Paper No. 8
Presentation Time: 3:45 PM
DEVELOPMENT, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION MODULES FOR K-12 STUDENTS IN ALABAMA
A Climate Change Education Parternship (CCEP) Program has been launched in Alabama to improve K-12 education in climate change science. The overarching goal is to generate a better informed public that understand the consequences of climate change and can contribute to sound decision making on related issues. With funding provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), new educational modules are incorporated into the existing course of study for 9-12 grade biology, chemistry, and physics classes. Teachers are trained in the use of these modules for their classroom through partnership with Alabama Science in Motion (ASIM), Alabama Math Science Technology Initiative (AMSTI), and the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE). Certified AMSTI teachers attend summer professional development workshops taught by ASIM specialists to learn to use CCEP modules. During the school year, the ASIM specialists in turn deliver the needed equipment to conduct CCEP classroom exercises and serve as an in-classroom resource for ASIM teachers and their students. Scientists are partnered with ASIM specialists and leading teachers to implement and test efficacy of instructional materials, models, and NASA climate change data used in classroom. The assessment by professional evaluators after the development of the modules and the training of teachers indicates that the modules are complete, clear, and user-friendly. New efforts are underway for developing new modules for middle school science curriculum in the content areas of Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, and Biological Science. Eventually, the CCEP program has the potential to reach over 200,000 students when the modules are fully implemented in every school in the state of Alabama. The project can give these students access to expertise and equipment, thereby strengthening the connections between the universities, state education administrators, and the community.