The Earth Science Week Update
EARTH SCIENCE WEEK UPDATE
American Geosciences Institute
Vol. 4, No. 3: September 2006
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EarthCachers Celebrate
Earth Science Week 2006
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Want to celebrate Earth Science Week with a mix of geoscience technology,
experiential learning, and outdoor adventure? Be among the many people
nationwide who visit an EarthCache!
Geocaching emerged as a recreational activity just a few years ago,
but its popularity has grown quickly. Here’s how it works: An organizer
posts latitude and longitude coordinates on the Internet to advertise
a “cache,” a scavenger-hunt destination, which geocachers
locate by using GPS devices. Today there are about 270,000 active caches
in more than 200 countries, according to Geocaching.com.
Over one million people participate.
EarthCaching has recently added an educational dimension to the activity.
When geocachers visit an EarthCache site, they learn something special
about Earth science, the geology of the location, or how the Earth’s
resources and environment are managed. EarthCaching has been developed
by the Geological Society of America (GSA) - a major Earth Science Week
partner - in association with Groundspeak, Inc. and the geocaching community.
To kick off Earth Science Week 2006, GSA is promoting an EarthCache
EventCache nationwide, from 1 to 3 p.m. (local time), on Sunday, Oct.
8. The EventCache provides a common time for EarthCache activities planned
across the country. Participants likely will visit a significant geological
outcrop such as a quarry or road cut, a fossil or mineral collecting
site, a museum, a science center, a state geological survey, or a college
geoscience department. Organizers are invited to advertise local EarthCaches
via http://www.geocaching.com
and by sending details to GSA at cmclelland@geosociety.org
and AGI at mau@agiweb.org
At the same time, Earth science enthusiasts and geocachers in the Washington,
D.C. area are invited to attend the first annual D.C. EarthCache (http://www.earthsciweek.org/dcevent2006.html).
GSA and AGI are co-hosting this major event, including exciting geoscience
presentations and hands-on demonstrations, at the foot of the Washington
Monument from 1 to 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct 8.
Greg Forbes, a popular on-air personality and severe weather expert
for The Weather Channel cable network, will lead a brief educational
program and festivities. Participants will learn about the Earth science
behind building materials used in our national monuments, as well as
the consideration given to natural and man-made forces such as acid
rain, pollution, severe storms, high winds, and flooding. Hands-on science
activities will demonstrate geoscience applications. With festivities
including “giveaways” such as T-shirts and Earth science materials,
fun and learning are sure to be in the forecast!
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Two Weeks Left to Enter
Earth Science Week Contests
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With entries due Oct. 5, science students and enthusiasts across the
country are busy completing their submissions for the Earth Science
Week 2006 essay, and photography contests. Send yours today!
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.
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 contests offer opportunities for students and the general public
to participate in the celebration, learn about the Earth sciences, and
compete for prizes. The first-place prize for each contest is $300.
To learn more, visit http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests
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Calling All Teachers:
Earth Science Week Wants You
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During Earth Science Week (Oct. 8-14), students will explore mines
and caves, sample groundwater, monitor the weather, visit museums and
science centers, prepare science projects at home, and conduct scientific
investigations in their classrooms. Leading them will be teachers just
like you.
You’re encouraged to lead your own celebration. For example, you
can conduct an Earth science lab activity, using one of the activities
recommended on the Earth Science Week Web site (http://www.earthsciweek.org).
In the process, you can heighten awareness about the vital roles that
geoscientists play and how “citizen science” is vital to informed
decision making, responsible citizenship, and career success.
Remember, you’re not working alone. Talk with your school’s
guidance counselor about how a schoolwide celebration of Earth Science
Week can promote science literacy and achievement. Work with your science
supervisor, coordinator, and fellow teachers to build exemplary programs
develop school and community activities that will spread awareness.
Communicate to your principal, superintendent, and school board members,
and PTA representative the importance for your students of a sound education
in Earth science. And collaborate with a nearby museum, science center,
geoscience company, or civic group to organize local events.
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Shine a Media Spotlight
On Your Activities
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Natural hazards! The environment! Energy! Earth science is breaking
news. Educators can take advantage of journalists’ interest in
geoscience to promote awareness of local Earth Science Week efforts.
Here are five effective strategies you can use:
1. Plan a special event to draw attention to your Earth Science Week
activities. Consider conducting a classroom or outdoor activity, inviting
a prominent local geoscientist to talk with students, hosting a ceremony
or a banquet, co-hosting an event with a nearby museum or science center,
giving awards to volunteers, or recognizing geoscience educators or
professionals who make outstanding contributions to the community.
2. Prepare a detailed press release to alert the media about your Earth
Science Week activities. Answer important questions, such as who, what,
where, when, and why. Include data and quotes from key players. Provide
contact information journalists can use to get additional information
from you, school leaders, or related sources. Print the release on your
letterhead and fax it to editors and reporters, especially those who
have previously covered your school, at least three days before the
event.
3. Be persistent in pitching your story to local news organizations.
Besides noting the “hook” of Earth Science Week, show how
your activities address issues that are urgent, timely, and relevant
to the community. Consider which news outlet is likely to cover your
particular effort - a newspaper, a glossy magazine, or a TV news show?
Write a brief, compelling query letter to the appropriate editor. Follow
up with a phone call or an e-mail asking whether there are any questions
and when you might expect to hear back.
4. Write letters to the editor and op-ed pieces for print in local
newspapers and magazines. You might respond to a recent geoscience-related
article with a letter to the publication’s editor. If possible,
schedule a meeting with the editorial board to increase the likelihood
of getting your issue covered. Or instead of a letter, write an opinion
editorial, or “op-ed,” to call attention to specific concerns
and recommend solutions. For Earth Science Week 2006, discuss how your
community needs “citizen scientists.” Review examples of op-eds
that have run recently and follow the publication’s rules for length
and format.
5. Use the available Earth Science Week materials in promoting awareness.
In the Earth Science Week Toolkit and on the event Website are a number
of print and electronic materials - poster, calendar, logo, and more
- that you can use to “brand” your activity. Link your local
activity to the larger national and international celebration of Earth
Science Week to emphasize its significance.
Finally, remember the first rule of public relations: The more people
you get to help tell your story, the more effective your efforts will
be. Don’t rely on any one media outlet to do the whole job. Pursue
a diverse set of outreach strategies - from op-eds and press releases
to proclamations and PSAs. By exploring varied approaches, you improve
your chances of success.
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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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