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TORCH Plan July 6-17, 1998
University of the Pacific
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Tools for Understanding the Earth and Its Systems "Grant Proposal" accepted 12/1/97 |
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TORCH Plan July 6-17, 1998
University of the Pacific
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Home:
3710 Wood Duck Circle
Stockton, CA 95207
209/477-4234 (H)
Advisory committee/Staff
Participants will meet for two weeks in July on the Stockton campus of the University of the Pacific where they will receive instruction in environmental science, computer/internet technology, and geographic information systems software. Local participants will commute. On campus student housing will be available as at cost option for those who commuting is not practical. .
Participants will learn the methods of GIS (geographic information systems) for use as a teaching strategy to provide students real experience gathering and analyzing real environmental data that relates to critical environmental issues. The content themes will be of special relevance to California teachers and students: water and seismic forces. Participants will be provided free ArcView software for either Macintosh ow PC/Windows courtesy of Environmental Systems Research Institute ($495 street value). Participants will learn the basics of ArcView software and the use of environmental databases to produce interpretative maps with environmental themes such as water, earthquakes, land use and planning, and various natural resources. Participants will develop an inquiry based projects to be published on the internet.
The narrow focus of the content themes of plate tectonics and hydrology is intentional. It was felt that an in depth approach with a relatively narrow focus would produce a high quality learning experience than attempting to cover a broad expense of environmental themes. contents
Goals: participants will learn the following:
First Week: a typical instructional day might look something like this:
During the second week, a typical instructional day might look something like this:
The University of the Pacific located in Stockton, the heart of the Great Central Valley of California is California's first chartered university, 1851. It is a small private university with approximately 6000 undergraduates and graduates including a law school, pharmacy school and dental school. The 170 acre campus straddles the Calaveras River in the center of Stockton, a town of 250,000 or so residents. It is 45 miles south Sacramento and 60 miles east of San Francisco Bay. Campus facilities are typical for a university, a mixture of modern and traditional. Two computer labs, each for 16 participants will be provided in addition to classroom meeting space for formal instruction. All locations are within a 10 minute walk across campus. contents
Participants: Maximum: 32, minimum 24.
Eligibility: the institute will be available to educators of public and private college, high school, middle school, elementary schools, and any institution with education outreach programs for the public. Educators should involved in some aspect of environmental education (this may include social science teachers as well).. A limited number of post secondary candidates will also be considered. Pre-service teachers will have second priority as space permits. Participants are expected to be computer literature, have access to the Internet and maintain an e-mail address.
Number of contact hours: a minimum of 80 contact hours will be required
An additional 20 hours of internet time will be expected of participants. These hours can include ramping up activities, refining and/or updating the internet project, communicating with institute participants, or accessing web sites and downloading environmental data for classroom use.
Number and description of "homework/lab hours:
During the month prior to the institute, participants will be provided a serious of institute updates that will include websites to visit to provide basic understanding of the geographic informations systems. In addition, participants will be directed to gather resources concerning local environmental issues they are interested in investigating. Participant e-mail addresses will be share to facilitate early discussion of possible projects and areas of commmon interest. During the first week, the computer lab will be open for extended hours for participants to obtain practice with the key software. By the end of the first week participants will have a project proposal using GIS analysis of one or more environmental parameters.
Fees: participants will be required to submit a $100 deposit. The grant supporting the institute will cover the cost of breakfast and lunch each of the 10 week days of the institute. The $100 deposit fee covers that expense in the event an applicant cancels after the June 1 deadline. For participants completing the institute, the fee is returned at the end.
Outcomes: it is expected that teacher
participants will go back to their classrooms with a deeper understanding
of plate tectonics, hydrology, and technology that will assist them in
teaching their students environmental science in a contextual manner that
is relevant to the students lives. Teachers will develop an understanding
of the importance and role that having "a sense of place" has in teaching
students to care for the local and global environment. In addition, participants
will gain proficiency in internet communication, use of the internet for
information access, and using the internet as an instructional tool for
students. It is also anticipated that bringing teachers together throughout
the region will enhance networking and the exchange of ideas. contents
Budget:
| Item | NSF Funds | In-Kind Support | Cash Support |
Facilities
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$4000
$4000 |
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Equipment
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$6224
$500 |
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| Copy Services | $200 | ||
| Software, 32 ArcView packages (Mac/Win) from Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. www.esri.com |
$8520
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| Advertising: science newspaper,
California Science Teachers Association |
$500
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| Food, breakfast, buffet lunch | * | ||
| Office Supplies | * | ||
Personnel/Faculty
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* | ||
| Field Trip, 2 days, shared costs | |||
| Totals | $23,944 |
What?
Two week Environmental Science Institute on using Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) to study earth systems.
Who?
K-12, post secondary teachers who teach environmental science as a
part of their curriculum. Content of this institute will be especially
useful to secondary teachers of biology, earth science, and integrated
science in both public and private schools.
When?
Summer of 1998, July 6-17, Summer of 1999, July 5-16. Summer of 2000
July 3-14. Minimum of 80 contact hours.
Where?
University of the Pacific, Stockton, California
How?
The University of the Pacific, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation,
and Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. have combine efforts
and resources to support this institute.
Cost?
Cost to participant is $55 for textbook and course materials.
For non-commuting participants, campus accommodations will be approximate
$198 and 258 (double or single occupancy). Lunch is provided for commuting
participants and both breakfast and lunch are provided for participants
living on camous. Overnighters are responsible for their own dinner
expense.
Actual value of the institute per person including the free ArcView software from (ESRI) is approximately $1100. There will be a $110 reservation fee which is refunded at the end of the institute.
Objectives/Outcomes:
Participants will return to their classrooms with a knowledge of .
. .