Investigating Earth Science in Urban Schoolyards

Abstract

The Urban Schoolyards project is a two year partnership with a university Earth Science Department and the surrounding urban elementary schools. The goal of the project was to develop the capacity of elementary teachers to teach earth science lessons using their schoolyards and local parks as field sites. The university personnel developed lessons and resources which were taught to the teachers during a summer institute. The teachers then implemented these lessons with their elementary classes during the following school year. It was found that 70% of the teachers who participated in the summer institutes used their schoolyards and local parks for science lessons during the following school year.