USGS Education
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| Make It Easy To Find and Use | ||||||
| Teachers have very little time to research new science materials. However, teachers are always looking for resources to help them in the classroom. They often receive promotions by attending staff development (teacher training) activities and societal meetings. They often share their resources. |
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| Know the Standards | ||||||
| What teachers teach is limited in scope based on established Science Content Standards which may be attached to standardized testing. Trying to "change the system" is difficult! |
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| Consider Costs | ||||||
| Budgets for teaching materials are usually next to nothing. Kit materials should be easy to find and purchase. |
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| School administrators control choices | ||||||
| Typically, school district have science coordinators responsible for choosing materials, curriculum content, and control budgets. They also attend more regional and national society meetings than teachers. If your product appeals to these individuals, your efforts will have even greater impact. |
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| Think "Hands On" | ||||||
| The best learning comes through inquiry and by activities (students remember best from multi-sensory experiences). "Think-outside-the-box" activities break preconceived notions, and influence inquiry. |
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| Think Digital | ||||||
| Whereas print products are ideal, there should always be a web-based digital equivalent in .html and/or .pdf formats. If you can't hand out hard copy materials, then make them available in useful digital formats, in multiple sizes. Interactive on-line resources are better than CD/DVD products. |
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| Involve Teachers; Get Feedback | ||||||
| Test your products before going public; get multiple opinions. |
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| Keep your focus | ||||||
| Your job is doing science, but be aware that information presented as well-developed educational resources on a website may have much greater impact on society than a journal article. Afterall, kids educate their parents. Teachers use textbooks, and curriculum writers and publishers typically follow content standards. However, they are always looking for new material. |
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| Add "Education" Components To Your Science Proposals | ||
| Communication Plan | ||
| Note that "outreach" is a now required component of any proposal. If public awareness is essential to your proposal, start with educational resources | ||
| Budget | ||
| Include expenses for "teacher reviewers" and plan personal time to work with teachers for a week or two. You'll be amazed at what teachers will teach you! They with provide intuition and focus, and could provide a network for student data observations and sample collection. | ||
| Products | ||
| Target producing on-line resources such as general fact sheets, public safety & awareness guides, image libraries, and simple data sets with educational guides. | ||
| Consider Web Statistics! | |
| Web statistics tell you how many hits occur on your website, by who, how long they stay, and which pages generate the greatest interest. You can also find out who has linked to your websites. You can watch usage of the website changes over time, and the impact of news-worthy events have on website usage. This is all very useful information! | |
| Checklist of Teaching Materials | |
| General Introduction and Overview | |
| This could be a simple "fact sheet" to a comprehensive publication and website. Know that broader concepts have broader audiences. Focus on the general, and save detail for examples. | |
| "Lesson Plans" | |
| Ideas to help teachers for a day, two days, or a week's worth of activities... no more! Include references to specific standards. A lesson plan is a suggested outline of lessons, activities, materials needed, and other preparation factors. | |
| Graphic Resources and Image Galleries | |
| Images that relate to the topic can be printed and taped up around the classroom and integrated into student-oriented activities. Be sure to see if they print well (.jpg, gif, or .pdf are most standard). Make various sizes available, with 640 pixels wide (72 dpi) as standard for web. Consider that the best handout material should fit on a piece of 8.5"x 11" paper, and can be copied in black and white. | |
| Simple Data Sets | |
| Small, manageable data sets that can be easily manipulated in common spread sheets, on websites, or with user-friendly shareware that have an theme related to specific standards could be of high interest. | |
| "Do Now" Worksheets | |
| Teachers (and administrators) love activities that occupy the first 5 to 10 minutes of a class period. They can be a game or a topic-related activity, but should be simple and self-explanatory. | |
| Twenty Questions (with simple answers) | |
| Arranged from simple to more complex, question lists help teachers, (and can be used for a basis of homework or quiz/test questions. Ponder the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. Dispel myths; emphasize what is important. | |
| "Hands On" Activities | |
| Although demonstration in the front of the class are typical, students get more out of hands on activities. Think of low cost activities that can be done in pairs to small groups in "design challenge" styles that encourage collaboration. | |
| Computer Lab Activities | |
| Lab activities should target 35-40 minutes with about a dozen steps. Multimedia (sight and sound) are great, but don't get lost in the technology. Keep it simple; well explained. Spreadsheet-style data sets linked to a coordinate grid or map that can be manipulated by students are idea. | |
| In Classroom Projection | |
| Teachers are learning PowerPoint and other projection methods. DVD, CD, and videos are also used. However, note that these kinds of materials may not have the greatest impact. | |
| Short Advanced Preparation | |
| Try to make resource material every inexpensive. For example, think of example materials that teachers can ask students to scrounge for at home. Minimize ordering and advance planning time. For instance,.3D glasses cost $.25 each, but take time to order. Teachers rarely take the time to print large .pdf format posters or maps. | |
| Showcase Careers | |
| Present examples of career paths. Present examples with unanswered research questions, frontiers in scientific investigation, and how scientists impact society. What can children do now to help prepare for their futures? | |
| Glossary or Index | |
