reading the content of the book. You have to enjoy reading content that creates word images in your mind, based on previous knowledge. This book would be frustrating without prior knowledge.” This teacher statement clearly illustrates how difficult it would be for not only teachers but for students to grasp concepts from the material. Another teacher was frustrated, “I found most of the book difficult to absorb... Photos would have helped.” Google Earth QUESTs (Questioning and Understanding Earth Science Themes) are a perfect way to integrate visualization, technology, and pertinent infor‑mation into the classroom.

PreParing a google earTh queSTEarth science is often a visual learning experience for young students. A Google Earth QUEST is a means of binding nonfiction books to imagery by using Google Earth. The idea was inspired by the award‑winning Google Lit Trip program (www.googlelittrip.org/). According to Jerome Burg, the creator of Google Lit Trips, “This [web] site is an experiment in teaching great literature in a very different way. Using Google Earth, students discover where in the world the greatest road trip stories of all time took place” (Burg, n.d.). Google Lit Trips have documented the journeys of characters in classic and modern literature. For this project, the Lit Trip has been modified into a means of accessing nonfiction books with Earth science material through the free Google Earth software. Google Earth QUESTs create a visual journey through the content of Earth science books by using Google Earth’s map of the world. The QUEST works similar to a Lit Trip. Each trip is an interactive multimedia experience created using Google Earth and stored as a KMZ file (a KMZ file is a zipped KML – Keyhole Markup Language file which opens in Google Earth). The photos used in Google Earth

Figure 1. A Google Earth screen shot with the

QUEST file open for The Control of Nature. The list of locations corresponding

with each book chapter appears in the left

“Places” window. Each pin on the left corresponds

with one on the map.

Volume XXV, Issue 4


QUESTs are found from websites that provide copyright‑free images, such as Flickr creative commons (www.flickr.com/creativecommons/) and Wikimedia commons (commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page). In addition to the visual journey, Google Earth QUESTs provide supplemental materials to enhance the student’s experience. A glossary of Earth science terms is provided to students to familiarize themselves with before clicking through the QUEST. Once they have read through the content and explored the QUEST, a list of questions based on the entire range of Bloom’s revised taxonomy (Anderson and Krathwhol, 2001) is provided. The Google Earth QUEST hopes to bring a deeper level of understanding of Earth’s processes and their spatial relations to Earth science students.

During the 2009 TESSE workshop, the first Google Earth QUEST, which chronicles the common read, John McPhee’s The Control of Nature, was presented to the in‑service teachers. The QUEST is presented in the same order as the chapters in the book (Figure 1). The QUEST first visits the Mississippi River and visits nine geographic sites presented in the book, with each site having a pop‑up window with an image and summary from the text (Figure 2). The QUEST then travels to Iceland for eight stops on the tour of the volcanic history and processes. The QUEST ends in California with a tour and discussion of the debris flows, fires, and tectonic activity around Los Angeles.

FeedbackThe demonstration of The Control of Nature QUEST during the TESSE workshop was well‑received by the teachers, and many teachers voiced they wish they had access to the QUEST when they were originally reading the book. Visualizing the geographic loca‑tions described in the book while reading proved to be difficult, but with the photos included in the QUEST and presented during the demonstration, the teachers immedi‑ately had a better visual understanding of the locations of events and sequences, and spatial relationships. New QUESTs can be found on our website for Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations, by David Montgomery, and Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change, by Elizabeth Kolbert, with additional QUESTs continually being developed.

Figure 2. In the Google Earth QUEST, clicking on each pin will open a window with text summarized from the book and a corresponding image. Images are pulled from various websites and are copyright-free for use.

The Earth Scientist


Students can also create tours in Google Earth based on books they have read or stories they have written. Wert and Girgus (2009) have their students “Travel the Novel” with specific locations already set on a Google Earth map, and students must place additional pins with relevant quotes from the book or images and video they find online. Additional information and ideas on how to utilize Google Earth with students can be found on the SERC – On the Cutting Edge website (serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/google_earth/index.html).

concluSionAn overarching goal of the Earth science QUESTs is to increase the science literacy of students by giving teachers easy access to free scientific content. Each Google Earth QUEST utilizes technology and visualization, both known to help facilitate learning and interest in educational topics, especially in young students. The results of incredibly innovative Earth science research are documented in books that young students would not normally pick up on their own, and Google Earth is a tool that can present this information in an appealing way to tech‑savvy students. The QUEST is not only a tool to bring relevant content into science classes across the nation, but the technology also has the ability to bring science literacy to a worldwide demographic. TESSE teachers agree, with this direct quote from one of the workshop participants: “Long live they who bring prose to science! Make it available for all!!”

