Why does the earth look the way it does?

 

welcome to real earth systems science & VIRTUALFIELDWORK.ORG

Why does the river change direction at the falls? 

Why is the river so flat above the falls?

Why is Earth a nearly perfect sphere? 

Why does this place look the way it does?

ReaL Earth System Science is a project of the Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth that helps teachers teach Regional and Local Earth system science using an inquiry approach.  The project is grounded in the idea of using the local environment to understand the global environment. 




















Video produced by Rebecca Méndez


How do we do that?  Our approach includes the following:

  1. BulletWe are developing a series of Teacher Friendly Guides (TFGs) to all regions of the United States.  More information about TFGs and the already completed Northeast and Southeast Guide are available at teacherfriendlyguide.org.

  2. BulletWe design and implement teacher professional development programs that are well informed by best practices research in learning, teaching and the nature of effective science teacher professional development.

  3. BulletWe work with teachers as they create Virtual Fieldwork Experiences (VFEs) and take their students to actual field sites. 

  4. BulletEarth System Science Big Ideas shape our work in all of the above. 


ReaL ESS is a project of the Paleontological Research Institution, its Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, New York and the National Science Foundation.   

 
http://museumoftheearth.org
http://nsf.gov

WHAT’S NEW?

  1. •Look for us at NSTA!

  2. •We have added a series of tutorials for making VFEs using a Prezi-based template.

  3. •Educators from the Rocky Mountain States (Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming) can now apply to our professional development program for Summer 2012! Undergraduate credit is available from the College of Southern Idaho for $35 (and the program offers stipends totaling $800).

  4. •We had a busy Fall 2011: Geological Society of America; North American Association for Environmental Education; Science Teachers’ Association of New York State. Presentation materials will be added here as they become available.

  5. •Click on the course title for information on the Geological Society of America short course: Virtual Field Experiences in Geoscience Education.

  6. •Updated! Powers of Ten Tutorials! (8/25/11)

  7. •Resources related to Summer 2011 professional development workshops:

  8. •Chickies Rock

  9. •Mission Trails Regional Park

  10. •Devil’s Lake

  11. •Superstition Mountains

  12. •NSTA 2011 session and NESTA share-a-thon materials are here!

  13. •Find ReaL presentations and publications here (or find it linked from the VFE Resources Page).

  14. •Use the USGS Digital Geologic Maps of US States in concert with Google Earth’s Elevation Profile Tool to see the interplay of bedrock geology and the lay of the land.  Here’s the how to.

  15. •See materials from STANYS 2010 here. (11/12/10).

  16. •Updated materials for the VFE Template are here.  (11/12/10)

  17. •See the Prezi and associated poster, “Synthesizing Earth System Essential Principles: What Everyone Needs to Know” from the 2010 NAAEE Annual Meeting on our Big Ideas page.  (10/05/10)

  18. •An FAQ has been created for the Powers of Ten Tutorials!  See the bottom of Your Own Powers of Ten page.  Ask a question if yours isn’t addressed!  (7/16/10)

  19. •Download the American Paleontologist article: “Big Ideas in Earth System Science.”

Looking for “Rainbow Charts?”  Click here.

Join the museum of the Earth!