American Geosciences Institute Vol. 11, No. 10: October 2013
http://www.earthsciweek.org/
* Act Now to Win Award for Earth Science Teaching
* Classroom Activities Now Searchable Online
* Esri Blogs for Educators Mapping Out GIS Science
* Contest Winners to Be Announced Next Month
* Celebrate Earth Science With NASA Resources
* Post Your Photos Online From Earth Science Week
* Thanks to Earth Science Week’s Generous Sponsors
* Nuclear Regulators Tout Geoscience Careers Online
* Geologic Map Day Boosts Mapping Education
* National Fossil Day Event in DC Cancelled
SELECTED LINKS:
Classroom Activities Now Searchable Online
Ever wish you could go online to search for a classroom activity tailor-made to match the Earth science topic you’re teaching? Visit the continually updated Earth Science Week Classroom Activities page for more than 120 free learning activities, most of them contributed by the leading geoscience agencies and groups that are Earth Science Week partners.
Activities are organized and searchable by various criteria, including specific Earth science topics. To find the perfect activity for your lesson, just click on “Search Classroom Activities.” Search by grade level and science education standard. Maybe most useful, you also can search among 24 categories of Earth science topics, from energy and environment to plate tectonics and weathering.
This updated, database-driven resource is ideal not only for supplementing a prepared curriculum, but also for generating activities that address in-the-news events such as fossil discoveries and volcanic eruptions. See the Classroom Activities page athttp://www.earthsciweek.org/
Esri Blogs for Educators Mapping Out GIS Science
How can you explore the Earth Science Week 2013 theme of “Mapping Our World”? Start with longtime program partner Esri. Leading the charge to incorporate GIS (geographic information system) technology and mapping software in Earth science education, Esri is blogging to provide educators with useful resources and information during Earth Science Week 2013.
The first of the recent blog posts, issued just a few days ago, focuses ways that Esri is providing curriculum support for Earth Science Week, including related activities, lessons, data, and web maps (http://gisandscience.com). In addition, another recent blog on “Story Maps” shows how cutting-edge technology is revolutionizing the ways we create and use maps (http://blogs.esri.com/esri/
GIS technology - which can illuminate features such as local geology, watersheds, and roads - can require some training before it can be used effectively. To learn more about GIS and Esri, see http://www.esri.com.
Celebrate Earth Science With NASA Resources
Throughout Earth Science Week 2013 and beyond, students of all ages can join NASA in celebrating the importance of maps to represent complex phenomena about our planet. A wealth of educational resources, blog posts, and other items can be found online (http://nasaesw.strategies.org
For example, a new “Mapping Our World” sampler resource is available in both English and Spanish (http://
See more: http://www.earthsciweek.org/
