An integrated Earth system field research component will be
developed to incorporate into the science curriculum. Objectives are
to (1) work with a high school and two of its feeder middle schools
to develop teacher?teams capable of incorporating an integrated Earth
system field component into their curriculum; (2) establish a
challenging and exciting environment where teachers and students
conduct inquiry?based science by addressing questions they formulate
themselves; (3) develop an appropriate curriculum built around
integrated Earth system field research; (4) involve students and
teachers in research that they may present at a UTSA sponsored
research conference; and (5) provide opportunities for faculty in the
sciences and education to conduct research: students using the field
site will contribute to faculty research through data collection (in
the case of the sciences) and as participants in education
research.
Nine teachers representing science and mathematics will be
selected for the project; six from middle schools and three from a
high school. Teachers will be trained over a five?month period in
field and laboratory methods in disciplines that include archeology,
ecology, environmental science, geoscience, and microbiology;
emphasis will be placed upon critical thinking and developing
hypotheses based upon observations. With this background, teachers
will take their classes into the field a minimum of three times for
data and sample collection. Data will be recorded on maps developed
by students using global positioning satellite receivers and Arcview
Explorer GIS software. Students will publish their data on a web site
and present their research results at a conference developed for the
project.
This project will have significant impact on the students and
teachers involved. There will be improvement in critical thinking
skills, proposing hypotheses based upon observations, communication
skills, and understanding the linkages between Earth systems. In
addition, there will develop a greater enthusiasm for, and
understanding of, the sciences.