AGI Launches Earth Science Professional Development Web Site for K-5 Teachers

The American Geological Institute (AGI) has launched K-5 GeoSource, a professional development website for elementary-level teachers to teach earth science topics such as weather, fossils, rocks, soil, water and more.

This site, created with support from the AGI Foundation and corporate and private donors, features resources designed to help teachers master standards-based science content; plan lessons and activities in the earth sciences, assess student learning and tailor instructions to meet their needs. Educators will also be able to explore up-to-date career information and other opportunities available to geoscience students, investigate links to educational resources in the geosciences, access professional development opportunities available for earth science educators, delve into research on how children learn, and enroll in graduate-level online courses to improve teaching and increase content knowledge.

Ann Benbow, AGI Director of Education and Outreach says, “K-5 GeoSource provides classroom activities, assessment recommendations, targeted research and resources, training opportunities, graduate level courses and more — all specially tailored for teachers of students in kindergarten through grade five.”

“We want to encourage young students during their most impressionable years to become interested in the earth and other physical sciences,” says Jan van Sant, Executive Director of the AGI Foundation. “We see the importance of the geosciences highlighted in the daily news about energy, the environment, and international events. With the creation of K-5 GeoSource, AGI now offers a complete portfolio of earth science educational programs, from the elementary grades, through high school and beyond.”

To learn more about this and other AGI educational programs please visit http://www.agiweb.org/geoeducation.html.