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USGS Welcomes Students for Earth Science Week Celebration in Menlo Park, California
Where could students get a bumpy ride in an "earthquake chair," crack open a geode, compare the eruptions of Mount St. Helens and Kilauea, look at anaerobic microbes living inside termite guts, get their own pieces of basalt dredged from the deep-sea floor, learn how to read a map, and much more? At the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) center in Menlo Park, Calif., on Friday, October 13, 2006, in a 1-day celebration of Earth Science Week. Approximately 1,350 students from more than 20 local schools swarmed over the campus from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., enjoying interactive, hands-on exhibits and activities designed to stimulate interest in Earth science. The mild day was ideal for outdoor as well as indoor exhibits, which were set up at approximately 25 stations around campus. The visiting students ranged from 1st through 8th graders, and there was something to please kids at every level. Offerings by Western Coastal and Marine Geology (WCMG) team members included:
WCMG team members also helped behind the scenes to make the event run smoothly: Carol Reiss served on the planning committee; Carolyn Degnan and Helen Gibbons helped direct traffic; and Helen, Florence Wong, and Greg Gabel put up numerous signs to guide visitors to displays. Earth Science Week is an annual event, celebrated this year from October 8 to 14, 2006, with the theme "Be a Citizen Scientist!" As noted on the event's Web site, citizen scientists are "real people collecting data, observing, and testing…. A citizen scientist is YOU involved in real science and research!" The numerous hands-on activities at the USGS Menlo Park celebration encouraged just such involvement.
Teachers and parent chaperones expressed delight with the day's offerings, and the children's enjoyment was obvious. In thank-you letters received by event organizer Christy Ryan, one teacher wrote: "I thought the exhibits were extremely well done, the presenters obviously excited about their work, and terrific with the children…." Another wrote: "Our students commented that this was the best field trip they had ever gone on. We are a school with a huge English as a Second Language population, and these kids just don't have the background knowledge or experience of most kids. Earth Science Day brought education to a higher level for them." A satisfied student wrote: "I loved going to USGS! It was an amazing experience.… Maybe someday I'll work at USGS." The USGS in Menlo Park was only one venue in the nationwide celebration of Earth Science Week. Earth scientists at universities, government agencies, and businesses nationwide opened their doors to visitors, visited classrooms, and hosted field trips. Earth Science Week was established in 1998 by the American Geological Institute (AGI) to give students and citizens new opportunities to discover the Earth sciences and to encourage stewardship of the Earth. It highlights the important contributions that Earth and environmental sciences make to society, and invites the public to become engaged in current scientific exploration. More information about USGS Earth Science Week activities, including links to suggestions for how the public can learn about and get involved in science, is posted at URL http://www.usgs.gov/earthscience/.
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in this issue:
Effects of Urbanization on Nearshore Ecosystems in Puget Sound Studying the Elwha River in Preparation for Dam Removal Sea-Floor Mapping Project Expands to South Shore and Cape Cod Bay
Google Maps View of Western Coastal and Marine Geology Projects Benthic Sponge Taxonomy Course at Mote Marine Laboratory
Nov. / Dec. 2006 Publications List ![]() |