NAGTNews - Vol 16 - No 4 - April 2017

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1. Earth Educators' Rendezvous 2017

Over 130 abstracts and teaching demos have been submitted for this summer's Earth Educators' Rendezvous. The program committee is busy organizing the contributed program and it's going to be a fantastic event!​ ​We have much more information available about the workshop and plenary programs available on the website now. You can find more detailed descriptions of the morning workshops and the afternoon mini-workshops, round table discussions, pre-and post-Rendezvous field trips, and the two review camps on Sunday.​ ​

Interested in attending the Earth Educators' Rendezvous but funding is tight? This year's Rendezvous features two opportunities for community members to earn travel assistance by reviewing online materials for NAGT and InTeGrate. Participation in either Review Camp features a $500 stipend to offset travel and accommodation expenses of attending the Rendezvous.

NGSS Tagging Camp

Sunday, July 16, 2017

The Activity Review Camp will involve volunteers in reviewing teaching activities submitted from InTeGrate and other NAGT sponsored programs. This review will be very similar to previous Review Camps. Learn more and apply to be one of the 25 reviewers. Applications will continue to be accepted until May 1 or until all 25 spots have been filled. The deadline to apply is May 1.

[link Earth Educators' Rendezvous 2017 'Activity Review Camp']

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Participants in the NGSS Tagging Camp will review and tag teaching materials developed through InTeGrate with disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, cross-cutting concepts, and performance expectations from the Next Generation Science Standards. Up to 15 participants will be selected from those who apply for this activity. Applicants should be very familiar with the NGSS and the Framework for K-12 Science Education. Applications will continue to be accepted until May 1 or until all 15 spots have been filled. The deadline to apply is May 1.

A final reminder that the early bird registration deadline is May 1. Get registered now to take advantage of the reduced registration rate. We hope to see you in Albuquerque!

2. Next NGSS Webinar - April 13, 2017

The American Geosciences Institute's Center for Geoscience and Society and NAGT are collaborating with other organizations and member societies to support implementation of the Earth and space science Next Generation Science Standards. Join us for ​our April webinar!

​​NGSS Climate Education with the CLEAN Collection

Thursday, April 13, 2017
1:00 PM Pacific | 2:00 PM Mountain | 3:00 PM Central | 4:00 PM Eastern

Teaching about climate and energy is a perfect match for the Next Generation Science Standards. These topics span multiple disciplines and weave together earth science, life science, engineering, design, and societal impacts. Districts and teachers are developing NGSS units to address these expectations and seek current, trusted resources to use. The Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) Collection is a rigorously-curated digital library of 650+ free learning resources, including activities, videos, short demonstrations and guidance for teaching about climate and energy. The collection is tagged and searchable by NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas, Science and Engineering Practices and Cross-Cutting Concepts. Example units and processes for using CLEAN resources to build NGSS units are also available and in process. This webinar will highlight the ways in which climate and energy learning is included in NGSS, will describe the resources available through CLEAN, and will show attendees how to use CLEAN for their NGSS needs.

Presenters:

Cheryl Manning, National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA); Evergreen H.S.
Karin Kirk, Geoscience Education Consultant and Science Writer
Anne Gold, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) Education and Outreach, University of Colorado

​Registration deadline: ​April 11

3. Upcoming NAGT Award Deadlines

Outstanding Earth Science Teacher Awards

Outstanding Earth Science Teacher (OEST) awards are given for "exceptional contributions to the stimulation of interest in the Earth Sciences at the pre-college level." Any teacher or other K-12 educator who covers a significant amount of Earth science content with their students is eligible. Ten national finalists are selected, one from each NAGT regional section. Some sections also recognize state winners. Individuals may apply themselves or nominate a colleague for the award.

The selection of award winners is conducted at the Section level and each Section sets its own deadline for nomination. A listing of the deadlines and contact people for each Section is listed on the program website. The earliest Section deadline is March 31 for the Pacific Northwest Section with other sections following until the middle of May. So check out your Section's deadline and get your nominations in via the website.

