This course is being developed by the NASA Classroom of the Future™, Wheeling Jesuit University, under the auspices of NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise (formerly Mission to Planet Earth) Three themes predominate the course: Earth Systems Science Content, NASA resources, and problem-based learning (PBL) methodology.
Who Should Take This Course
The three-graduate credit course is interdisciplinary in nature. Teams of teachers from the same school are encouraged to apply. Disciplines include biology, environmental and Earth science, chemistry, and social sciences (geography, social studies). Social sciences are appropriate due to the strong human impact on the planet.
Earth System Science™
A group of scientists at NASA and research universities have developed the concept and study of Earth Systems Science (ESS). ESS is a systemic view of natural and human-induced "events" such as volcanoes, forest fires, asteroid impacts, various forms of pollution, hurricanes, nuclear accidents, desertification, ozone destruction, over population, too much water, too little water, coral reef destruction, etc.
ESS presents a model of the Earth as a dynamic group of interactive systems. The Earth's spheres (hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere), for example, are seen not as isolated entities that never touch one another, but as entities that are constantly changing and constantly impacting one another with every change. Keeping this "process model" of the Earth in mind, scientists consider the effects of a single event on each of the Earth's spheres, the resulting impact of the spheres on one another, and even the "feedback impact" on the event itself. A change in the hydrosphere may cause a change in the atmosphere, which may in turn have an impact on the biosphere, and so on.
Group Investigations
Participating teachers, in student-centered groups will collaborate in increasingly complex layers as they research multiple causes and effects of a given "event." They will use a problem-solving model that begins with a hypothesis and is followed by systematic research, including the analysis of NASA's data and satellite images. For example, when considering the causes of deformities in frogs, a starting hypothesis might be stated as "world-wide frog deformities are a result of global ozone depletion." The resulting group research would focus on supporting or refuting the hypothesis. Available NASA resources, such as satellite imagery, document the ozone loss. Other data sources would be visited in order to understand the complexities of the event from an ESS perspective. An ESS diagram will serve as a visual aide to the investigation, helping participants conceptualize the many interactions of cause and effect among the Earth's spheres.
Student-Centered Classrooms
The course models student-centered classrooms. Resources will be provided that emphasize group investigations, problem-based learning, and environments in which students generate products that demonstrate deep understanding, rather than memorization of facts. This quote from Rutherford and Algren (1990, Science for All Americans, Project 2061) typifies our emphasis:
Students should be given problems — at levels appropriate to their maturity — that require them to decide what evidence is relevant and to offer their own interpretations of what the evidence means. This puts a premium, just as science does, on careful observations and thoughtful analysis. Students need guidance, encouragement, and practice in collecting, sorting, and analyzing evidence, and in building arguments based on it. However, if such activities are not to be destructively boring, they must lead to some intellectually satisfying payoff that students care about (pp. 188-189.)
PBL will play a large role in this course. The course will center on four major PBL modules — each introducing an ESS topic. During each of the three-week-long modules teachers will create their own PBL module with the intention of using it in their own classrooms.
Saying that we want student-centered classrooms and actually implementing them are often worlds apart. Few institutions of higher learning prepare pre-service teachers to manage these environments. It takes more time, energy, and thought to start and sustain inquiry-based classrooms than to implement science lessons in a lecture format. Having classrooms abuzz with activity, student-generated questions and reflections, however, is a gratifying experience.
ParticipationThe class will consist of 24 teachers. Sections will be moderated by a master teacher and an Earth scientist. Teachers will be expected to engage in weekly online discussion and reflection involving an estimated 8-15 hours per week. Groups will be formed consisting of four to six teachers. Discussion will revolve around questions concerning Earth System Science and teaching practices. In addition to the weekly discussions, teachers will be expected to keep an online journal, and share information and experiences. The course will be structured, but not conducted in real time, so that teachers can contribute anytime during the week. Participants will learn about ESS content, Internet resources, NASA resources, and problem-based learning. Participants need to understand that this is a course requiring participation, discussion, and research. Commitment to the course is necessary. Those expecting to find an easy one- or two-hour per week chat course will be disappointed. The course is designed for collaboration and participation in an online community of learners. Past participants from the K-4 and middle school ESS courses called the courses "rigorous," but 96% said they would recommend the courses to their colleagues.
Course Credit
Three graduate credit hours from Wheeling Jesuit University will be awarded upon completion of the course. There will be no cost to teachers assisting in testing the first offering of this course. Materials will be mailed to teachers during the first week in January 1999.
Course Site and Hardware Requirements
The course will be run completely over the World Wide Web. Teachers will need access to a Mac or Windows machine with a good Internet connection. A 56kb connection or better is recommended. The computer should have a minimum of 16mb of RAM and Web browser of Netscape 2.2 or newer or Internet Explorer. The high school course site has not been finalized as of October 1998. Interested teachers can look at a version of our middle school ESS course at http://www.cotf.edu/essc Use "cet" as the userid and password (without the quote marks). An older version of the course is located at http://www.cotf.edu/mtpe; this site includes the threaded discussion areas. The high school course will operate similarly to the middle school course.
How to Participate
Twenty-four teachers will be chosen from among the applicants. To apply, submit an application endorsed by your department chair or principal.
HTML code by Chris Kreger
Maintained by ETE Team
Last updated September 07, 2011
Discuss Exploring the Environment!
Some images © 2004 www.clipart.com.
Privacy Statement and Copyright © 1997-2011 by Wheeling Jesuit University/NASA-sponsored Classroom of the Future. All rights reserved.
Center for Educational Technologies, Circuit Board/Apple graphic logo, and COTF Classroom of the Future logo are registered trademarks of Wheeling Jesuit University.