ALEXANDRIA,VA — “The American Geological Institute has attained another milestone in its effort to enhance secondary-school science curricula,” said Dr. Steven M. Stanley, President of the American Geological Institute and Professor (Department of Earth & Planetary  Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University). “Investigating Earth Systems™ (IES), a modular hands-on inquiry-based Earth-science curriculum program for grades 5-8, has been completed.” The release of Investigating Materials and Minerals, Investigating Energy Resources, and Investigating Fossils, the final three student editions and teacher guides in the nine-module IES series, is the culmination of a five-year project. AGI’s objective was to develop an innovative curriculum in Earth science in accordance with the National Science Education Standards and the American Association for the Advancement of Science: Project 2061's Benchmarks for Science Literacy. The IES curriculum provides teachers and students with a wide selection of content that meets local interests and course objectives, helps middle-school students understand fundamental Earth-science concepts, and builds student interest in continuing their study of Earth science.

    In the Investigating Energy Resources module, students explore the origins of energy resources, how energy resources are converted into electricity, how fossil fuels are formed and where they are found, and the importance of renewable energy resources and energy conservation. In Investigating Materials and Minerals, students learn to appreciate the importance of minerals as a natural resource for producing materials. Through hands-on activities and web-based research, students explore where deposits of minerals are located, how mineral deposits are formed, how minerals are mined, and their role as citizens in managing these resources. In the Investigating Fossils module, students examine the process of fossilization, what fossils reveal about the age of the Earth and the evolution of life, and what paleontologists do.

    The American Geological Institute is producing the IES curriculum in association with It’s About Time Publishing. Each IES module was extensively field-tested and reviewed by teachers and scientists before publication. The IES modules, which also include Investigating Soil, Investigating Rocks and Landforms, Investigating Oceans, Investigating Climate and Weather, Investigating Water, and Investigating Our Dynamic Planet, may be used as stand-alone units or as a full course presented in any order. Each module offers a comprehensive teacher guide, materials kits, and a supporting web site (http://www.agiweb.org/ies).

    AGI's ongoing program to implement effective Earth-science education reform also includes the five-module high-school curriculum program, EarthComm™. For more information about these materials, including a comprehensive brochure that includes a sample activity from AGI’s EarthComm™ or Investigating Earth Systems™ modules, visit the AGI web site, http://www.agiweb.org/education, or contact Dr. Michael J. Smith at msmith@agiweb.org. Both curriculum programs are available through It’s About Time Publishing (http://www.its-about-time.com).

    AGI has been a leader in geoscience education for four decades. With funding from the National Science Foundation (Grants ESI 9452789 and ESI 9353035) and the corporate contributors to the AGI Foundation, the Institute continues to produce high-quality, innovative, inquiry-based curricula for K-12 Earth-science education. Professional development for teachers is made possible with support from the AGI Foundation and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Foundation.

    In October 2001, NSF awarded AGI a $1.7 million grant (ESI 0095938) 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 in part upon the Investigating Earth Systems™ curriculum program. At the college level, the Institute produces the AGI/NAGT Laboratory Manual in Physical Geology (sixth edition, 2003) and is developing a series of web-based activities for use in introductory geoscience courses.

    The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 40 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 http://www.agiweb.org. The Institute also provides a public-outreach web site, http://www.earthscienceworld.org.
 

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