HR: 1340h
AN: ED23B-1294    [Abstracts]
TI: Infusing interdisciplinary place-based watershed research into K-12 curricula and university collaborations
AU: * Pratt-Sitaula, B
EM: psitaula@geology.cwu.edu
AF: Central Washington University, 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926-7418, United States
AU: Gazis, C
EM: cgazis@geology.cwu.edy
AF: Central Washington University, 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926-7418, United States
AU: Kurtz, M
EM: kurtzm@cwu.edu
AF: Central Washington University, 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926-7418, United States
AU: Quitadamo, I
EM: iq@cwu.edu
AF: Central Washington University, 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926-7418, United States
AU: Wagner, R
EM: wagners@cwu.edu
AF: Central Washington University, 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926-7418, United States
AB: Central Washington University has started a five-year NSF-funded GK-12 project to bring the study of our local river – The Yakima – into 5-11th grade science classes. Faculty members from Geological Sciences have teamed with others from Biology, Chemistry, and Resource Management to develop the Yakima WATERS Project (Watershed Activities To Enhance Research in Schools). This interdisciplinary outreach project teams graduate students with local teachers to bring authentic watershed research into the curriculum. The interdisciplinary research themes are: Riparian Ecology and Biodiversity; Water Chemistry and Quality; Geomorphology and Climate Change; and Changes in Land and Water Use. The Yakima Watershed contains several communities that are traditionally underrepresented in science – Native American, Hispanic, and rural populations. One of the key outcomes we will assess is whether a place-based science study such as this is successful in improving minority students' science scores and whether graduate students from underrepresented groups can be attracted and retained in STEM graduate programs. The project is in its early stages, so results of K-12 student science achievement are not yet available. One unexpected, but positive preliminary result is the possibility of further interdisciplinary research that may stem from the close project-driven interactions between people of different STEM subjects. Faculty members, graduate students, and teachers often fail to interact with members of other departments, but through Project activities support networks are forming and ideas for further research are being developed.
DE: 0800 EDUCATION
DE: 0805 Elementary and secondary education
DE: 0825 Teaching methods
DE: 1879 Watershed
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting