Earth Science Week Update July 2014

EARTH SCIENCE WEEK UPDATE
American Geosciences Institute
Vol. 12, No. 7: July 2014

IN THIS ISSUE…

****************************
Geologic Map Day:
Celebrate on October 17!
****************************

On Friday, October 17, 2014, you are invited to join in the celebration of the third annual Geologic Map Day! The final major event for the school week of Earth Science Week 2014 (October 12-18), Geologic Map Day will promote awareness of the study, uses, and importance of geologic mapping for education, science, business, and a variety of public policy concerns.

The event will enable students, teachers, and the wider public to tap into educational activities, print materials, online resources, and other opportunities for participation. Check out the Geologic Map Day poster included in the Earth Science Week 2014 Toolkit (http://www.agiweb.org/pubs/pubdetail.html?item=609619). The poster provides a geologic map, plus step-by-step instructions for a related classroom activity, encouraging students to explore what geologic maps can tell them about natural resources, such as the availability of drinkable water in a given area.

Geologic Map Day is hosted by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Association of American State Geologists, the National Park Service, the Geological Society of America, NASA, and Esri in partnership with AGI, the organizer of Earth Science Week. Additional resources for learning about geologic maps can be found on the new Geologic Map Day web page (http://www.earthsciweek.org/geologicmap/).

****************************
Geologic Map Contest
Invites College Students
****************************

As part of Earth Science Week (October 12-18) and Geologic Map Day (October 17), the U.S. Geological Survey and program partners invite university-level students to enter its 2014 Best Student Geologic Map Competition. The contest will be judged at the Geological Society of America’s Annual Meeting in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, October 19-22, 2014.

The competition is open to any student earning a B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. degree who has created a geologic map through recent field work. Students must also submit their map as a significant component of their research as the principal author to any poster or oral presentation session at the GSA Annual Meeting.

Students must submit their abstract by July 29 to any GSA Session or Discipline and select the appropriate box on the form to be considered for the geologic map competition. The abstract must be accepted to be eligible for the competition. To learn more, visit http://community.geosociety.org/GSA2014/students/mapcompetition.

****************************
‘Visiting Geoscientists’
Make Impact on Students
****************************

Are you an Earth scientist who wants to help educate young people about the field, but you’re just not sure how to start? Check out “Visiting Geoscientists: An Outreach Guide for Geoscience Professionals,” a handbook co-produced by AGI and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists’ Youth Education Activities Committee.

Professional geoscientists such as geologists and geophysicists who visit schools and lead field trips, especially at the K-12 level, provide unique enrichment opportunities, based on their education, experience, and firsthand knowledge of the workplace. Whether you work in a resource or environmental company, a research institute, a state or federal agency, or a college or university, you can make a difference.

Plan now for a school visit in the fall. The handbook offers strategies and resources. Various sections discuss how students learn science best, issues in Earth science education, recommendations for volunteers, sample activities, and more. To download the handbook, see http://www.agiweb.org/education/aapg/index.html.

****************************
AGU: Apply to Present
At GIFT Workshop
****************************
You are encouraged to apply to present at the Geophysical Information For Teachers (GIFT) workshop! The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is currently seeking scientist/education and outreach professional teams to present at the GIFT workshop, an annual event at AGU’s Fall Meeting in San Francisco, December 15-19, 2014.

The successful event allows K-12 science educators to hear about the latest geoscience research from the scientists making the discoveries, explore new classroom resources for students, and visit exhibits and technical sessions of the AGU meeting for free. Learn more at http://education.agu.org/education-activities-at-agu-meetings/gift/ and apply here http://www.nestanet.org/agu_gift_form.php. The deadline to apply is August 6, 2014.
 
Also, check out the new educational video series entitled Live Education Activity Resource Network (LEARN) with AGU. This series of short Earth and space science-related videos for K-12 educators gives educators the tools needed to try new hands-on activities with students, complete with teacher guides and other resources. For more information, see http://education.agu.org/teachers/learn-with-agu/.

****************************
EarthScope Speaker Series
Explores Quakes, Eruptions
****************************

The 2014-2015 EarthScope Speaker Series is presenting scientific results of EarthScope research to faculty and students at colleges and universities. EarthScope explores the structure and evolution of the North American continent and the processes that cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Speakers, who present science-based lectures on their own EarthScope-related projects, are selected based on their outstanding research accomplishments involving EarthScope and their abilities to engage various audiences. Speakers in the 2014-2015 series include Anna Kelbert, Anne Egger, David Schmidt, Mark Simons, and Vedran Lekic.

