9355749 McHone The teaching of science requires experiences that many teachers have not obtained from their undergraduate and continuing education's. One of the most effective methods centers on outdoor field activities, both local and off-school, in which students learn science as observation and interpretation rather than as a collection of facts. We propose a Field Science Institute for Teachers, in which K-12 teachers increase their basic knowledge and appreciation of science topics that are appropriate for field study, using classroom work and field work at suitable localities. The grant allows 40 teachers to participate in the Field Science Institute during each of the 1994 and 1995 summer semesters at Wesleyan University, within the Graduate Liberal Studies Program. The Institute will be conducted as four concurrent academic courses and seminars during four-week sessions in July of 1994 and July of 1995. Courses will be in subject areas of Field Botany, Field Geology, Field Zoology (Ecology), and Field Archaeology, plus a seminar in curriculum design for all participants. Graduate credits can be applied toward a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies or a Certificate of Advanced Study, and school districts may also award CEU's.
