ED13B-0888
The AirWaterGas Teacher Professional Development Program: Lessons Learned by Pairing Scientists and Teachers to Develop Curriculum on Global Climate Change and Regional Unconventional Oil and Gas Development
Monday, 14 December 2015
Poster Hall (Moscone South)
Lisa S Gardiner1, Becca Hatheway2, Jessica Dehart Rogers3, Joanna Gordon Casey3, Greg Lackey3, Danny Birdsell3, Kristen Brown3, Madeline Polmear3, Shannon Capps3, James Rosenblum3, Kurban Sitterley3, Katya Anna Hafich4, Michael Hannigan3 and Daniel Knight3, (1)University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, United States, (2)UCAR, Boulder, CO, United States, (3)University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States, (4)University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
Abstract:
The AirWaterGas Teacher Professional Development Program, run by the UCAR Center for Science Education, brought together scientists and secondary science teachers in a yearlong program culminating in the development of curriculum related to the impacts of unconventional oil and gas development. Graduate students and research scientists taught about their research area and its relationship to oil and gas throughout three online courses during the 2015-16 school year, during which teachers and scientists engaged in active online discussions. Topics covered included climate change, oil and gas infrastructure, air quality, water quality, public health, and practices and policies relating to oil and gas development. Building upon their initial online interactions and a face-to-face meeting in March, teachers were paired with appropriate AirWaterGas team members as science advisors during a month-long residency in Boulder, Colorado. During the residency, graduate student scientists provided resources and feedback as teachers developed curriculum projects in collaboration with each other and UCAR science educators. Additionally, teachers and AirWaterGas researchers shared experiences on an oil and gas well site tour, and a short course on drilling methods with a drilling rig simulator. Here, we share lessons learned from both sides of the aisle, including initial results from program assessment conducted with the participating teachers.
