ENERGY AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE CONTENT INFUSED INTO GEOSCIENCE CURRICULUM: MiTEP

The Michigan Teaching Excellence Progrem (MiTEP), a National Science Foundation Math-Science Partnership (NSF-MSP) funded project, seeks to provide improved educational opportunities in the Grand Rapids (MI) Public Schools. Based upon solicited feedback from Earth Science teachers in the district, the topic of energy has emerged as a significant topic of concern. Pursuant to this need, physical science content, delivered in the context of geoscience education, has been developed and will be delivered to the teachers in the first cohort of this 5-year project. This presentation will provide the audience with specific content-directed activities and strategies designed to serve as a "primer" for teachers unprepared (or underprepared) to engage their 8th or 9th grade students in this topical area. Topical areas will include forces, energy, and power in areas including planetary motion, gravity, fission and fusion, plate tectonics, and commercial energy production.