HR: 1340h
AN: ED33A-0766    [Abstracts]
TI: The Denali Earth Science Education Project
AU: * Hansen, R A
EM: roger@giseis.alaska.edu
AF: Geophysical Institute University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O.Box 757320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7320 United States
AU: Stachnik, J C
EM: josh@giseis.alaska.edu
AF: Geophysical Institute University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O.Box 757320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7320 United States
AU: Roush, J J
EM: jamie@giseis.alaska.edu
AF: Geophysical Institute University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O.Box 757320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7320 United States
AU: Siemann, K
EM: kristin@denaliinstitute.org
AF: Denali Institute Education Programs of the Alaska Natural History Association, 750 West Second Avenue #100, Anchorage, AK 99501 United States
AU: Nixon, I
EM: Ingrid_Nixon@nps.gov
AF: Murie Science and Learning Center Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 9, Denali National Park, AK 99755 United States
AB: In partnership with Denali National Park and Preserve and the Denali Institute, the Alaska Earthquake Information Center (AEIC) will capitalize upon an extraordinary opportunity to raise public interest in the earth sciences. A coincidence of events has made this an ideal time for outreach to raise awareness of the solid earth processes that affect all of our lives. On November 3, 2002, a M 7.9 earthquake occurred on the Denali Fault in central Alaska, raising public consciousness of seismic activity in this state to a level unmatched since the M 9.2 "Good Friday" earthquake of 1964. Shortly after the M 7.9 event, a new public facility for scientific research and education in Alaska's national parks, the Murie Science and Learning Center, was constructed at the entrance to Denali National Park and Preserve only 43 miles from the epicenter of the Denali Fault Earthquake. The AEIC and its partners believe that these events can be combined to form a synergy for the creation of unprecedented opportunities for learning about solid earth geophysics among all segments of the public. This cooperative project will undertake the planning and development of education outreach mechanisms and products for the Murie Science and Learning Center that will serve to educate Alaska's residents and visitors about seismology, tectonics, crustal deformation, and volcanism. Through partnerships with Denali National Park and Preserve, this cooperative project will include the Denali Institute (a non-profit organization that assists the National Park Service in operating the Murie Science and Learning Center) and Alaska's Denali Borough Public School District. The AEIC will also draw upon the resources of long standing state partners; the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys and the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. The objectives of this project are to increase public awareness and understanding of the solid earth processes that affect life in Alaska, and to provide new and innovative science curricula and teacher training for the benefit of students and teachers in Alaska and beyond. These objectives will be met by the development of learning opportunities and resources that will come together around the Murie Science and Learning Center as a focus for interpretation of EarthScope science and research results in Alaska. Project activities will take place in five areas, which are: 1) development of interactive museum displays for the Murie Science and Learning Center utilizing cutting edge technology for learning, 2) public outreach with a series of publications and Internet resources, 3) development of inquiry-based, experiential curricula for middle school students to enhance science education, 4) development of accredited teacher training workshops for science educators, and 5) the creation of opportunities for EarthScope scientists to interact with students, teachers, and the public through a series of lectures and discussions in national parks and local communities across Alaska.
DE: 0805 Elementary and secondary education
DE: 0815 Informal education
SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting