“BRINGING THE EARTH TO THE CLASSROOM” MODEL FOR SUPPORTING BROADER SCIENTIFIC OUTREACH AND PRECOLLEGE SCIENCE EDUCATION

The Earth2Class Workshops for Teachers at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University (E2C) continues to evolve as an effective multifaceted program to support teachers, students, and researchers implement the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Since 1998, E2C had hosted more than 160 Saturday workshops which provide research scientists with a proven format to explain their investigations to a broader audience. Classroom teachers and their students gain first-hand information about cutting-edge discoveries and an understanding of how “Science really happens” in ways not possible from the usual textbook-based instruction. Archived versions of these workshops on the E2C website, www.earth2class.org/site, allow those who cannot attend presentations at the Lamont Campus to gain some access to this information. The website also provides a large collection of resources suitable for teaching and learning high school and middle school Earth Science. These include classroom-tested activities, slideshows, images, and curriculum guides; links to useful websites created by educators and organizations; and connections to State and National Standards. In recent years, we have focused on workshop themes and resources directly applicable to the NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas, integration of Science, Engineering, and Technology, the Nature of Science, and support for other mandates, such as enhancing reading and writing skills. E2C now supports 4-day summer workshops designed to enhance teaching important geoscience topics in grades 7 – 12. We also provide special educational programs supported by foundation and other grants, campus visits by school groups, and a variety of other programs designed to enhance excitement about learning Earth Science.