The Earth Science Week Update
EARTH SCIENCE WEEK UPDATE
American Geosciences Institute
Vol. 4, No. 1: July 2006
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Earth Science Week 2006
Highlights Citizen Science
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The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) has announced the theme for
Earth Science Week 2006: “Be a Citizen Scientist!” The year’s
Earth Science Week, October 8-14, will engage students and the public
in conducting real “citizen science” research and help to
spread science literacy.
“Citizen science affords everyone an opportunity to investigate
earth science questions,” says Ann E. Benbow, Ph.D., AGI’s
Director of Education and Outreach. “This Earth Science Week, we
will be encouraging students, teachers, and the general public to become
actively involved in a variety of citizen science programs with earth
science themes.”
Earth Science Week 2006 marks the ninth year AGI has sponsored this
international event. Each year, local groups, educators, and interested
individuals organize activities to discover the Earth sciences and promote
responsible stewardship of the Earth. Earth Science Week is supported
by the U.S. Geological Survey and other geoscience organizations. Learn
more at http://www.earthsciweek.org
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Earth Science Week Toolkits
Available for Pre-Order Now
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Earth Science Week Toolkits will be released in August. To ensure that
you are among the first to received these exciting educational resources,
you can pre-order yours today.
The Earth Science Week 2006 Toolkit includes:
* A 12-month school-year activity calendar, suitable for hanging
* The new Earth Science Week poster, including an activity
* Up-to-date factsheets and other materials from the USGS
* A park-views DVD from the National Park Service
* A detailed climate-change booklet from NOAA
* An Earth science education brochure and more from NASA
* Posters from Scholastic, IRIS, and EarthScope
* A GeoCaching pamphlet from Geological Society of America
* An Earth-science CD from ESRI
* And more materials for classroom and home use
In addition, copies of the careers-oriented 2005 Toolkit ("Geoscientists
Explore the Earth") and the natural hazards-focused 2004 Toolkit
("Living on a Restless Earth") are available for order.
Library Rate shipping and handling in the U.S. is included. Expect
delivery 2-3 weeks after payment is received. Faster shipping services
are available at additional cost (phone 703-379-2480 for details). Orders
outside of the United States will incur additional shipping charges.
For special shipping, bulk orders, and more information, visit http://www.earthsciweek.org/materials/index.html
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Contests Add Fun, Learning
To Earth Science Week 2006
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AGI is sponsoring three national contests as part of Earth Science
Week 2006. The photography, visual arts, and essay contests offer opportunities
for both students and the general public to participate in the celebration,
learn about the Earth sciences, and compete for prizes.
The photography contest, open to all ages, focuses on “Using and
Studying Earth’s Resources.” Participants are encouraged to
think creatively and submit pictures of geoscientists studying or working
with the Earth’s natural resources or people using these resources.
The visual arts contest is titled “Earth Science in Your Home
Town.” Students in grades K-5 are encouraged to draw, paint, or
create a poster on any aspect of Earth science that affects their local
community. Artwork entries should be no larger than 24-by-36 inches.
Finally, students in grades 5-9 are eligible to enter the essay contest:
“Be a Citizen Scientist!” Essays must be no longer than 500
words and should highlight the ways every person can contribute to a
better understanding of our planet.
The first-place prize for each contest is $300. To learn more about
these contests, including how to enter, visit http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests
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The American Geosciences Institute is a nonprofit federation of 44 scientific
and professional associations that represents more than 120,000 geologists,
geophysicists, and other Earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides
information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interest
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 the resources and interaction with the environment.
More information about AGI can be found at http://www.agiweb.org/.
The Institute also provides a public outreach site at http://www.earthscienceworld.org/.
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