DOVETAILING SCIENCE CONTENT INSTRUCTION AND PEDAGOGICAL TRAINING FOR SUCCESSFUL GK-12 FELLOW PREPARATION

As part of the NorthEast Ohio Geoscience Education Outreach (NEOGEO) program at Kent State University (KSU), GK-12 Fellows with prior experience in generally one discipline of Earth science (e.g., geology, meteorology, hydrology) are trained to employ inquiry-based methods to serve as cross-disciplinary experts in middle-school Earth science classrooms. An important component of our Fellow preparation is a two-semester course sequence offered jointly by KSU's Departments of Geography and Geology. The goal of this series is to enhance Fellows' science content expertise and to train them in implementing constructivist approaches to Earth science instruction. The first semester of the series focuses on interdisciplinary Earth Science content. Each weekly Earth Science topic is presented using a different inquiry-based pedagogical approach, thus exposing Fellows to a cross-disciplinary view of Earth science and introducing them to constructivist methodologies for conveying this material. In the second semester of the series, Fellows develop a diverse array of inquiry-based plans for classroom activities and curriculum units that address Ohio's Academic Content Standards. Fellows gradually build expertise in the development and presentation of curricular materials, first by critiquing and modifying existing lesson plans, then by developing activities of limited scope (1-3 class periods), and finally by developing more integrated curriculum units. The specific challenges of field-based, computer-based and laboratory instruction are addressed and then tackled by Fellows as they develop curricular materials for a diverse array of instructional settings. Peer-feedback is incorporated throughout the curriculum development process through class sessions dedicated to peer review and reflection, and through work on group projects. Our poster will provide specific details about this two-semester course sequence and the impact of the sequence on Fellow training. We will also discuss the library of classroom activities developed by Fellows as part of their experience with the course sequence.