Connecticut Geoscience Investigations (CGI) is a professional development opportunity for middle school educators developed in partnership with several federally defined high-needs school districts and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. The project is: 1) providing standards-based professional development in Earth science to 48 teachers annually at multiple sites in Connecticut; 2) developing teachers' inquiry-oriented and place-based instructional techniques; 3) assisting teachers with improving their existing curricula to meet the specific needs of their school district; 4) increasing teacher content knowledge and confidence in working with Earth science scholars; 5) improving teacher skills in synthesizing and transforming their knowledge to be used in the classroom; and 6) encouraging teachers to provide field trip experiences for their students. Students are increasing their skills in inquiry-based science by learning about local landscapes through classroom and field experiences. Digital resources are being developed to increase teacher confidence in leading field trips, improve their awareness of sites close to their location, and provide pre- and post-fieldtrip activities that will be widely disseminated. The program involves three intensive summer institutes that, geographically, span the state and feature seminars, hands-on activities, and field work. Teachers receive year-round support through evening workshops and regular electronic communication. The project also has an informal community education component comprising two family event days for Museum visitors during Earth Science Week. The program is providing a scientific learning experience, designed to serve urban disadvantaged youth, that is based on current geoscience research and directly addresses two realities in today's classroom: the challenges of taking students on field trips and the necessity for curricula materials that fit strict district mandates.
(CGI) were (1) to provide professional development and resources primarily targeted at Grades 6– 8 teachers to enhance their knowledge of, and teaching skills in, the Earth sciences, and (2) to increase skills of middle and high school students in inquiry-based science associated with the Earth sciences. The project's objectives were as follows: 1) provide standards-based professional development in Earth science to middle school science teachers at multiple sites in Connecticut; 2) assist teachers with improving their existing curricula to meet the specific needs of their school district; and 3) encourage teachers to provide field trip experiences for their students through innovative digital resources that focus on giving teachers increased confidence in leading field trips. Additionally, CGI focused on meeting the required Connecticut state content standard for "Changing Earth Systems" (standard 7.3) that is commonly taught in 7th or 8th grade. Summer Teacher Institutes. Connecticut Geology Investigations held three summer institutes in 2011, serving a total of 40 middle school teachers. During the institutes, teachers learned about the geologic history of Connecticut and received training on activities within the Connecticut Geology Guide, a curriculum unit containing 10 hands-on activities for the classroom that was developed with previous NSF funding and revised and improved as part of this grant prior to the summer institutes. Teachers also learned how to make best use of the materials and rock/mineral specimens in the "Geo-Action Kit", a loaner kit initially developed in 2009 to support the activities in the Connecticut Geology Guide and revised and improved as part of this grant. The summer institutes were each in a different part of Connecticut in order to make it possible for teachers outside of the Greater New Haven region to take advantage of the professional development. Virtual Field Investigations. Program staff worked with media consultant Kent Golden to develop virtual field investigations (VFIs) that can supplement actual field trips or be used instead of field trips if logistics and/or funding make it impossible for the teacher to bring students into the field. Each investigation presents students with an introductory video that introduces a field site in Connecticut and challenges them to figure out the geologic processes that led to the site’s formation. Students, individually or as a group, explore the location using different virtual tools in their Geologist’s Toolkit. After they have had a chance to explore and collect data (taking notes in a paper journal), the teacher shows a wrap-up video. Students’ ‘tools’ include maps, 360-degree views of the sites, and rock tests/identification. Earth Science Public Events at the Peabody Museum. The Museum ran two special Earth science events during Earth Science Week in 2010 and 2011. The first, on 13 October 2010, celebrated the first "National Fossil Day" organized by the National Park Service and American Geological Institute; it drew over 350 visitors. Activities included fossil touch tables as well as information on fossil sites across the state in collaboration with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. On 10 October 2011, about 470 visitors attended "Our Ever-Changing Earth" and learned about the tectonic forces that shape the planet including earthquakes and volcanoes. There were demonstrations, touch-tables, hands-on activities, crafts and games all focused on these natural processes. Results. Surveys and focus groups found that almost all of the participating teachers felt they would be better at teaching Earth science because they were now more knowledgeable, better prepared, and had new materials that they could use to inspire students. In particular, many teachers were excited about being able to bring examples of local geology into their classrooms. Student achievement was measured with a short quiz that included multiple choice and short-answer questions. Students whose teachers had participated in the summer institutes demonstrated greater understanding of the content, and ability to interpret geologic features, following the classroom introduction of the Connecticut Geology Investigations curriculum and related materials. Full details of the results of the student assessment can be found in the following publication: Pickering, J., J.J. Ague, K.A. Rath, D.M. Heiser, J.N. Sirch. 2012. Museum-Based Teacher Professional Development: Peabody Fellows in Earth Science. Journal of Geoscience Education 60: 337-349. The curricular materials, including the Virtual Field Investigations, are currently available online and can be used by any Earth Science teacher who teaches about geologic time, plate tectonics, glaciation, and erosion. In addition, the project team continues to introduce the curriculum and VFI to educators through numerous conference presentations. Project evaluation showed successful outcomes for goals related to both teachers and students, and one can conclude that, overall and across all participants, the program has been successful.
