IMPLEMENTING THE NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION CONTENT STANDARD D: EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA

Abstract: The National Science Education Standards call for the teaching of Earth Science in grades K to 12. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction responded with the 1994 version of the Earth/Environmental Science curriculum. The 2000 revision of the NC Standard of Study has improved on that response with an Earth/Environmental Science curriculum that refines the content to allow teachers and students to use an inquiry approach to exploring concepts in greater depth. Further, the NC State Board of education has included an Earth/Environmental Science course as a graduation requirement for students entering high school in the fall of 1999.

The NC Standard of Study is a guide to stronger more relevant science education for every student. The approach follows four major strands across all grade levels. These strands permeate the curriculum and reflect a science as inquiry approach to understanding and doing science. Objectives under these goals become more complex as students’ progress from kindergarten through grade twelve.

The Department of Public Instruction in partnership with the NC Geologic Survey, NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, NC State University, The University of North Carolina, various teacher groups and individual educators has developed a series of curriculum support materials. These materials include Earth/Environmental Reference Tables that contain a pictorial North Carolina geologic time line, a Physiographic map, a Geologic map, and a Drainage Basin map of North Carolina. These Reference tables also contain mineral and rock identification keys, meteorological and astronomical data. Curriculum support documents also include an enhancement document that suggests student research projects, technological resources, suggested student investigations, and delineation of curriculum goals and objectives. The Department of Public Instruction sponsors a Summer Science Retreat devoted to promoting inquiry based instruction and various ad hoc staff development initiatives in the earth and environmental sciences.