ONE MODEL TO INCORPORATE THE NGSS IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL EARTH SCIENCE COURSES

A major challenge for K – 12 educators in the next few years will be to design curriculum that reflect the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Issued earlier in 2013, the NGSS provide opportunities to enhance Earth Science instruction through a new focus on the ‘Big Ideas’ in Science, more attention to reading and writing skills needed for college and career readiness, and incorporation of engineering and technology. We introduce a set of lesson plans about scientific ocean drilling which can serve as a exemplars for developing curricula to meet NGSS approaches. .Development of these lessons was supported through a grant from the Deep Earth Academy of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership. Topics include “Downhole Logging,” “Age of the Ocean Floors,” “Tales of the Resolution,” and “Continental Shelf Sediments and Climate Change Patterns.” “Downhole Logging” focuses on the borehole engineering and technology utilized to obtain more information about sediments and rocks cored by the JOIDES Resolution scientific drilling vessel. “Age of the Ocean Floor” utilizes the GeoMap App visualization tools (http://www.geomapapp.org/) to compare seafloors in different parts of the world. “Tales of the Resolution” is a series of ‘graphic novels’ created to describe the scientific discoveries, refitting of the JOIDES Resolution, and variety of careers available in the marine sciences (http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/BRG/outreach/media/tales/). The fourth lesson focuses on discoveries made during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 313, which investigated patterns in the sediments beneath the continental shelf off New Jersey with respect to climate changes. Designed for middle and high school students, these can also be utilized in undergraduate courses. They will be disseminated through websites of the Deep Earth Academy (http://www.oceanleadership.org/education/deep-earth-academy/)and Earth2Class Workshops for Teachers (http://www.earth2class.org), and through science education conferences sponsored by the National Earth Science Teachers Association (www.nestanet.org) and other organizations.