DLESE TEACHING BOXES: EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE RESOURCES AND STRATEGIES FOR THE CLASSROOM

Now in its second phase of development, the DLESE Teaching Box project is providing exciting teaching resources for the classroom and is unique in its method of development, the professional development opportunity it provides teachers, and the scope of its collaboration.

For teachers, the Teaching Box is a familiar concept immediately communicating the idea of “all the science you need in a single box.” DLESE Teaching Boxes use Earth system science conceptual frameworks as their core and contain inquiry-based lessons that engage students in the process of science by focusing on the gathering and analysis of evidence. Each Teaching Box has interconnected lessons that provide 3-6 weeks of instruction, incorporate National and California science standards, and offer guidance on teaching pathways through the materials.

The development process uses a team approach in which teachers work with scientists and information technology experts to use prototype tools to construct Teaching Boxes. These tools facilitate the assemblage of online educational resources into a coherent and flexible curriculum unit that is sound in both science content and pedagogy. In developing Teaching Boxes, DLESE adds value to existing educational resources by helping teachers more effectively interpret their use in a variety of standards-based classroom settings.

For Phase II of the pilot project, the development teams produced four additional Earth system science Teaching Boxes that cover the following topics: earthquake hazards, mountain formation, upwelling, and sea level change. Each Box has been reviewed for scientific accuracy and will be classroom tested fall of 2005 to evaluate pedagogical effectiveness. This project is a collaborative effort of teachers, scientists, educators, and designers at the DLESE Program Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, University of California Museum of Paleontology, U.S. Geological Survey, and several San Francisco Bay Area schools.