GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA ASSISTANCE FOR POST-KATRINA MIDDLE SCHOOL EARTH SCIENCE EDUCATION IN MISSISSIPPI – A PROGRESS REPORT

In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated many of the K-12 schools in the three coastal counties of Mississippi. The Geological Society of America Foundation has established a fund for members to provide assistance to schools affected by Katrina and the SE Section of GSA has provided a grant for Mississippi schools.

Ten middle schools in the coastal counties, each with a teacher who has a strong interest in earth science, have been identified for initial assistance. Each is being provided with sets of rocks and minerals, maps and charts, and computer-based educational materials.

Two posters are being developed as part of this project. One is an annotated geologic map of Mississippi. Text and illustrations from David Dockery's Windows into Mississippi's Geologic Past, published by the Mississippi Office of Geology, are being used with the author's permission to express in age appropriate terms the geologic history of the state. A second poster will focus on changes in Mississippi's barrier islands over time and the effects of Hurricane Camille, Hurricane Georges, and Hurricane Katrina based on remote sensing images.

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina provides a unique opportunity to emphasize the importance of earth science to students, teachers, and citizens of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.