Geology and Science Education faculty at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP), a minority-serving institution, are using local aquifers as a theme to organize instruction in Earth/Environmental Science classes in the Public Schools of Robeson County (PSRC). Seventy percent of the students served by PSRC belong to groups underrepresented in the geosciences (46% Native American and 31% African American). Instruction in Earth/Environmental Science classes, a graduation requirement in North Carolina high schools, is difficult because 1) geologic awareness among the local population is low, and 2) teachers of the subject commonly have little background in geology. Linking basic concepts in geology to groundwater is a way to show how geology is real and affects society. The project begins by providing professional development and instructional resources for the Earth/Environmental Science teachers. These teachers lead their secondary school students in hands-on, active inquiry of the functioning of local aquifers from recharge to groundwater production so they can understand "the life of the aquifer." Through use of instructional modules created with local data, students develop their spatial reasoning skills by analyzing maps that use local groundwater information and geologic information. In this way they learn how the components of a groundwater system form as a result of geologic processes. Data collection helps them learn about changes in local groundwater systems over time. The project builds on UNCP's mission to improve educational achievement in southeastern North Carolina. The NC Division of Water Resources assists UNCP by making its data available for student use. The project builds knowledge about groundwater, the dominant source of public water supplies and a resource for economic development. The Life of the Aquifer teaching modules reach approximately 1800 students each year. Teachers and students are being educated about this important environmental issue before irreversible problems arise.
