Earth Systems Science (ESS) is emerging rapidly as a discipline and is being used to replace the older earth science education that has been taught as unrelated disciplines--geology, meteorology, astronomy, and oceanography. ESS is complex and is based on the idea that the earth can be understood as a set of interacting natural and social systems.…

Presents developments in the teaching of earth science in Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia, and Colombia. (GS)

Examines what can be done to reintroduce content and process instruction from the earth sciences into the world's science curricula, especially at the secondary level. The earth system provides a conceptual theme as opposed to a disciplinary theme for organizing such integrated curricula, absent from prior efforts. (LZ)

Reports on a survey undertaken to test teacher perception of the effectiveness of their teaching of an earth science component which was added to the National Curriculum of England and Wales in 1989. Teachers indicated that the achievement of their pupils in earth science is moderate while reports on national testing show that it is poor.…

Investigated the development of children's concepts of the earth utilizing the Piagetian interview method to collect data from a sample of 240 children coming from grades four to eight of an experimental public school in Jerusalem, Israel. (HM)

Presented are the background, conference charge, organization, and results from the "Planet Earth" conference. Discussed were the goals and concepts that every high school senior should know when completing a pre-college education. The issues, goals, and concepts of a curriculum are suggested. (KR)

The purpose of this 2-year study was to investigate Malawian teacher educators' perspectives and dispositions toward teaching about ecological sustainability issues in Malawi, a developing country in sub-Sahara Africa. This study was embedded in a larger theoretical framework of investigating earth systems science through the understanding of…