To view completed Google Earth QUESTs, please visit http://tinyurl.com/googleearth‑quest/

reFerenceSAnderson, L. W., and Krathwohl, D. R. (Eds.). (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching and

assessing: A revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of educational objectives: Complete edition, New York: Longman.

Burg, J. (n.d.). Google Lit Trips. 12 Aug. 2009. <www.googlelittrips.org/>.

Wert, M., and Girgus, S. (2009). Traveling the Novel. Learning & Leading with Technology, 36(6), p. 34.

abouT The auThorSLaura Guertin, Division of Earth Science, Pennsylvania State University Brandywine, 25 Yearsley Mill Road, Media, PA 19063, Email: [email protected]

Sara E. Neville, Division of Earth Science, Pennsylvania State University Brandywine, 25 Yearsley Mill Road, Media, PA 19063

To help you beat the COLD of winter here’s a 

photo taken while coming in to St. Thomas in the 

Virgin Islands.  Photo by Tom Ervin, 2/15/09.

Volume XXV, Issue 4


abSTracTThis manuscript describes the transformation of an existing group research project at the 8th grade level of an independent school for girls into a model for Earth System Science education that can be adapted to a variety of educational settings. Eighth grade previously included a traditional Earth Science course called “Earth and Beyond” with separate units in geology, plate tectonics, topography and astronomy. Three years ago, to introduce a greater emphasis on natural resources and environmental stewardship to the curriculum, we initiated a group project to design a sustainable community for approximately 500 colonists on a fictitious, recently discovered, Earth‑like planet. Student response was positive, yet we recognized revisions were needed to deepen the science content and improve the pedagogy in order to increase the value of the project. Here we describe four major revisions to the assignment that we believe have significantly improved the project as a summative experience for 8th grade Earth Systems Science. Anecdotal evidence gleaned from teacher observation, student reflections and assess‑ment data strongly suggests that the project revision benefited our students.

old meThodDuring the inaugural year of Project Vofmio (an amalgam of teacher names), students were instructed to design a self‑sufficient habitation scheme for a fictitious Earth‑like planet that would provide human colonists with clean water, a supply of food, and other necessary natural resources. Students were required to establish a set of rules by which the community could operate efficiently while protecting the natural resource base. In the first year, the project was conceived as a purely student‑driven activity and students purposefully were provided with only minimal background information beyond the concepts introduced earlier in the year.

During the initial phase of the project, teams of three to four students worked within a Specialist group in which they concentrated on one of the four general parameters (clean water, food supply, other natural resources, community rules/regulations) using library and internet resources to acquire information. We provided a basic list of information‑rich resources, and the middle school librarian guided the students as they evaluated the content of web sites and developed reference citations. Both class

deSigning SuSTainable communiTieS: an inquirY-

baSed aPProach To Teaching earTh SYSTemS ScienceJennifer Hoffman and Nicole Vishio, The Agnes Irwin School

Meredith Bembenic, Department of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University

Laura Guertin Division of Earth Sciences, Pennsylvania State University Brandywine

Tanya Furman, Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University

The Earth Scientist


time and homework were devoted to the information‑gathering portion of the project. Student progress and organization during this phase were evaluated via a nightly log in which contributions in class and at home were recorded. Another option would be to require students to bring examples of their nightly work to class each day to add to a portfolio of resources for the team.

In the second phase of Project Vofmio, we utilized the jigsaw technique, with one student from each Specialist group reassigned to a new Design team. In the Design team, students collaborated to identify and further research a set of materials, technologies and guiding principles that would provide for the needs of human colonists on Vofmio while protecting and conserving the natural resource base. Together, students in each Design team created a 3‑D model of their community and a PowerPoint‑assisted oral presentation to share details of their community plan with the class. During the presentation, Design groups were asked to highlight how each Specialist collaborated with other Specialists to create the community plan. In addi‑tion to the 3‑D model and oral presentation, students completed a self‑evaluation of their presentation and the successes and challenges they faced during the project. These data, with formal grades for the 3‑D model and oral presentation, were used to assess the students’ work during the first year of the project.

new meThodWhile we were excited about the potential of Project Vofmio, the quality of the first year models, presentations and feedback from student self‑assessments suggested that the purely student‑driven nature of the project did not adequately achieve our goals for a summative assignment for 8th grade Earth Science. Both teachers partici‑pated in the 2008‑09 Penn State TESSE program with an aim to improve the science content of the project and to introduce new instructional methods that promote student inquiry and engagement. Following the workshop we identified four key areas for revision.

