Annual Report 2011: FY July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011
Youth Educational Activities
Goals for 2010–2011
- To make the biggest impact on K-12 students to inspire the geoscientists of tomorrow. This long-standing goal of the YEA committee is accomplished through AAPG members visiting classrooms, conducting teacher workshops, participating in career workshops, and providing materials for the classrooms.
- Continue to increase the roll of YEA in the Annual Meeting Teacher Program through interaction between the Teacher of The Year and attendees of the teacher program.
- Increase interactions between AAPG members participating in outreach activities and the needs of teachers. This will be done through several avenues including Geoclubs at the high school level, increased publicity for existing curriculum materials, and perhaps field trips sponsored by AAPG associated with Earth Week and AGI.
The YEA committee members are dedicated to make communication a priority between K-12 outreach efforts of AAPG and other earth science organizations.
Committee Activities for 2009–2010 2011 AAPG Teacher Program
Held on Monday, April 11, over forty teachers attended the All-Convention Luncheon, took a seminar on the Tapestry of Time Map, had the opportunity to ask the astronauts (Scott Carpenter, Dr. Harrison H. “Jack” Schmitt, and Dr. James F. Reilly II) questions. At the end of the morning session teachers were assigned an AAPG member as a mentor to tour them around the exhibit hall or attend technical sessions together. Headed up by the program chair, Alison Henning, the feedback was great and the next teacher program in Long Beach is working on following a similar schedule.
AAPG K-12 Resources and Youth Education Activities Websites
The K-12 Resources Page (http://www.aapg.org/k12resources) is designed to make it easier for teachers and AAPG members to utilize available curriculum information. In addition, the YEA committee website (http://www.aapg. org/committees/yea/) is the central page for committee members. If you have the opportunity, please visit these pages and provide feedback to continue to make them a useful resource for K-12 education activities. The Geoscientist’s Professional Science Enrichment Handbook is available on the AAPG website to download and utilize. This document created in conjunction with AGI is intended to be a tool for AAPG members to use when asked to go into the K-12 Classroom. It provides suggestions, sample activities, and philosophical approach to getting young students fully engaged in the inquiry-based exercises.
Earth Science Teacher of the Year Award
Sharon Milito a 4th grade teacher in Colorado Springs, Colorado, was the Earth Science Teacher of the Year Award recipient (http://www.aapg.org/ explorer/2011/03mar/toty0311.cfm). There were four well-qualified candidates for the award this year. We hope to have six candidates (one from each section) for next year. Efforts are underway to create more of a community of award winners past and present. Additionally, efforts are underway to revise the application process to make it more accessible for teachers and help facilitate more applicants. Through the YEA website, AAPG members and Teacher of the Year winners can have regular communication to better their curriculum and improve classroom setting outreach as a whole.
Laura Zahm, Chair
Committee members:
Richard William Ball, Elizabeth Bartow Campen, Joan E. Crockett, Norbert Everett Cygan, Ronald L. Hart, Inda Proske Immega, Robert W. Krantz, Donald Watson Lewis, Peter MacKenzie, James Owen Puckette, Nina Marie Rach, Gary Charles Robinson, John Lee Stout, and Laura Cutright Zahm (chair).