Travel and lodging expenses for speakers are provided by funds from the National Science Foundation. To apply for an EarthScope Speaker, go to http://www.earthscope.org/speakers. For more information, contact EarthScope at earthscope@asu.edu.

****************************
Guidebook PDF Ensures
‘No Child Left Inside’
****************************

Wouldn’t it be great to dedicate a day to “No Child Left Inside,” a time for outdoor activities enabling young people to experience Earth science firsthand? To help you do just that, the NCLI Day Guide is now available in PDF format for easy printing and outdoor use.

This free guide provides everything you need to start planning your own NCLI Day event, including any of 17 outdoor learning activities recommended for elementary, middle, and high school students. Begin now to plan your NCLI Day event for summer or fall, when young people can wade into ponds, climb hills, and search the skies to learn Earth science.

Find the NCLI Day Guide, including the new PDF version, on the Earth Science Week website at http://www.earthsciweek.org/ncli/index.html. Have a great NCLI Day!

****************************
Geology.com Offers News
And Info on Earth Science
****************************

Geology.com, a major Earth Science Week partner, provides a variety of geoscience materials including daily Earth science news, maps, an online dictionary of Earth science terms, and information on geoscience careers.

Also on Geology.com (http://geology.com/) are resources for teachers, including links to lesson plans from major Earth science organizations such as the U.S. Geological Survey, the Geological Society of America, and NASA. To view the teacher page, visit http://geology.com/teacher/.

****************************
More Geoscience Resources
In Spanish and English
****************************

Nearly 30 educational activities and resources have been added to the updated SEED Earth Science Week Online Toolkit. If you’re looking for Earth science education resources in both Spanish and English, this website is for you.

The site - a partnership of Schlumberger Excellence in Educational Development (SEED) and AGI - provides educational materials, activities, and other resources for Spanish-speaking students and teachers, as well as English speakers, in U.S. and SEED schools around the world. The resources featured on the site have been developed by SEED, AGI, and other geoscience organizations.

Visitors now can view 76 lessons, posters, fact sheets and other materials, each offered in both Spanish and English. Materials provide users with introductory information on Earth science, as well as in-depth items on earth, water, air, and life science. Find the free toolkit online (http://www.earthsciweek.org/seed/).

****************************
Report Details Status of
Geoscience Workforce
****************************

AGI, coordinator of Earth Science Week, recently released its latest “Status of the Geoscience Workforce Report,” showing that jobs requiring training in the geosciences continue to be lucrative and in-demand. Despite increased enrollment and graduation from geoscience programs, data project a shortage of around 135,000 geoscientists by the end of the decade. 

The 2014 report covers the state of geoscience workforce and education in K-12 schools, universities, and major employers, as well as the role of two-year colleges. The number of graduating geoscience majors who started their degrees at a two-year college has increased, according to report author Carolyn Wilson.

“There is incredible potential for institutions to recruit from the diverse talent pools arising at two-year institutions, and many career opportunities available to students enrolled in geoscience programs, and early-career geoscientists entering the workforce,” Wilson said. For more information on the report, see http://www.americangeosciences.org/workforce/reports/status-report-2014.

****************************
NGWA: Learn How to
Protect Your Groundwater
****************************

The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) celebrates Protect Your Groundwater Day on September 9, 2014, promoting water conservation and contamination prevention as ways to protect groundwater resources.

“Every person can do something to protect local groundwater, from not polluting it to using water wisely,” says NGWA Public Awareness Director Cliff Treyens. “The good news is that for most people all it takes is a small adjustment in their daily habits.”

Why bother? For starters, 99 percent of all available freshwater comes from aquifers underground, according to NGWA. The AGI member society that by focusing on actionable steps that every person can take, Protect Your Groundwater Day can spur people to protect this resource. For educational information and resources, see http://www.ngwa.org/Events-Education/groundwater-day/Pages/default.aspx.

****************************
The American Geosciences Institute is a nonprofit federation of 50 geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 250,000 geologists, geophysicists and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society’s use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and interaction with the environment. For contact information, please visit http://www.earthsciweek.org/contactus/index.html.
****************************

To subscribe to this newsletter, visit http://www.earthsciweek.org/newsletter and Submit your email address.