Drawing Connections Between Local and Global Observations: An Essential Element of Geoscience Education

Cathy ManducaScience Education Resource Center, Carleton College

Dave MogkMontana State UniversityPresentation for AGU Fall 2002

Linking the Local and Global:Why is it important?

An essential aspect of what geoscientists do.

An important tool for helping students learn.

What do geoscientists do? How does the Earth work? What is the impact of the Earth on

humans? What is the impact of humans on the

Earth?

In each case moving between local and global is essential

Alex Moore: atlas.geo.cornell.edu

Two Kinds of Observations

National Geophysical Data Center/ NOAA

To See a World,Marin College

John Wakabayashi, Ph.D.

Impact on People

Graph showing one degree Fahrenheit rise in the temperature record of the entire earth's surface during the 20th Century (NOVA)

NCAR Community Climate System Model

US Global Change Research Program

Sea Level Rise Predictions 2080-2099

Our Impact on Earth:Global Impacts of Local Actions

NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center

Ozone Hole

Developing Geoscience Expertise Integrating observations at global and

local scales is a fundamental aspect of being a geoscience expert.

To the extent that we want our students to understand what it means to do geoscience they must understand how we do this.

Helping Students LearnLessons from Learning Science Learning is additive, it builds on current

understanding Developing understanding is an activity The ability to use knowledge is a critical

aspect of learning

How People Learn, NRC 2000

Knowledge is additiveexisting knowledge is used to build new knowledge Builds on existing knowledge

What are initial preconceptions? What are misconceptions?

New knowledge is organized in the context of existing knowledge

Experience, attitudes and beliefs influence learning

Elizabeth Armstrong, Childrens School of Science

NASA, MODIS Image

NOAA, 1791 El Nino Reconstruction

What is their experience?

Understanding is actively constructedstudents must be engaged to learn

Motivating students to learn (Edelson) Task Demand (a need to know) Elicit Curiosity (surprising observations)

Relevance or Empathy (Taber) Students are interested in learning about things

that impact them They can be engaged in learning about things that

impact others because they are empathetic

The local can motivate learning about the global Local issues that impact students or

their families can create task demand for learning about global processes

Local observations or tactile experiences can elicit curiosity about global processes

Going the other way Global phenomena in the news can

motivate learning about local situation and processes

If they learn it can, can they use it? Learning context influences when we

recall information Applying concepts requires practice

If we want students to be able to integrate local and global to learn about the Earth and to answer questions in their lives, we must teach in this context

Linking Global and Local Enables Learning Builds on familiar Motivate learning Essential to learning skills that enable

use in geoscience and life

Data Access Examples Pedagogy Discussion Sharing

Resources for You

serc.carleton.edu/research_education/usingdata/index.html

A Guided Tour

serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/globaldata02/guide.html

Activities and Examples

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