CONSTRUCTING UNDERSTANDING OF EARTH SYSTEMS (CUES): A LEARNING TOOL FOR STUDENTS AND PRE-SERVICE AND IN-SERVICE TEACHERS IN GEOLOGY

Project CUES is a middle school Earth systems curriculum being developed by the American Geological Institute. Its instructional design includes both guided and independent inquiry consistent with the 5E learning model of Towbridge and Byee (1996). Five essential questions flow through CUES: (i) What makes the Earth a system? (ii) How does the Earth system change? (iii) How do humans interact with the Earth system? (iv) What are the characteristics of scientific knowledge? and (v) How is scientific knowledge developed? Developing answers to these questions requires enduring understanding of Earth systems and the nature of science developed through critical thinking skills. Such knowledge is not only the goal of the science content standards within the National Science Education Standards, but also represents fundamental understanding required of teachers in Earth Science. Written by a team of geologists and educators, CUES offers a pathway for exploring Earth and the nature of scientific knowledge through hands on activities, technology integration, science stories, and expository text. A student edition and accompanying videos provide a systems-oriented framework on which young earth scientists build their knowledge. A teacher guide provides a foundation for self-directed professional development in Earth systems science. Through workshops, AGI shows how teachers can use the program in their classroom, and how professors can use the CUES program in their university courses for pre-service and in-service teachers.