The "Science Mission to Planet Earth (SMPE): IT-Integrated Coastal Education" project takes advantage of the Louisiana coastal features to integrate science and mathematics for students and teachers in grades 6-8 in urban and rural settings. This project will involve 200 middle school students and 20 teachers per year (a total of 600 middle school students and 60 teachers over the three-year period) from urban and rural settings. This project promotes the use of information technology to gather and transmit data images via GIS Remote Sensing and to set up situations or displays via visualization simulations. The use of technology for this project serves as a means to introduce earth science concepts to middle school students through "real world" discussion of the issues associated with the Louisiana Coastal Zone (wetlands and marshes, climate change, fisheries habitat, land use, urban sprawl). This project is linked to the GLOBE project that addresses similar issues. SMPE builds upon the GLOBE project as it emphasizes a new component, stressing the use of information technology and potential careers associated with technology. The plan for promoting teaching, training and learning is evident in the proposal and is well defined. The plan includes an initial intensive three-day mathematics/science workshop to support the implementation of the project along with classroom visits from PI and project managers. Teachers will receive 130 contact hours. Additional support is provided through teacher conferences, in-service hours via satellite linkages and summer institutes. Students will participate in two four-week institutes. Adequate class time and after-school time is provided for students to use the IT in support of the STEM courses as well as the provision to use field trips to showcase IT careers. Carnegie Learning has a sub award with SMPE.
