INTEGRATING A CROSS-CURRICULAR APPROACH TO AN EARTH SCIENCE CURRICULUM

Most geoscientists agree a K-12 Earth Science curriculum is important. Concepts in Earth Science courses not only inform students of the structure of the Earth, its resources, space environment, history, and human impact on the various Earth environments, but also Earth’s connected systems and how they interact. However, Earth Science curriculums are often missing an integrative approach; it is important to include the impact of Earth systems on the shaping of human history, language, and the arts. Countless examples of Earth events had a direct impact on the course of human history. Such examples are the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 and Edvard Munch’s 1893 painting, The Scream, and the meteor impact crater at Middlesborough, Tennessee which allowed settlers to migrate into Kentucky, USA, after passing through the Cumberland Gap in the late 18^th century. By incorporating other subjects, such as global history, languages, and the arts into Earth Science curriculums, students learn how systems and events on Earth are not isolated, but connected. Incorporating a cross-curricular framework into the classroom, students became more engaged in class discussions; they asked questions, wrote better research papers, constructed captivating presentations, and had improved test scores. Students often left the classroom continuing to discuss the topic among them, or stayed after and asked more questions. Teaching K-12 Earth Science in this interactive way helps demonstrate the cross-curricular importance of geoscience education.