Dorothy Lalonde Stout Professional Development Grants

In honor of Dottie Stout's outstanding work and lifelong dedication to Earth science education, NAGT awards grants supporting Earth science professional development in three categories: Community College Faculty, Community College Student, and K-12 Educator. Deadline for applications is April 15, 2017.

Robert Christman Award

The Robert Christman Distinguished Service Award was established to recognize individuals who have provided long, distinguished service to the Association at the national and/or section level. Nominations are accepted on an ongoing basis.

4. Upcoming InTeGrate Events

Workshop: Pan-African Approaches to Teaching Geoscience

May 23–25, 2017
Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA

Africa is integrally linked to the United States through the impact of Africans in America and Africa as a source of minerals, other materials and intellectual resources. Yet, African-Americans are underrepresented in the geosciences, and attracting African-American students to the geosciences is a challenge. This workshop focuses on developing opportunities for students to learn geoscience in the context of culturally relevant questions using Pan-African pedagogical approaches. Faculty from all disciplines who have opportunities to teach about the Earth and Africa are invited to apply. Application Deadline: April 11, 2017 (EXTENDED)

Webinar: Addressing Earthquake Hazards with LiDAR, GPS, and InSAR in Upper-level Undergraduate Courses

April 13, 2017
Time: 10 am Pacific | 11 am Mountain | 12 pm Central | 1 pm Eastern
Registration deadline: April 11, 2017

The cutting edge methods of GPS, LiDAR, and InSAR are seldom taught in undergraduate courses, but are essential tools for researchers studying the active Earth. This webinar will present two modules intended for upper-level geoscience courses that feature learning about active tectonics through these geodetic methods and motivated by improved societal preparedness for earthquakes. Presenters will highlight teaching strategies and examples ranging from in-class activities to capstone projects. GEodesy Tools for Societal Issues (GETSI) collection editor, Beth Pratt-Sitaula, will discuss the value in teaching geoscience through the lens of societal challenges. Author Phil Resor will discuss the module GPS, Strain, and Earthquakes which features using ongoing deformation as measured by GPS stations to study crustal strain and earthquake hazards and risk. Gareth Funning will describe the module Imaging Active Tectonics which uses LiDAR and InSAR to better identify active landforms and characterize recent earthquakes in order to assess earthquake risks, even those far from population centers. The webinar will include 30 minutes of presentations and 25 minutes of discussion. Participants are encouraged to both ask questions of the presenters and discuss their own experiences regarding active tectonics and earthquake hazard learning. Modules are particularly appropriate for majors-level courses in structural geology, tectonics, geophysics, tectonic geomorphology, geohazards, and applied engineering.

InTeGrate Workshop at GSA Cordilleran Section Meeting

Earth in Context: Resources for Integrating Earth Literacy with Societal Issues across the Curriculum

Are you interested in preparing students to be problem-solvers in a future where sustainability will require a robust understanding of the intersections between the Earth and society? if you are heading to the 2017 GSA Cordilleran Section Annual Meeting in Hawai'i this May, consider registering for the Earth in Context: Resources for Integrating Earth Literacy with Societal Issues across the Curriculum post conference workshop on Friday 26 May, 1:00 pm-5:00 pm. Registration is now open!

5. JGE Volume 65 Number 1 is Now Available

The February 2017 (v 65, n 1) of the Journal of Geoscience Education is now available. Members can access all the articles via the JGE website. The table of contents for the issue is below.

EDITORIAL

Demystifying Peer Review: The Journal of Geoscience Education Peer Review Process
Heather Petcovic, Alison Stokes, and Kristen St. John

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

Benefits of a STEAM Collaboration in Newark, New Jersey: Volcano Simulation Through a Glass-Making Experience
Alexander E. Gates

An Earth Hazards Camp to Encourage Minority Participation in the Geosciences
Kathleen Sherman-Morris, Renee M. Clary, Karen S. McNeal, Jairo Diaz-Ramirez, and Michael E. Brown

Refutation Texts for Effective Climate Change Education
E. Michael Nussbaum, Jacqueline R. Cordova, and Abeera P. Rehmat

Assessing Inquiry in Physical Geology Laboratory Manuals
Katherine D. Ryker and David A. McConnell