One major change was to substitute the general focus on natural resource acquisition and establishment of community rules and laws with a specific new emphasis on four content areas supportive of an integrated Earth Systems Science approach ‑‑ clean water, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy and waste management (teachers with larger class sizes could opt to create a fifth specialty area such as environmental regulations.) This revised content allows us more opportunities to highlight the ways that human communities are completely dependent on interconnecting systems. We also introduce critical environmental and economic issues associated these content areas, such as fossil fuel extraction and combustion, water pollution, soil conserva‑tion, landfills, etc.

Table 1. Core Concepts of the Four Content Areas Water Resources

Water Cycle, Collection of Water, Drinking Water Treatment, Point and Nonpoint Pollution, Water Conservation

Sustainable AgricultureSoil Formation and Structure, Climate Variables, Selecting Foods for Nutrient Value, Unsustainable vs. Sustainable Farming Practices

Renewable EnergyFossil Fuels, Renewable Energy ‑‑ Solar, Wind, Biomass, Geothermal, Ocean, Energy Conservation

Waste ManagementWaste Water Treatment, Solid Waste – Reduction, Reuse, Recycling, Composting, Landfill, Incineration

Volume XXV, Issue 4


Second, given the relevance of this content to students’ daily lives, we introduced a month‑long period of formal learning about the four project content areas prior to forming the Specialist groups. Table 1 outlines the concepts we highlight in this revised unit. We purposefully and frequently showcase the depen‑dence of the four topic areas on Earth Systems. Figure 1 illustrates several of the connections we made between concepts intro‑duced in the Sustainable Agriculture unit and the hydrosphere, biosphere, atmosphere and geosphere. Similarly, as the content‑building continued, we highlighted interconnections among the four content areas (Figure 2), continuing to model the systems approach that we hoped our students would continue to engage in during their upcoming small group collaborations. This initial teacher‑driven phase of the project was assessed by a tradi‑tional test featuring multiple choice, fill‑in, matching and free response questions.

A third initiative relates to the mate‑rials used during the project. To “walk the walk” of sustainability, we asked that all materials used to construct 3‑D models be recycled from other uses. This requirement called on additional creativity from our students as they imagined all the uses for previously “useless” findings, and it served as a conver‑sation starter about additional ways they could reuse materials in their lives. A grant from the TESSE program allowed us to purchase a wide selection of materials to engage the students, including groundwater models, materials to explore porosity and permeability, desalination, waste water treatment, as well as solar, wind, geothermal and biomass energy. The TESSE graduate teaching fellow (Bembenic) provided ideas for teaching about renewable energy and visited the classroom during the model building phase. As she met with each Design team, the Specialists shared their plans for how the community would provide for the needs of human colonists and protect the environment.

We initiated a fourth major improvement to the project designed to improve the quality and specificity of information gathered by students as content Specialists and community Designers. We crafted a story line to inform students that there were only two locations on the newly discovered planet that could be reached on the preferred trajectory from Earth. We identified these two locations as “exceedingly similar” to two regions within the United States. We selected two climatologically and topographi‑cally different regions with which students would have at least passing familiarity; locations that would have sufficient resources in the library and online for students to interpret, analyze and use as the basis for generating ideas during the Specialist and Design phases of the project. For 2009, we described the two locations as being

Figure 1. Incorporating the Earth Systems Science approach to one of the four content areas (sustainable agriculture) addressed through Project Vofmio.

Figure 2. Example of the interconnections possible among the four content areas of Project Vofmio.

The Earth Scientist


uncannily similar to Southwestern Arizona along the Colorado River, and to the coast of northeastern Maine near the entrance to the Bay of Fundy. For 2010, we plan to describe two sites that are like eastern Washington state and central Florida’s Atlantic coast.

For each location, we created a PowerPoint presentation that included maps, diagrams, graphs, text and several hyperlinks to online sites on the topography, water resources, soil type, climate variables, natural ecosystems and energy potential for each location. These slide sets were meant to facilitate student discussion and stimulate further inquiry during the first critical meetings of the “Specialist” groups that are so important in setting the tone for the collaborative “Design” phase of the project. Thus, the Clean Water Specialists were tasked with determining the water sources and procurement methods for drinking water and agriculture needs as well as determining water conservation measures pertinent for southwestern Arizona and northeastern Maine. The Renewable Energy Specialists were required to identify the most suitable energy sources and technologies for the electricity, heating and transportation needs of communities in each location. The Sustainable Agriculture Specialists investigated the crops and animals suitable for each location, based on several climate variables and soil type, as well as the agricultural practices that would sustain and conserve soil and water. Finally, the Waste Management Specialists were tasked with determining how best to reduce waste in communities in each location, how to dispose of waste that was unavoidable and how to clean wastewater before releasing to the environment.

