>Keywords: 200110302156.f9ULuQr26713 >Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 16:55:07 -0600 >From: "Michael J. Smith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Organization: American Geological Institute >X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.77 [en] (Win98; U) >X-Accept-Language: en >To: "GEO Education (E-mail)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Earth Systems Textbook for Middle Schools >Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE >October 30, 2001 > >Contact: Michael J. Smith (207) 230-0046 >E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >AGI To Create Innovative Earth Systems Textbook For Middle Schools > >ALEXANDRIA,VA - The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded the >American Geological Institute (AGI) a $1.7 million grant to develop an >inquiry-based Earth science textbook for middle-school students over the >next three years. The new curriculum-development effort, Project CUES >(Constructing Understandings of Earth Systems), will be based upon the >modular Investigating Earth Systems™ program recently released by AGI. >"The CUES Project offers another an exciting opportunity for AGI and its >Member Societies to collaborate on a program that has great potential to >improve Earth science education at the middle grades" says Michael >Smith, AGI Director of Education. > >Smith, who will serve as Principal Investigator, says that the CUES >textbook will be comprehensive in its treatment of the Earth and space >content standards of the National Science Education Standards. The book >will also feature innovative approaches for helping students develop >understandings of Earth systems concepts, scientific inquiry, and the >nature of science. > >The primary goal of the project is to stimulate and nourish the natural >curiosity that most people possess. "Textbooks stuffed with dry content >abound," notes Smith. "We want students to experience the wonder of the >Earth sciences, and to hear directly from scientists about how Earth >science unfolds in the field, in the lab, and wherever our work takes >us." CUES will feature more than 50 "profiles in Earth system science." >These inquiry narratives will be written by scientists about the >fundamental questions they are exploring and the ways they use Earth >science to tackle issues that confront society. In addition to the >inquiry narratives, CUES will feature 40 guided inquiry investigations, >extended student-driven research projects on local issues, as well as >four videos that provide additional profiles of Earth scientists at >work. CUES will resolve a major issue for many school districts - the >paucity of inquiry-driven textbooks. > >The CUES Project team includes Norm Lederman, Professor of Science >Education at the Illinois Institute of Technology and John Southard, >Emeritus Professor of Geology at the Massachusetts Institute of >Technology, who will join Smith as Co-Principal Investigators. Martin >Rusek of the Universities Space Research Association will assist with >the Earth systems science emphasis of the project, and Colin Mably, a >curriculum developer with Educational Visions of La Plata, Maryland (and >director of the AGI Careers for Geoscientists video) will be responsible >for compiling the professional development and content videos for CUES. >AGI Education Program Manager Matthew Smith will serve as Project >Manager of CUES. The effectiveness of the materials and usefulness to >students in pilot testing and national field testing will be evaluated >by the Program Evaluation and Research Group at Lesley College in >Cambridge, MA. Following thorough field testing and editing, CUES will >be made available commercially for the 2005-2006 school year by It's >About Time Publishing of Armonk, NY, publishers of research-based field >tested secondary mathematics and science curricula. > >AGI has been a leader in geoscience education for four decades. The >National Science Foundation is providing funding to develop the CUES >program under Grant ESI 0095938. With previous funding from the National >Science Foundation (Grants ESI 9452789 and ESI 9353035) and support from >the corporate contributors of the AGI Foundation, AGI has produced other >high-quality, innovative, inquiry-based curriculum for K-12 Earth >science education. The nine-module Investigating Earth Systems™ for >middle schools and the five-module EarthComm™ for high schools are now >commercially available through It's About Time Publishing >(www.its-about-time.com). For more information about these and other >Earth science education programs, visit the AGI web site, >www.agiweb.org/education, or contact Dr. Michael J. Smith, AGI Education >Director, at [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 37 >geoscientific and professional associations that represent more than >120,000 geologists, geophysicists, and other earth scientists. Founded >in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a >voice of shared interests in our profession, plays a major role in >strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public >awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in mankind's use of >resources and interaction with the environment. More information about >AGI can be found at www.agiweb.org. The Institute also provides a >public-outreach web site, www.earthscienceworld.org. > >-end- >-- >Mike Smith >Education Director >American Geological Institute >4220 King Street >Alexandria, VA 22302 >Phone: 207-230-0046 >Fax: 207-230-0359 >[EMAIL PROTECTED] -- http://www.agiweb.org/education/ >Maine Office: 15 Ferncliff Dr. Camden, ME 04843 >Attachment Converted: "h:\eudorapc\attach\CUES PR.doc" >
Janis D. Treworgy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Earth Science Department Phone: 618/374-5294 Principia College Fax: 618/374-5122 Elsah, IL 62028 -- This is the ISTA-talk mailing list. To unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For more information: <http://www.ista-il.org/ista-talk.asp> To search the archives: <http://www.mail-archive.com/ista-talk@lists.csi.cps.k12.il.us/>