RESEARCH

Establishing and Applying Literature-Based Criteria for Effective Communication of Science to Novices Via Introductory Geology Textbooks
Karen M. Kortz, Andrea M. Grenga, and Jessica J. Smay

Assessing Gains in Science Teaching Self-Efficacy After Completing an Inquiry-Based Earth Science Course
Kyle Gray

Effective Use of Personal Assistants for Students With Disabilities: Lessons Learned From the 2014 Accessible Geoscience Field Trip
Julie E. Hendricks, Christopher L. Atchison, and Anthony D. Feig

6. Submit Your Teaching Activities for Peer Review

NAGT is actively soliciting community members to submit teaching activities for our online education portal Teach the Earth. Teach the Earth supports teaching and learning about the Earth by providing online resources for educators in the geosciences and related fields. Resources include classroom activities, course descriptions and syllabi, information about pedagogical strategies, topical collections, and more. This collection of teaching materials already encompasses over 4000 activities across Earth-related disciplines.

To add your contribution to this important community resource, just use the Contribute an Activity Form on the Teach the Earth website.

Activities are welcome at any time but those that are submitted to the portal by June 1 will be included in the Activity Review Camp taking place at the 2017 Earth Educators' Rendezvous in July. You can learn more about the Peer Review Process at the On the Cutting Edge website.

7. "Defining GER Grand Challenges" Survey

Thirteen years ago, the Wingspread Report (Manduca et al., 2003) helped establish geoscience education research (GER) as a legitimate research field and highlight overarching research questions for GER at the time. More recently, the growth and interest in GER is evident from the increase in the quality and frequency of geoscience education research articles (Pilburn, et al., 2011), the 2014 establishment of the NAGT GER Division, an increase in the number of GER graduate programs, and tenure-track faculty positions that support geoscience education research. As an emerging DBER field (Singer et al., 2012), the GER community needs to take stock of the current state of their research and consider the best course forward so that it can have the greatest collective impact on advancing teaching and learning in the geosciences.

As part of a multi-step effort to meet this need, Kim Kastens, Karen McNeal, Heather Macdonald, and Kristen St. John have developed a survey "Defining GER Grand Challenges" to gain broad community insight into important research questions in GER for different topical areas. This survey provides an opportunity for you to voice your opinion on what the research priorities should be for the GER community for the next 10 years. Data from the surveys will be analyzed at a summer workshop and later compiled in a white paper. It is our vision that individuals and research groups will situate their future GER work in a framework that has the potential to transform GER by developing methods and testing hypothesis that address identified "grand challenges" in GER. The survey will be open from April 1-23, 2017.

8. NAGT and the March for Science

The March for Science, April 22 is coming up fast! The March for Science, a nonpartisan event, promotes science education and the use of scientific evidence to inform policy. By endorsing the march, NAGT affirms these principles, recognizes the importance of science and science education to our citizens, stands up for diversity, inclusion and equality in science.

​Visit NAGT's March for Science webpage to learn more about NAGT's involvement in the March for Science including the March's mission and goals, NAGT's Code of Conduct, links to satellite marches and information on additional March for Science partner organizations. You can also join the email list for updates on activities: http://nagt.org/nagt/policy/march_discussion.html.

Planning on marching in either DC or in your local community? We encourage our members to march in support in either DC or at their local level.

• Highlight NAGT's support by wearing your Earth Educators Rendezvous t-shirt or other clothing indicating you are a geoscience educator and put NAGT on your sign.
• Take pictures! We want to see the breadth and depth of our members' involvement around the country. Post on social media and tag NAGT or use the hashtags: #NAGTROCKS​ ​#Marchforscience, like our page on Facebook.

How else can you make a difference? Spread the word about the benefits of becoming a NAGT member. If you are already a NAGT member, consider an additional donation to help fund NAGT resources and programming.

Stay tuned for additional information and ideas for the big event(s) on April 22 as well as thoughts on ways to carry forward the excitement and enthusiasm for the critical role science plays in our lives.

9. InTeGrate Announces New Teaching Materials

Water, Agriculture, and Sustainability

Water, Agriculture, and Sustainability is a 3-5 week module provides a framework for students to learn about how people interact with water, peer into our water future, and consider ways we might foster more sustainability in water management. After assessing our major water challenges, the module has students learn about the concepts of water sustainability, virtual water trade, and water footprints.

