1. Department of Geosciences Middle Tennessee State University
The Geoenvironmental Challenges REU Site, InTeGrate, and Earth Science Teacher Preparation at MTSU
Dr. Mark Abolins
Department of Geosciences
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN

2. Geoenvironmental Challenges project:
Geoenvironmental Challenges project: * NSF Geosciences Directorate’s first REU Site exclusively designed for pre-service STEM teachers. * Cohorts of ten pre-service teachers. * Summers of 2013, 2014, and * $368K – mostly to participants * Dr. Heather Brown, Co-PI

3. Mission: To train future STEM teachers to mentor K-12 research and lead citizen science.

4. Self-assessed pre-service teacher gains in knowledge

5. The nine-week experience:. Approx
The nine-week experience: * Approx. seven weeks of mentored undergraduate research. * Completion of part of the InTeGrate Pre-service teacher education module during * Five-day field trip including introduction to outdoor learning and citizen science. * Other activites (e.g., classroom observation and two local field trips) totaling approx. 4 days.

6. Completion of part of the InTeGrate Pre-service teacher education module. * Unit 1 – How do the methods of geoscience compare with THE scientific method Activity 1 – Elicitation of Students‘ Initial Ideas about Discipline-specific Scientific Methods Activity 2 - Introduction to the Methods of Geoscience. * Unit 2 – Climate change, after the storm Activity 1 – The Issue. * NGSS-based lesson plan (summative assessment for module).

7. Lesson plans - Nine of the pre-service teachers completed lesson plans
Lesson plans Nine of the pre-service teachers completed lesson plans One was a high school version of a mentored investigation One was related to climate change.

9. http://capone.mtsu.edu/mabolins/ educational.htm
K-12 Resources
For Teaching
Earth Science
educational.htm
Geoenvironmental
Challenges:
A NSF REU Site
for pre-service
science teachers

10. http://capone.mtsu.edu/mabolins/ educational.htm
K-12 Resources
For Teaching
Earth Science
educational.htm
Geoenvironmental
Challenges:
A NSF REU Site
for pre-service
science teachers

11. http://capone.mtsu.edu/mabolins/ educational.htm
K-12 Resources
For Teaching
Earth Science
educational.htm
Geoenvironmental
Challenges:
A NSF REU Site
for pre-service
science teachers

12. InTeGrate Implementation
MTSU Implementation Project
“Using InTeGrate to Enhance Civic Engagement in the Geosciences- Middle Tennessee State University”
PI: Dr. Mark Abolins, Department of Geosciences, MTSU
Co-PI: Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, Department of Chemistry and Women in STEM Center, MTSU
A little under $50K (mostly to faculty)
One-year

13. Two lower-level courses
Warner Cribb

14. Three upper-level courses

15. Unit 1: Hydrologic Cycle
Part 1: Water, Water Everywhere
Materials for the demonstration:
5-gallon aquarium or 5-gallon bucket filled with water
24-oz. measuring cup, green food coloring, ice cube tray,
dropper, petri dish
Clear container (at least 8 ounces) filled with sand
Laptop, projector, and overhead screen

16. Unit 2: Fluvial Processes that Shape the Natural Landscape
Part 1: Characteristics of a River System

17. Rock cycle assessment

18. Opinions expressed in this talk are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.