This paper highlights the design process and implementation for an "all majors" undergraduate course that allows students a chance to reconnect with the natural world. During this course students explore a wide range of biological and physical science based topics that seek to highlight human intervention and our impacts on the planet.…

In a series of 12 project-based learning lessons, a group of seven fifth-grade students who live 200 miles from the coast explored their personal connections to the ocean. After completing a unit on the role of water in Earth's surface processes, the students investigated ocean acidification and how this pervasive ocean problem impacts their local…

Although the existence of and access to clean water are essential for sustaining life on Earth, multiple studies have demonstrated students' nascent understanding of basic water principles. Students have misconceptions related to the water cycle (Ben-zvi-Assarf and Orion 2005), groundwater (Dickerson and Dawkins 2004; Covitt et al. 2009), and the…

Understanding the spatial nature of the world is necessary in everyday life. Not only do people move about in 3D space, but spatial thinking is also important in many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This may be especially true in the geosciences, where learners often encounter unique spatial reasoning…

The abundance of freely available, scientific big data sets can facilitate discovery-based authentic science projects saving time, money, and effort. This is especially true of remotely sensed data, as there is global coverage of Earth's surface spanning several decades that can be used for a multitude of applications. In this article, I present…

This article describes a second grade science enrichment unit with a focus on human impact, both positive and negative, on the living and nonliving components of the local watershed. Investigating the local watershed gave the unit a personal and pragmatic connection to students' lives because they depend on the local watershed for what they need…

Students love field trips, and why shouldn't they? Field trips provide a break from the routine of the school day and an opportunity to learn from the world outside the classroom. Science and natural history museums are popular field-trip destinations, filled with a dizzying array of displays, and hands-on learning opportunities. The author…

Earthquakes "have" been in the news of late--from the disastrous 2010 Haitian temblor that killed more than 300,000 people to the March 2011 earthquake and devastating tsunami in Honshu, Japan, to the unexpected August 2011 earthquake in Mineral, Virginia, felt from Alabama to Maine and as far west as Illinois. As expected, these events…

The Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) program recently released the program guidelines (NSF 09-529) for the next round of the program. There are several changes to the CCLI program and a new program opportunity that invites proposals for projects that would provide leadership and contribute to transforming undergraduate STEM…

The authors provide a case study of their own experience teaching Environmental Entrepreneurship. For the past six years, they have been teaching about sustainability through social entrepreneurship in an interdisciplinary partnership with faculty in management, engineering, and earth science. The authors have developed a course in Environmental…

A field-based study of soils and the factors that influence their development is a strong, broad introduction to geologic concepts and research. A course blueprint is detailed where students design and complete a semester-long field-based soil geomorphology project. Students are first taught basic soil concepts and to describe soil, sediment and…

Imagine soaring in the Earth's atmosphere to near the edge of space. Is there air to breathe? Is it dark? Are there clouds? What about air pressure? Fifth-grade students from Ferguson Elementary in Klamath Falls, Oregon, were wondering these questions as they participated in "To the Edge of Space," an exciting, yearlong collaborative…

Students at Jones Middle School (Upper Arlington, Ohio) became involved when a nearby radio telescope was threatened by a land sale. Students not only learned about the basics of telescope use but also wrote to various local and national officials to "save the telescope." (DH)

Describes the rationale for and objectives of a strategy in which students display projects in lieu of a final examination. Although no grading is attached to the "walk-through," participation is required for the course grade. Sample student projects reflecting the variety of display formats are also described. (JN)

Describes a study by high school students and university researchers of coastal erosion along the beaches of a Long Island, New York town. Data will be used in making decisions regarding coastal zoning, planning, and management. (Author/WB)