ALBUQUERQUE’S GEOSCAPE POSTER: A MUSEUM PUBLICATION TO ENHANCE GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION

A geoscience educator and a research curator of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science (NMMNHS) have partnered with a geologist / middle school teacher, from the Albuquerque Public Schools, to create an educational poster that uses the landscape around Albuquerque in order to teach fundamental concepts of earth science. “Albuquerque’s Geoscape” follows in the footsteps of the innovative poster “Geoscape Vancouver” produced by the Geological Survey of Canada. The Albuquerque poster required four years of development including the creation of unique graphics and text, evaluations, and reviews by geologists, educators, and editorial staff; it is, in fact, a “book” formatted into a visual learning tool. Funding for the initial printing required contributions from many local and regional organizations supporting science education, including an Intel Innovations in Teaching Grant, awarded to Newsom. The poster uses content information, scientific expertise, current research and images from the Museum curatorial research staff and collections. The poster makes use of the educational experience of the Museum in presenting science content information in a way that is accessible to non-scientists. With a teacher from the local school system as co-author, the poster was carefully crafted to be of maximum use for the classroom. It is anticipated that this poster will be the first in a series of Museum educational publications that specifically address the earth science needs of K-12 teachers. The poster enhances the Museum’s educational outreach programs and complements the on-site object-based learning offered by the Museum’s exhibits. “Geoscape” workshops for K-12 teachers use the poster to complement other earth science topical workshops and activities offered by the Museum and other earth science organizations by relating them directly to the local geology. The poster content is aligned with state and national science standards at the middle school level. All information that a teacher might need to know in order to teach a thematic unit on major geological topics is included in the poster. In addition, an accompanying web site for teachers includes supplementary materials, FAQ, suggested hands-on activities, individual images of each panel, and a downloadable power point “slide show”.