AN INDUSTRY-FUNDED ONE-WEEK GEOLOGY SHORT COURSE FOR IN-SERVICE TEACHERS
The goals of the course have been to assist Iowa earth science teachers to 1) better understand the geology of Iowa, 2) develop a project or lesson plan for use with their students, 3) develop their own collections of rocks, minerals, and fossils for use in their classrooms, 4) appreciate the connection between geology and the aggregate industry, and 5) realize the availability of classroom resource materials and support from a variety of organizations. Arriving Sunday afternoon, the 24 participants are given a schedule for the week and we discuss the course goals and objectives. They are then given a geologic hammer, hard hat, hand lens, textbook, and resource materials notebook. The course focuses on field activities, with visits to quarries, sand and gravel operations, a cement plant, UNI ground water monitoring locations, the county landfill, and many other sites. At most sites, participants are able to collect rock, mineral, and fossil or sediment samples for later classroom use.
Pre-and post tests were given and written assessments were administered daily. Over the 10 years this course has been offered, the test results have shown a consistent significant positive shift in the knowledge of the teachers. We have also learned that approximately two-thirds of the teachers had never been to a quarry or sand plant prior to this course, and few had any idea of the correlation between quarry production and the variety of products used in road building and construction. Many did not have rock, mineral, or fossil specimens for use with their students. About half of the participants were unaware of organizations such as the IGWS or the NRCS and the resources they can provide to an earth science teacher. This short course has shown that industry and academia can partner successfully to create a beneficial educational program for earth science teachers.