| Providing definitions and indexing are always helpful for "students of all ages." If a technical word is necessary, use it, but explain it, preferably in conjunction with a simple graphic. | |
| Take This Home To Mom and Dad | |
| Activities that include homework, particularly gathering information from home and family members will broaden impact. Initiating experiences that cross generations can improve any learning experience. | |
| Advertise Your Product To Teachers Through Established Channels | |
| Educational organization exist on national, regional, state, and local levels, and appeal to special interests. These organizations have means of distributing information and announcing activities to teachers. | |
| About Students | |
U.S. Department of Education statistics show that in 2002 the United States had 38.5 million students enrolled in grades K-8, and 15.2 million students in high school grades (9-12), and 15.6 students in higher education (13+). California alone has over 6 million students. Elementary grades (students and teachers) are the largest single audience of science information. |
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| Perceptions About Grade Levels and Activities (based on Piaget's stages of intellectual development for children and teenagers) |
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| Kindergarten to Grade 2 | Learning involves pattern recognition, memorization, making simple observations; focus on social communication skills. Children in the 4 to 7 year range have crude concepts of reality, often having difficulty separating magic beliefs from reality, but intuitive grasp of logical concepts increase with time. Teaching should have a visual and audio context; basic concepts, symbology, and "story telling" can set the stage for more advanced concepts later in life. |
| Grades 3 to 6 | Children begin to reason logically, and organize thoughts coherently. Although they can think about physical objects, they cannot handle abstract reasoning. Introduction to new science concepts are quickly received. They have little difficulty arranging or transposing structures or concepts in a series. However, children of this age range have difficulty visualizing concepts beyond two dimensions. |
| Grades 6 to 9 | Social engagement is the primary focus. Thoughts become more abstract and incorporate more formal logic. Children of this cognitive age can typically see beyond "right" or "wrong"on complex issues. They develop the ability to generate abstract ideas, multiple hypotheses, and possible outcomes. Teaching should advance independent thought, cause and effect, troubleshooting. |
| High School | By the age of 15 most teenagers can clearly handle mature audience concepts, language, logic, and uncertainty related to real life experiences. Note that many adults may never achieve this sophisticated level of cognitive development, even well into adulthood. |
| About Teachers and Teaching (With Focus on Earth Science) | |
U.S. Dept. of Education statistics for 2000 show that the United States had about 3.6 million teachers, with 1.9 million in elementary grades, 1.1 million in secondary grades, and over 1 million in higher education. California has the greatest number of teachers, and on average are the highest paid in the nation. |
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| It is important to emphasize that teachers are individuals. Their experience and capabilities vary considerably. Although teachers follow guidelines and standards, much of what they present depends on the resources immediately available to them. This is especially true for new teachers and a growing number of private and home schoolers. | |
| Elementary School (K-3) |
Teachers of lower elementary grades typically have very limited personal science education, starting in their own K-12 years. As a result, science teaching in the lower grades often suffers, partly out of lack of confidence, interest, experience, or lack of resources. However, students that get good science education in lower grades are more apt to have greater interest or fewer preconceived notions about science topics in higher grades. |
| Elementary School (4-5) |
Teachers in higher elementary grades typically have a more balanced science education, but usually with the exclusion of the earth sciences, or advanced field-oriented concepts in the biological sciences (such as ecology, ecosystems, or biodiversity). Students in these grades are typically highly receptive to science, but a teacher's attitude and presentation can highly influence students' perceptions. |
| Middle School (6-8) |
Middle school science teachers typically have degrees in the health, biological, or physical sciences. By comparison, few new teachers are prepared to teach earth science. Middle school teachers are usually assigned to teach two science topics, with earth science being the second choice, and the least prepared for. Students in the middle school grades are highly receptive to introductory science materials, but are typically easily distracted by social and peer influences. Activity-oriented lesson are challenging to manage, but can have highly rewarding outcomes. |
| High School (9-12) |
High school earth science is taught in very few schools, partly because there are so few earth science teachers, and partly because so few school administrators advocate the teaching of earth science courses over other science disciplines. Where earth science is taught, it is typically relegated to lower high school grades and not to the high-achieving students that get directed into advanced placement courses in chemistry or physics. Exceptional upper-level high school earth science courses are offered in some schools, but usually only because of the dedicated efforts of individual teachers, or rarely, administrators. |
| Examples of High Interest USGS Educational Resources Publications and Websites |
| This Dynamic Earth, and companion resource, This Dynamic Planet are showcase products that are globally recognized. These "high-end" products were expensive, but they have had great benefit. |
| The Earthquake Hazards and the Cascades Volcano Observatory websites are rich in knowledge content and provide examples of educational materials suitable for many ages. |
| The National Atlas has been a popular educational resource for many years. The National Map has great education resource potential because of its versatility and data sets have many interdisciplinary applications. |
| National Biological Information Infrastructure - NBII Teacher Resources website has a variety of material for students of all ages. |
| Water Resources Information for Students and Teachers provides links to all the essential data. |
| The AstroKids website is an exceptional example of a student resource page about the solar system! |
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://education.usgs.gov/common/scientists.htm
Page Contact Information: USGS Education Web Team
Page Last Modified: Wednesday, 23-Jul-2008 16:20:30 EDT
