This project involves the convening of a two-three day Earth System Science Course Development Workshop at the National Science Foundation. in September 2004. The primary goal of this workshop is to review and discuss current Earth System Science course offerings at the high school and introductory college levels and begin the process leading to creation and marketing of a rigorous, lab-certified, "Honors-level", Earth System Science (ESS) course to college-bound students. The purpose in creating such a course is three-fold: (1) to raise the awareness, status, and importance of the Earth sciences in high school education, (2) to better prepare and excite talented high school students for career pathways in the Earth sciences, and (3) to create a dynamic ESS curriculum that will be attractive to college-bound students (as well as teachers and parents).
This workshop has the potential to change the nature of Earth science curricula, teaching, and learning at the high school level. For the past several decades, the Earth sciences have been taught as distinct, unrelated units on Geology, Meteorology, Oceanography, and Astronomy. This effort will bring a unifying Earth System Science approach to the teaching and learning of Earth and space science at the high school level. A rigorous, capstone, high-school geoscience course, rich in mathematics and technology, and building on the foundations of biology, chemistry, and physics concepts learned at earlier grade levels will benefit the geosciences at all educational levels.
From economic, environmental, and scientific perspectives, it is imperative that all students have the opportunity to learn about Earth and the near-space environment. In addition to changing the nature of how we teach and learn about Earth and space, this project provides college-bound students, who will become future leaders and voters, with opportunities to participate in rigorous, relevant Earth science research investigations, and expose them to new career opportunities in the Earth and space sciences.
