A PALEONTOLOGY OUTREACH ENRICHMENT PROGRAM: HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TEACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

An enrichment program in paleontology was designed for tenth through twelfth grade students at Troy High School in Troy, New York. Their lessons were modified to be used as an outreach project, in which the high school students build on their learning experiences by teaching paleontology to students at the local elementary school in Troy, New York. This outreach exercise reinforces the subject material for the high school students, provides a learning opportunity for the elementary students, and gives the high school students a sense of accomplishment.

The curriculum focuses on New York State fossils, fossil collecting, Pleistocene mammals, Mesozoic reptiles, and microfossils. Components of the NY State Regents Earth Science curriculum were incorporated into the enrichment program. The lessons are self-constructed and include hands-on activities, informative (yet interesting) worksheets, and interactive discussions that encourage participation. The active-learning approach, coupled with peer-to-peer learning, is especially effective.

The program is designed for high-school age students to learn about paleontology and to gain a better understanding of geology by participating in interactive science learning. These modules were adapted from a previous paleontology enrichment program designed for third graders at the Clinton Elementary School in Clinton, New York (Fung, 2010). The outreach component is designed for elementary grade students, but can be modified for middle school students.