Water: Science, and Society

Water: Science, and Society is a 10-module (12-week) general education course focused on the interrelationships between water and human activities from a science and policy standpoint. The course blends key readings with activities (e.g. data analysis, plotting, exploration of simple models) designed to investigate the physical and chemical processes that determine water occurrence, movement, and quality.

10. New Paper in Geosphere from the Classroom Observation Project of On the Cutting Edge

Congratulations to the Cutting Edge's Classroom Observation Project for their recent article published in Geosphere - A multidimensional assessment of reformed teaching practice in geoscience classrooms.

11. New Teaching Modules from Project EDDIE

Scientists are increasingly using sensor-collected, high-frequency and long-term datasets to study geological and environmental processes. The interdisciplinary team of faculty and research scientists from Project EDDIE has developed flexible classroom modules that aim to expose undergraduate students to such real-world experiences. These modules utilize large, long-term, high-frequency and sensor-based datasets that can be used in a variety of introductory, mid-level, and advanced courses. Each module requires students to collect data from online sources, such as discharge and water quality data from the US Geological Survey, ecosystem carbon dioxide flux data from FLUXNET, lake temperature data from the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network, and seismic data from the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology. The current collection includes 9 modules on topics like Soil Respiration, Nutrient Loading, and Climate Change.

The Project EDDIE team also collaborated with the InTeGrate project on a webinar about how the modules were developed and can be used in classrooms. Learn more about that webinar on the InTeGrate website: Incorporating Environmental Data-Driven Inquiry and Exploration in Your Course

12. New Blog from the GET-Spatial learning Network

The GET-Spatial Learning Network (Geoscience Education Transdisciplinary Spatial Learning Network) is excited to introduce our blog, Postcards from a trading zone. In a collaborative effort by cognitive psychologists, education researchers, and geoscience educators, the GET-Spatial team addresses topics related to geoscience education, including the use and development of educational tools, spatial thinking within the geosciences, and multidisciplinary solutions for overcoming a variety of challenges in the classroom and beyond. While the focus leans towards geoscience education, ideas introduced in Postcards from a trading zone can be applied to a wide range of STEM fields. Please share this news with your colleagues, and follow the link to view the current collection of postings.

13. IRIS: Looking for help in the field this summer?

Do you or your graduate students need some additional help in the field this summer? IRIS, in collaboration with the University of Texas - El Paso, are matching 10 UTEP undergraduates with qualifying field excursions through the Field Experience Program (FieldXP). The students are primary freshmen and sophomore students who have declared majors in geology or environmental science. These students will receive up to $1000 from IRIS to help offset travel expenses. The students are available to assist with field projects for one to three weeks between May 12 and August 28. Please contact Danielle Sumy (danielle.sumy@iris.edu) for more information.

14. Volunteers Needed to Help Public Libraries do Eclipse Education and Outreach

Thanks to the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (with additional help from Google,) 2 million pairs of eclipse glasses will be distributed free through public libraries in anticipation of this August's solar eclipse. More than 2,000 public libraries will receive a package of free glasses, plus an information booklet on how best to do public outreach about the eclipse.

The project was conceived by three astronomers, Andrew Fraknoi (Foothill College), Dennis Schatz (Pacific Science Center), and Douglas Duncan (University of Colorado.) Together they brought the idea to Paul Dusenbery at the Space Science Institute, which already had an active network of libraries working with NASA to present space-science library programming. Their STARNet library network project is managing the program, with much more information available at: http://www.starnetlibraries.org/2017eclipse/.

Many libraries will need public-outreach help from astronomers, amateurs, and educators who know about eclipses. This help will be most useful in the months and weeks leading up to the eclipse, so you can participate locally even if you plan to be in the total eclipse path on August 21. A clickable map at the above website can show you participating libraries, and you could also approach your own library and tell them about the project. This is a great way for everyone in the astronomical community to be of service to the public before the eclipse.

