Recently in C) Communicating Knowledge Category
Below is a quote from a student in one of my courses:
No matter what major a student pursues, a student must learn how to effectively communicate material to others. Students must be able to identify their audience and present that material at the appropriate level. I firmly believe that students learn science better if they have to talk about it or share their science knowledge with someone besides their professor. This outside communication gives students the confidence that they comprehend the course material.
In my courses, I not only have students write up the results of their investigations for my review, but I also structure events with required participation for students to share their knowledge. All of my courses have a service-learning component for students to have the opportunity to bring science to others. In the past, my GEOSC 021 course conducted the “Change Thru Geologic Time,” where anyone on campus could come to the gym and learn about fossils and segments of the geologic time scale. Any loose change people brought with them was donated to THON. The design and execution of this project resulted in a publication in the Journal of Geoscience Education.
EARTH 150 - Dinosaur Extinctions and Other Controversies
The Jared Box
Students created dinosaur-themed Jared Boxes to be donated to the Ronald McDonald House in Wilmington, Delaware. Students were required to create fun kits and handwrite a letter to a child about their favorite dinosaur species and other dinosaur topics. To date, we have dropped off 113 Jared Boxes to the House.
GEOSC 020 - Planet Earth
Tombstones and Spirits
Tied in to the tombstone weathering research project, students in both sections of GEOSC 020 were on campus for the Saturday morning of Community Day to conduct a free walking tour of the cemetery and discuss the results of their research relating to tombstone style, position, and weathering. Each GEOSC student was paired with one of Dr. Phyllis Cole’s AMST students for a joint discussion. *** This collaborative project won a Preservation Award from the Heritage Commission of Delaware County.
GEOSC 021 - Earth and Life and GEOSC 040 - The Sea Around Us
Absolutely Incredible Kid Day!
The third Thursday of March is year is designated as Absolutely Incredible Kid Day! (AIKD) Started by Camp Fire USA, this national volunteer day asks adults to write letters to kids to let them know how important they are. My classes ‘adopted’ the entire 6th grade at The Village Charter School of Chester Upland to write letters to. The GEOSC 021 students chose an endangered species and wrote about the Endangered Species Act, the threats to their species, etc. The GEOSC 040 students wrote about an oceanography topic of their choosing. The letters had to have certain science content but be presented in a kid-friendly manner. The letters were delivered to the school on AIKD.
GEOSC 021H - Earth and Life
Junior Girl Scout badge day
The honors students fully developed and conducted a one-day program on a Saturday for the Junior Girl Scouts. Scout troops were invited to campus to complete the requirements for the “Science in Everyday Life” badge, with all the activities revolving around a dinosaur theme. The students also wrote a workbook with dinosaur information that the girls took home with them.
It is a rare occasion in college to feel that you have done something to shape someone else’s life in a positive way. This was my first service learning project and I can honestly say that I would love to do another. In all my college years I have never felt like I had a chance to give something back to the community. Overall, it is great to see Penn State help the community and develop new ways of teaching interesting science to a new generation.
No matter what major a student pursues, a student must learn how to effectively communicate material to others. Students must be able to identify their audience and present that material at the appropriate level. I firmly believe that students learn science better if they have to talk about it or share their science knowledge with someone besides their professor. This outside communication gives students the confidence that they comprehend the course material.
In my courses, I not only have students write up the results of their investigations for my review, but I also structure events with required participation for students to share their knowledge. All of my courses have a service-learning component for students to have the opportunity to bring science to others. In the past, my GEOSC 021 course conducted the “Change Thru Geologic Time,” where anyone on campus could come to the gym and learn about fossils and segments of the geologic time scale. Any loose change people brought with them was donated to THON. The design and execution of this project resulted in a publication in the Journal of Geoscience Education.
EARTH 150 - Dinosaur Extinctions and Other Controversies
The Jared Box
Students created dinosaur-themed Jared Boxes to be donated to the Ronald McDonald House in Wilmington, Delaware. Students were required to create fun kits and handwrite a letter to a child about their favorite dinosaur species and other dinosaur topics. To date, we have dropped off 113 Jared Boxes to the House.GEOSC 020 - Planet Earth
Tombstones and Spirits
Tied in to the tombstone weathering research project, students in both sections of GEOSC 020 were on campus for the Saturday morning of Community Day to conduct a free walking tour of the cemetery and discuss the results of their research relating to tombstone style, position, and weathering. Each GEOSC student was paired with one of Dr. Phyllis Cole’s AMST students for a joint discussion. *** This collaborative project won a Preservation Award from the Heritage Commission of Delaware County.GEOSC 021 - Earth and Life and GEOSC 040 - The Sea Around Us
Absolutely Incredible Kid Day!
The third Thursday of March is year is designated as Absolutely Incredible Kid Day! (AIKD) Started by Camp Fire USA, this national volunteer day asks adults to write letters to kids to let them know how important they are. My classes ‘adopted’ the entire 6th grade at The Village Charter School of Chester Upland to write letters to. The GEOSC 021 students chose an endangered species and wrote about the Endangered Species Act, the threats to their species, etc. The GEOSC 040 students wrote about an oceanography topic of their choosing. The letters had to have certain science content but be presented in a kid-friendly manner. The letters were delivered to the school on AIKD.
GEOSC 021H - Earth and Life
Junior Girl Scout badge day
The honors students fully developed and conducted a one-day program on a Saturday for the Junior Girl Scouts. Scout troops were invited to campus to complete the requirements for the “Science in Everyday Life” badge, with all the activities revolving around a dinosaur theme. The students also wrote a workbook with dinosaur information that the girls took home with them.