ENGAGING WITH K-12TH GRADE STUDENTS WITH GEOSCIENCES THROUGH THE USE OF ACTIVITIES THAT ALIGN WITH THE NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS

A challenge in K–12 science education has been incorporating topics that do not obviously align with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) into classroom activities.

In this abstract we showcase an activity that uses various NGSS in Life and Earth Science to introduce various topics such as stratigraphy, paleontology, and the scientific method to a rural K–12th grade school system. The creation of this activity used input from science educators and geoscientists to increase the effectiveness toward engaging K-12th grade students.

The activity incorporates fossils and rock samples to introduce students to basic concepts of geology and paleontology and how scientists use these concepts to understand the history of life on Earth.

The activity has students roleplay as geologists tasked with interpreting the geological history of a cliffside.

We created an ideal rock sequence with a mix of sedimentary rocks and fossils that show changes in the environment. The rock sequence complements the fossils by showcasing evidence of the type of habitat the organisms thrived in and how this environment no longer exists in the modern day at the location.

This activity was created with 3rd-5th grade students in mind, but can be simplified for K-2nd grade students or expanded for middle and high school students.

Our activity has shown promising results,with the partnership of science educators and geoscientists, in engaging students and inspiring them to continue learning about the geology and environment of their communities. Future topics using a similar format as this activity include volcanic and seismic hazards.