ALEXANDRIA, VA — Teachers and students in Southern California will soon have a greater understanding of the world around them by studying the role of Earth sciences in our lives. The American Geological Institute (AGI), in partnership with ChevronTexaco Corporation and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), recently announced a joint initiative to provide training to high-school teachers to enhance their knowledge of Earth science concepts and principles so they can better prepare students to meet the new state Earth science testing standards. “This extraordinary collaboration clearly demonstrates the importance of fostering a strong foundation in Earth science literacy, which is essential for ensuring the welfare and security of society, the quality of our environment, and the future of our planet,” said AGI Director of Education, Michael J. Smith.

    The Earth System Science in the Community (EarthComm™) Teacher Enhancement Project is a private/public/nonprofit partnership created to improve Earth science education and increase science literacy. Over the next three years, AGI will train 300 Los Angeles high-school teachers and 30 school leaders to implement the new AGI EarthComm™ curriculum. EarthComm™ provides the basis for expanding Earth science education in LAUSD high schools by helping to improve students’ understanding of the effect of the Earth on us and of us on the Earth. With a grant from ChevronTexaco, science teachers from high schools throughout LAUSD will participate in professional development workshops and will receive a class set of books and curriculum materials. “ChevronTexaco is very excited to contribute to science education at LAUSD through the EarthComm™ curriculum which makes Earth science relevant to students so they can learn,” said Don Paul, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of ChevronTexaco.

    The EarthComm™ curriculum was developed in accordance with the National Science Education Standards and the American Association for the Advancement of Science—Project 2061's Benchmarks for Science Literacy with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and AGI Foundation corporate contributors. This innovative hands-on inquiry-based program provides teachers and students with a wide selection of content that meets local interests and course objectives and helps high-school students understand fundamental Earth science concepts by the time they graduate. The five EarthComm™ modules – Earth’s Dynamic Geosphere, Understanding Your Environment, Earth’s Fluid Spheres, Earth’s Natural Resources, and Earth System Evolution – were extensively field tested and reviewed by teachers and scientists before publication. Each module may be used as a stand-alone unit or as part of a full course presented in any order. A comprehensive teacher guide, materials kits, and a web site (http://www.agiweb.org/earthcomm) containing resources for teachers, students, and parents are available for each unit.

    Investigating Earth Systems™ (IES) is AGI’s middle-school curriculum. Like EarthComm™, this recently completed nine-module program for grades 5-8 uses a systems approach and is tied to national and state science standards. For more information about these materials, including a comprehensive brochure that contains 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 and is continuing to produce high-quality, innovative, inquiry-based curricula for K-12 Earth science education. With support from the NSF (grant ESI 0095938), AGI is developing an inquiry-based Earth science textbook for middle-school students. 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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