THE TIMES PROJECT (TEACHING INQUIRY-BASED MINNESOTA EARTH SCIENCE): HOW AN INTENSIVE FIELD-BASED COURSE BUILDS TEACHER CONTENT KNOWLEDGE AND PREPARES TEACHERS TO PROVIDE EARTH SCIENCE FIELD INVESTIGATIONS FOR THEIR STUDENTS

The TIMES Project (Teaching Inquiry-based Minnesota Earth Science) is a two-week, intensive, field-based workshop for Middle and High School Earth Science Teachers. A needs assessment survey of Earth Science teachers in Minnesota led the TIMES Project Planning team to focus on five interconnected strands: 1) an in-depth review of key information regarding Minnesota Geology, 2) Specific emphasis on the geology local to the region where participants teach, 3) Practice in earth science field research techniques, 4) The design of inquiry-based field opportunities for students, and 5) analysis and alignment of curricula to the Minnesota Academic Standards in Earth Science.

The workshop models the use of inquiry-based strategies so teachers experience the process and know how it feels to a learner. By experiencing the student perspective, teachers are better able to head off obstacles to student engagement, promote development of higher-order thinking skills, and learn where they need to add explanation to ease student discomfort. Teachers then approach their classrooms with greater confidence in their grasp of content knowledge and in their ability to use an inquiry-based approach.

Teachers spend 10 days in the field with a core team of several geologists and a science education professional. Each day, visiting earth scientists (e.g. Hydrologists, Glacial geologists) work with the core team to build teacher content knowledge and develop familiarity with local geology, processes, landscapes, and geologic reasoning. This use of 8-10 visiting geoscientists exposes teachers to a variety of approaches and community resources.

Each day is ‘bookended’ by both structured and free-flowing discussions. Discussions address teacher observations and interpretations and ways in which the field work could be adapted for their situation, as well as ways in which they can use field investigations to meet state and national standards. The regional focus of each TIMES workshop allows participating teachers to be in close proximity for communication, collaboration, and support as they work to implement more inquiry-based learning in their classrooms and undertake the required field investigations with students.