Symphony of the Spheres: Perspectives on Earth System Science Education

Abstract

Welcome to this Special Issue of the Journal of Geoscience Education, dedicated to discussing Earth system science education: its present state and future directions. Due to the diversity and complexity of Earth system processes, scientists and educators commonly are required to comprehend and apply knowledge of the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and anthroposphere in their research and in the classroom. The exciting and integrative aspects of Earth system science enter with the recognition that none of these spheres occurs in isolation; instead, they interact to produce the Earth system, in a grand of the spheres. The symphony metaphor can be used to describe the concordant physical, biological, chemical and social processes that define conditions on our planet. Just as each instrument in a symphony works in concert with the others to make polyphonic music, so to do elements of air, water, land and fife act and interact to create the Earth system that operates in harmony on a planetary scale. Whether symphony or planet Earth, the ensemble of interrelated states ana processes produces a complexly woven music that collectively makes the group far more interesting and dynamic than any of the parts. Of course the metaphor has limitations, and there are important differences between a symphony and the Earth system, including issues of direction (e.g., lack of a score in the Earth system), scale and complexity. A student of the symphony has a fundamentally finite task when listening and examining the musical score to extract a theme, a melody or a variation. A student of music can even experiment with the score to examine the effect of individual instruments or sections on the final symphonic performance. The student of the Earth system, however, has a much more daunting task. The nearly infinite combined effects of a myriad of complex processes defy simple analysis, and direct, controlled experiments upon the system as a whole are impossible. Yet, careful observation of the Earth system coupled with an understanding of physical, chemical and biological principles has given rise to complex models of air, water, land and life processes that can be used to predict the state, process and evolution of the system overall. Indeed, the study of Earth system science can be considered exploration in itself as deeper or more subtle relationships and dependencies within and among the spheres emerge. Developing student understanding of these spheres and their linkages is a central focus of Earth system science. Hence, at its finest, Earth system science education engages scientists and educators in the collaborative interdisciplinary development and offering of courses and learning resources focused on understanding and application of Earth system and global change science in the classroom and laboratory. This special issue focuses on exploring exemplary courses, curricula, degree programs, learning resources and programs centered on Earth system science education. Papers include demonstration of effective technological tools, techniques facilitating systems thinking, and pedagogical approaches. Authors address diverse topics and questions including: How is Earth system science defined and what are appropriate strategies for conveying this concept to students? What are the most productive instructional technologies, and how and when are they best applied? What are effective means to teach students of the connectivity among spatial and temporal scales and on linkages among the spheres? Our solicitation expressed special interest in papers describing lessons learned in: developing and sharing content; utilizing Earth system science topics to engage students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning; and in building working interdisciplinary partnerships, as well as papers that pursued formal evaluation of Earth system science learning materials and programs overall. …