About EARTH
The goal of the EARTH (Environmental Activities and Resources for Teacher enHancement) project is to address the low performance and improve science education of 3rd – 8th grade students in the Davenport Community School District (DCSD).
The project provides teachers professional development that uses the environment as a teaching and inquiry-based theme and incorporates differentiated instruction and writing assessment strategies. The goal and objectives are developed in response to the U.S. Department of Education’s report which states, “The most direct route to improving mathematics and science achievement for all students is better mathematics and science teaching.”
Through three annual summer institutes and follow-up seminars, elementary and middle school science teachers from the DCSD will experience professional development and community-based hands-on environmental activities that:
- Promote inquiry and investigate science questions
- Use manipulative, cognitive, and procedural skills
- Use differentiated instruction
- Use evidence to support and communicate explanations
This project addresses the need for teachers to perform inquiry to learn its meaning, value, and how to use it to help students learn science. The EARTH project website gives teachers access to resources from experts in the science and education fields, allows teachers to share activities and curriculum ideas, and provides images from teacher summer institutes and from both indoor and outdoor student learning experiences.
Questions about the EARTH Project:
Kimberly Gasaway – gasawayk@mail.davenport.k12.ia.us
Questions about the EARTH presentations:
Ted Neal – ted-neal@uiowa.edu
Brian Ritter – britter@eicc.edu