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2008 Joint Meeting of The Geological Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies with the Gulf Coast Section of SEPM

Paper No. 4
Presentation Time: 2:15 PM

Developing a Framework for Earth Science Literacy II: Big Ideas and Supporting Concepts


WYSESSION, Michael E., Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, Dept EPS, Campus Box 1169, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, TABER, John, IRIS Consortium, 1200 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005, BUDD, David, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado at Boulder, 2200 Colorado Ave, Boulder, CO 80309, CAMPBELL, Karen, National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota, 2 Third Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414, CONKLIN, Martha, School of Engineering, University of California, Merced, P.O. Box 2039, Merced, CA 95344, KIRSCHTEL, David, Consortium for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, 2000 Florida Avenue, N.W, Washington, DC 20009, RAYNOLDS, Robert, Department of Earth Sciences, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd, Denver, CO 80205, RIDKY, Robert, National Education Coordinator, United States Geol Survey, MS104 - 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, USGS Headquarters, Reston, VA 20192, ROSS, Robert, The Paleontological Research Institution, 1259 Trumansburg Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850 and TEWKSBURY, Barbara, Dept. of Geosciences, Hamilton College, 198 College Hill Rd, Clinton, NY 13323, michael@wucore.wustl.edu

The NSF-funded Earth Science Literacy Initiative (ESLI) is in the process of identifying the “big ideas” and “supporting concepts” fundamental to terrestrial geosciences. The effort seeks to create community consensus about what all Americans should understand about Earth sciences. This literacy framework, written by geoscientists working with geoeducators, will have broad-reaching applications in both public and private arenas.

We have defined the content scope to include the geosphere and land-based hydrosphere as addressed by the NSF-EAR program, such that the resulting ESLI framework eventually becomes part of the foundation - along with similar documents from the Oceans, Atmospheres, Climate and other communities - of a larger geoscience Earth Systems Literacy effort. The ESLI scope includes Geobiology and Low-Temperature Geochemistry, Geomorphology and Land-Use Dynamics, Geophysics, Hydrologic Sciences, Petrology and Geochemistry, Sedimentary Geology and Paleobiology, and Tectonics.

Agreement was easy to reach on some topics integral to our study of the Earth, such as deep time and resource availability. Others, such as issues of human cohabitation with Earth, were not as easy to simply express. The July in-person workshop, a subset of the larger online workshop involved much iteration and discussion of the essential content. The draft document is now available at www.earthscienceliteracy.org for public comment to gain wider community feedback and input.

The 21st century will be defined by geoscience topics like water availability, mineral and energy resources, and climate change. Humanity's future will rest upon how these issues are addressed over the next 100 years. Many important educational, political, legal and ethical decisions are being made related to these issues that already severely affect the lives of all Americans. The construction of a clear document, created by both geoscientists and geoeducators, will help provide future decision-makers at all levels with the scientific guidance needed to make intelligent choices.

Session No. 258

Geoscience Education I: Learning Geoscience in the Outdoor Classroom
Tuesday, 7 October 2008: 1:30 PM-5:30 PM
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 40, No. 6, p.389
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