TESTING INTEGRATE CURRICULUM AT UNDEGRADUATE INSTITUTIONS IN THE EL PASO REGION

InTeGRATE is a recently funded NSF STEP Center Program that supports the undergraduate community in preparing students to leverage the geosciences to address societal challenges. In the summer of 2012 inter-institutional, interdisciplinary curriculum development teams will create materials for use in geoscience and interdisciplinary courses. Planned curriculum topics for this first summer include material on: mineral resources, non-tectonic geologic hazards, short-term interchange between the oceans and atmosphere, fresh water, and the impact of environmental change on the biosphere. We will pilot the curriculum during the fall of 2012 in courses taught at the University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso Community College and local Early College High Schools. The material will be infused into courses in Physical Geology, Environmental Science and Earth Science that include a mix of geoscience/environmental science majors, non-science majors and pre-service teachers in a variety of in-class and distance learning settings. All materials developed for testing will undergo a rigorous assessment process prior to use in classes to insure the materials increase geoscience literacy, increase understanding of the process of science, and improve interdisciplinary problem solving using best practices in teaching. This pilot program will provide the opportunity to demonstrate strategies that engage students underrepresented in the sciences and to study the impact of the implementation in a relatively closed system. We welcome others to participate in the curriculum development, testing, and professional development activities. To learn more about InTeGRATE visit the project website (http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/).