Enhancement of the Global Systems Science Student Guide Series for
the Digital Earth Initiative
Description:
Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc., Boston's Museum of Science, Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley, CA, and
Logal.net will digitize and enhance the Global Systems Science (GSS)
Student guide series for interactive use on the Internet and the
Digital Earth Initiative. The GSS Student guide series, developed
during the past eight years at the Lawrence Hall of Science, can be
combined in various ways to create an interdisciplinary high school
course. In the GSS approach students integrate the traditional
disciplines to probe the interactions among the atmosphere, ocean,
ice, solid Earth, and living organisms that shape Earthís evolution
and its future. Students study the traditional disciplines, not as
ends in themselves, but as tools for a scientific understanding of
Earth as an integrated system. The course draws on a variety of
disciplines to illustrate how scientists investigate the ways that
human activities interact with Earth systems. The content and
pedagogy of the Global Systems Science course reflects the four goals
that lie at the heart of the National Science Education Standards:
-
GSS starts with real-world societal issues selected to evoke
interest, excitement, and an appreciation of the value of
science.
-
Through laboratory activities and discussions, students are given
opportunities to investigate and apply the scientific processes and
principles that inform each of the issues.
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Students are encouraged to discuss their changing perspectives as the
course proceeds, and to think about how they can affect the outcome
in each area of concern through personal decisions.
-
Students are motivated to continue their study of technical fields as
they encounter a wide diversity of role models featured in the GSS
Student guides.
The nine-part GSS Student guide series will be digitized, not only by
creating hypertext links between the documents, but by developing an
educational software interface that creates organic, living documents
connected to any data accessible on the Internet. Logal.net has
developed revolutionary software that displays, overlays, and
interacts with any Internet data source on one computer screen.
Science, education, research, technology, and public policies will
all be integrated and available for students, public planners, the
media, and the general public to explore, analyze, and make
decisions.
Organization:
Atmospheric and Environmental Research,
Inc.
Boston's Museum of Science
Lawrence Hall of Science
Logal.net
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA)
Contact:
John Pickle, Staff Scientist for Education
Development, Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc. (AER), 840
Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02139-3771; Phone: (617) 349-2277; Fax:
(617) 661-6479; Email:
jpickle@aer.com
Education Level:
Grades 9-12
Subject:
Earth System Science
Program type:
Curriculum Development/Support
Date Added to teachearth.com:
5/1/00