15. GeoSciEd 2018

We invite you to actively participate in the next edition of two simultaneous events, to be held in Campinas in 2018 – the 8th International Conference of the International Geoscience Education Organization (IGEO) / VIII GeoSciEd 2018, and the 8th National Symposium on Teaching and History of Earth Sciences / EnsinoGEO-2018. The EnsinoGEO-2018 and the VIII GeoSciEd 2018 will stimulate the participants to present, to debate and to build the current state-of-the-art picture of Earth Science education in the world, Brazil and Latin America. Original reports, experiments and contributions are expected to be discussed.

More information about the event and the open call for papers is available via the event website: http://www.ige.unicamp.br/geoscied2018/en/welcome/

16. Invitation to Participate in a Survey of Instructors of Introductory Soil Science Courses

To the members of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers,

We are conducting a survey of Introductory Soil Science (or equivalent) courses as a joint study between the University of Minnesota and Kansas State University. Our intent is to survey every instructor of Introductory Soil Science (or equivalent) courses at 2- and 4-year institutions in the United States. In order to ensure that survey responses are received by as many Introductory Soil Science instructors as possible, this message is being sent to all members of NAGT. We kindly ask that if you do teach an Introductory Soil Science (or equivalent) course, that you please complete the survey. If you do not teach such a course, but know someone that does at your institution or elsewhere, that you please forward this invitation to them.

This survey is designed to collect information about the current state of Introductory Soil Science (or equivalent) education in the United States from the primary instructors of such courses. Data collected from this survey includes information on course content, pedagogy, and audience. We anticipate that this data will 1) improve knowledge of the diversity of materials, methods, and pedagogies utilized to teach Introductory Soil Science (or equivalent), 2) assist instructors or institutions in the process of revising or reviewing their Introductory Soil Science courses, and 3) identify opportunities for cross-institutional cooperation or the development of multi-user course materials and resources. The outcomes of this survey are intended to be published in a peer-reviewed journal to ensure access to results for all interested parties.

If different faculty/staff teach the course in different semesters, quarters or sections at your institution and the materials, pedagogical methods or approaches differ between these courses (i.e. one section is an online section and a second is classroom only), we ask that the primary instructor for each of these differing courses complete a separate survey. The approximate time to complete is 35 minutes.

The survey can be found at: http://z.umn.edu/SoilScienceSurvey

If that link does not work, please copy and paste the following link into your browser: https://umn.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_9MsbReIodtprgwd

Your participation in this survey is greatly appreciated. If you have completed this survey previously, then please disregard this message. We thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Dr. Nic Jelinski and Dr. Colby Moorberg

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Survey intent and outcomes: Dr. Nic Jelinski (jeli0026@umn.edu, 612-626-9936), Dr. Colby Moorberg (moorberg@ksu.edu, 785-532-7207). Qualtrics functionality and content: Dr. J.D. Walker (jdwalker@umn.edu, 612-624-1097). If you have questions about your rights or welfare as a participant, please contact the University of Minnesota Institutional Review Board (irb@umn.edu, 612-626-5654). Determined as Exempt status by the University of Minnesota IRB on 06/06/2016.

Rock and Mineral Exchange

Available Samples

• Petrology Samples
• ophiolite, Tertiary sedimentary, misc metamorphic

Desired Specimens

• Precambrian chert. Stromatolites.

Are you looking for new specimens for your collection? Do you have extra samples to share with colleagues?
Post in the Rock and Mineral Exchange.

Community Advertisements

Lecturers in (1) Earth & Environmental Systems and (2) Biological Systems & Health - Bentley University
Posted: Mar 29 2017
Bentley University's Natural and Applied Sciences Department invites applications for two Lecturer positions (non-tenure-track) in the fields of "Earth and Environmental Systems" and "Biological Systems and Health" representing the primary teaching domains of our department and its undergraduate degree programs. All application materials should be submitted through Bentley's on-line employment site at https://jobs.bentley.edu (search jobs, department = Natural and Applied Sciences).

Lecturer: Geology - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Posted: Mar 17 2017
The Department of Geology, in the School of Earth, Society, & Environment, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign invites applications for a full-time Lecturer with research and teaching experience in sedimentology, stratigraphy, and/or paleobiology.

Need help getting the word out about your position opening, event, or field trip? Advertise with NAGT!