THE GRAND STAIRCASE: A FIELD EXPERIENCE FOR TEACHERS

A well-constructed field experience is one way to make content come alive in the classroom. The enthusiasm we seek in our students can be provoked by capturing the excitement one feels after making connections between classroom curriculum and the palpable observations they make in the field. There is nothing more rewarding to a student than her initial discovery of science through an exciting event, as experience is the best teacher.

Our course, entitled, "Grand Canyon Field Course for Teachers", is designed to afford teachers the opportunity to witness phenomena which they, and their students, may have only read about. The teachers will gain new insight into the subject that they teach and new enthusiasm to be shared with their students. Teacher-created labs, lesson and activities will be developed based on these field experiences. These resources can have further impact by being made available to participants and others via our web page, accessible from schools and by students both within and beyond New York State.

The field course takes place in Arizona and Utah in a variety of state and national parks in order to develop hands-on experience examining the geology and ecology of the natural world. By participating in this experience, teachers will deepen their understanding of how to plan, conduct, and assess a field trip with students. Daily field experiences challenge participants to apply the principles and concepts outlined in the state and national science standards. As leaders of the workshop, we share our own experience with leading students to this region, and will demonstrate how to carry this field experience back to the classroom. Discussions on location will explore the many ways to make connections to student learning.