WHY THE BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS PROGRESSION, AND NOT EARTH SCIENCES? IDEAS OF TEACHERS, FUTURE TEACHERS, AND UNIVERSITY GEOSCIENCE STUDENTS

Although the Earth sciences are related to numerous vital issues today, citizens of the United States are accustomed to a traditional progression of high school science courses of biology, chemistry, and physics, usually in that order. If the Earth sciences are offered, they commonly are part of a general science course, offered in middle school, or are usually taken by non-college bound students. Advanced Earth science courses and astronomy or space sciences are seldom offered. What is the reason for this curricular progression? Over four years, university Earth Science students studying to be elementary teachers were given, on the first day of their course, a subjective one-question open-ended survey asking about their ideas for the cause of this situation. Their answers were coded, summarized, and listed on an objective one-page survey that was then administered to groups of university geoscience students in courses of three varying levels, one for preservice teachers, a class of community college biology students, and also a group of practicing elementary teachers. Results indicated that many subjects assumed Earth sciences are less important or less complex than other sciences, and that most people either learn sufficient Earth science in elementary school or much of it is common knowledge. The history of the Committee of Ten and the need for action to be taken by the Earth science community as a whole are discussed.