To ensure that 3‑D models and PowerPoint presentations functioned as a formal assessment of student learning during the entire project, we developed more formal rubrics that were also distributed to students early in the Design phase. Models were evaluated on the creative use of recyclable materials, the sensible layout of community elements within the context of the assigned location, and the clarity with which the sustainable materials and technologies highlighted in the presentation were depicted. Presentations were primarily evaluated on how effectively students explained the details of their sustainable materials and technologies, their rationale for making these selections, and on the degree of collaboration between Specialists in the design of communities. Secondarily, our rubric encouraged students to create well‑designed slides that help communicate their ideas using high resolution media and minimal text, and encouraged students to understand their material deeply so that they could present information without paper notes and without reading directly from the slides.

diScuSSionClean water, healthy food, renewable energy and waste reduction are among the most fundamental environmental issues that our students will grapple with as adults. We feel very strongly that this project is an important mechanism to address these crucial issues and provide students with the basic concepts, access to information and introduction to emerging technologies they will need in the near future to lead healthy lives and support the growth of sustainable communities here on Earth.

While we do not have quantitative data on the educational outcomes using the revised structure and context for Project Vofmio, we have collected direct observations of group interactions, student responses to free‑response type questions, student self‑evaluations and our assessments of Design team 3‑D models and oral presentations. Upon analysis of these qualitative data, we believe that the four major revisions to Project Vofmio have significantly improved our ability to engage students with Earth Systems Science.

The greater clarity in purpose supported by our four content areas, the month‑long unit to introduce students to the Earth Systems underlying these content areas, the increased use of interactive materials and the storyline that linked this project to

Volume XXV, Issue 4


our previous studies has markedly increased the degree of student engage‑ment throughout the phases of this three‑month project. Our students stayed on task and maintained better orga‑nization, they asked more probing questions within their Specialty and Design groups, and they searched for more specific informa‑tion to support their design ideas and incorporated signifi‑cantly more detail in both their 3‑D models (Figure 3) and group presentations. In fact, students had so much to show and describe during the oral presentations that concluded the project and the audience asked so many good questions (Figure 4) that many groups struggled to contain their presentations to 40 minutes, the length of our class period.

Lastly, by incorporating a reuse/recycle mantra throughout the project, our girls were exposed for an entire trimester to a major goal of sustainable living – to protect natural resources through conservation and responsible waste management. By empowering our students to learn where their water, food and energy come from, they begin to value the Earth Systems that give rise to these resources. By providing a new lens to look at waste they learned to see the real potential in the component materials and allow their imaginations to foster new uses for “trash.” We feel Project Vofmio is a model for teaching and learning Earth Systems Science that can be adapted for use in range of educational institutions to engage students with their future role as citizens of sustainable communities on Earth and beyond.

Figure 3. Students proudly display a model of their group’s sustainable community for Project Vofmio.

Figure 4. Students present and defend their proposal for a sustainable community on Vofmio.

abouT The auThorSJennifer Hoffman and Nicole Vishio, The Agnes Irwin School, Rosemont, PA, [email protected]

Meredith Bembenic, Department of Energy and Geo‑Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Laura Guertin Division of Earth Sciences, Pennsylvania State University Brandywine, Media, PA


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Share-a-thon crowd in Minneapolis. 10/09

Past Pres. Parker Pennington at the Share-a-thon.

David Mastie at the Minneapolis Share-a-thon.

Tom Ervin places the moon in orbit.

SceneS from the neStA event At nStA in minneApoliS

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August 10, 2008: Kappe Linne, on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Archipelago. The picture was taken by PolarTREC teacher Missy Holzer while on the High Arctic Change 08/Svalbard REU expedition. From her journal: “Our hike out to the lake was absolutely exquisite since the snow from the night before left a coating on the western facing slopes of the ridges around our valley. It looked like confectioner’s sugar sprinkled on a chocolate cake; definitely dessert for the eyes!”

volume xxv, issue 4 winter 2009 $10* the earth scientistchoose your own adventure ® ... these are...

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