ESCI 1090 - Earth Science for Educators

1. Beyond Our Solar System: Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe
2. Conclusion and Student Presentations of Select Course Projects
3. Earthquakes, Mountain Building, Earths Interior. Student Project 3: Sea Ice Disintegration
4. Geologic Time, Earth History. Field Trip 2: Mississippi River Banks. Student Project 3: Sea Ice Disintegration
5. Introduction: The Earth as a System of Interacting Spheres; Minerals: Student Project 1: Global Deforestation
6. Light, Astronomical Observations, and the Sun: Field Trip 3: Night Sky Observations
7. Mass Wasting, Volcanoes Field Trip 1: St. Croix River Valley (35mm slides), Student Project 2: Volcanoes
8. Minerals, Igneous Rocks, Student Project 1: Global Deforestation
9. Running Water, Glaciers, Deserts. Student Project 2: Volcanic Eruptions: Earth as a System, Human Society
10. Sedimentary, Metamorphic Rocks, Weathering, Soil, Mass Wasting, Student Project 1: Global Deforestation
11. The Atmosphere, Moisture and Precipitation, Storms. Student Project 4: Hurricanes
12. The Atmosphere, Wind, Climate, Storms. Student Project 4: Hurricanes
13. The Atmosphere, Wind, Climate, Storms. Student Project 4: Hurricanes
14. The Oceans, The Oceans Dynamic Floor. Student Project 3: Sea Ice Disintegration
15. Touring the Solar System. Group Project 5: Colonizing Mars: What is the Potential of Terra-Formation?
16. Volcanoes, Plate Tectonics, Mountain Building. Student Project 2: Volcanic Eruptions: Earth as a System, Human Society

1. Establish a knowledge base of Earth science topics necessary for the elementary school classroom.
2. Learn about, investigate and understand some of the minerals of the Earth, rocks, and the rock cycle.
3. Learn about, investigate and understand the forces wearing the Earth down: erosion, mass wasting, rivers, groundwater, glaciers, and wind.
4. Learn about, investigate and understand the forces that build the Earth up: earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building.
5. Learn about, investigate and understand the interactions of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans, weather, and climate.
6. Learn about, investigate, and understand the interactions of the Earth with our solar system, galaxy, and the universe.
7. Learn that our well-being depends upon our continuing investigation and understanding of our Earth and its dynamics.
8. Learn about, investigate and understand Earth Systems Interrelationships in collaborative small groups of K-8 pre-educator classmates.
9. Develop, analyze, prepare, and critique lessons for four Earth Systems Sphere Interactions/ Event Analysis Projects in small groups; present lessons in service learning environment.
10. Provide students with an opportunity to observe and participate in science instructional programs in grades K-8.
11. Provide an opportunity to become familiar with Earth Science resources available outside the classroom in the Twin Cities area as well as throughout the state of Minnesota.
12. Promote and train students to understand the Earth as a system on integrated parts and how changes in any part affect all others.
13. Encourage collaborative work among students in the class as they develop analyses of problems in humans impacts on the Earth, and to be able to distinguish between natural rates of change in the Earth as a system and those changes that are, or potentially are attributable to human actions: such as global warming, ozone depletion, deforestation, among others.
14. Provide training on how to use resource materials and publications for teachers currently in print to effectively teach Earth Systems Science, a broad range of which have been assembled by us and through collaborative effort with the University of Minnesota.
15. Learn about, investigate and understand the Earth as an integrated system of spheres in constant interaction.
16. Learn about, investigate and understand the forces that built up the Earth’s surface and those which wear it down.
17. Collaboratively plan, prepare and participate in lesson presentation and complete a service learning component with a minimum of 20 hours in K-8 classroom or other organization; assist a K-8 instructor and/or present a lesson plan on a spheres topic in service learning environment.
18. Develop MnSCU I-Profile, Classroom Models and Curriculum, and have the opportunity to complete Honors Project.
19. Survey, critique, and employ media, curriculum materials, and field sites for Earth Science Education K-8.

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