The Secondary School Earth Science Course In Science Education

Abstract

Notable improvement in high school science and mathematics courses, resulting from massive course content improvement programs supported by NSF and other organizations, has led to revision of science curricula in elementary and junior high schools. Scientists and educators have discovered that earth science has much to offer in challenging subject matter and can, if properly taught at the ninth grade level, greatly improve science education at higher levels. Earth science courses patterned after the “traditional” college level introductory geology course are now being offered in a large number of secondary schools. These courses are a big improvement over the general science courses they replaced, but for the most part are not contemporary when compared with BSCS biology or PSSC physics. A modern program developed by the ESCP is now being tested in 75 schools. In this course emphasis is placed on comprehension of fundamental ideas and on discovery, instead of on memorization of facts and terms. If widely ...