MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO UNDERGRADUATE EARTH SCIENCE RESEARCH AT RICE CREEK FIELD STATION, OSWEGO, NY

Junior high school students from Oswego Middle School (OMS) 7^th and 8^th grade accelerated science classes are participating in the geologic study of the glacial deposits located at the Rice Creek Field Station (RCFS), in Oswego, NY. The goal of this work is to incorporate students from OMS into an active scientific research project as a means of giving them a better understanding of local geology, and a deeper appreciation of Earth processes like glaciers responsible for shaping the region. Initially, undergraduate students and faculty visited OMS, providing middle school students involved a general introduction to basic geology and rock types, as well as more specific demonstrations on glaciers, ice flow, and glacial deposits. The workshop model was employed, where students were given lessons and were broken up to complete group work examining hand samples that researchers have previously collected. Students were later brought into the field, where they collected their own samples of local bedrock, the Oswego sandstone, as well as sediment transported vast distances by glacial erosion, and identical to sediment deposits at RCFS. The students visited the microscopy lab and looked at sections made by undergraduates from rocks previously collected at RCFS, and observed their samples to identify individual minerals.

Initial response has been anecdotally, extremely positive, with OMS students generally eager to get outside and participate in “real science”. As part of this work, we are undertaking a quantitative survey of the effect of our outreach on student attitudes towards science, and the general understanding of local geology. OMS students represent a traditionally underserved population, with over 50% falling below the poverty line; they may be receptive of scientific outreach and enrichment. In the future, we hope to expand this outreach beyond OMS to other classrooms in the area at both the elementary and high school levels, as well as engaging adults in citizen science projects that could expand their understanding of science and garner important data to further progress in the field of geology. Ultimately, it is imperative to determine effective strategies for educating and exciting students and the general population about the Earth sciences, here we explore if active participation is an effective tool.