Scientific Theme: Advanced Modeling and Observing Systems

Complementary Research: Education and Outreach
Education and Outreach Program
Description
The CIRES‘ Education and Outreach group extends the expertise of CIRES to serve the needs of our education
partners. Our work emphasizes scientific inquiry, links with current research, and understanding of foundational
concepts in geoscience.
Selected Accomplishments
The Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) and the Math, Engineering and Science Achievement
(MESA) Program: ―What do I need to do to be a scientist like you?‖ This question was asked of CIRES-NOAA
scientist Dr. Eduardo Araujo-Pradere during an innovative new course for Spanish-speaking high school students
developed for MESA by CIRES‘ EO. The MESA program prepares students to pursue undergraduate degrees in
science and other math-based disciplines, with a focus on students from groups under-represented in those fields.
Teacher Maria Murillo of Skyline H.S. introduced concepts in space weather, solar
science, physics, mathematics, and computer technology. As part of their course-work,
students built equipment to monitor disturbances in the ionosphere due to solar events,
shared their data through the Stanford SOLAR project, participated in field trips and
gave final presentations in English. The course will continue to be offered as an elective
course at Skyline H.S. and is now being piloted in an after-school context. The course
was funded through NASA as part of the LASP EVE satellite instrument project,
scheduled to launch on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) mission in 2008.
An EVE-MESA student with the antenna used
to monitor sudden ionospheric disturbances.
Earthworks: Earth System Science for Secondary Science Teachers: The tenth annual CIRES Earthworks workshop
for secondary science teachers served twenty-six educators from fifteen states. Earthworks 2007 participants
designed and conducted field-based studies in limnology, hydrology, ecology, soil
science, geology and solar science. In 2007, Ms. Barney Peterson, a long-time
participant of the Earthworks workshop, was named the Washington State winner of
the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. This
award is the nation‘s highest honor given to educators in the fields of mathematics and
science. Ms. Peterson writes, ―Prior to my participation in Earthworks, my focus for
student investigations was pretty much life science. Exposure to earth system science
through Earthworks has encouraged and enabled me to develop a more rounded
program. Students spend more time inquiring into the health of local wetlands from
the bottom up and the top down (bedrock to topsoil and clouds to puddles)…By
looking into the whole system, students (and parents, and teacher) get a better
understanding of how it all works together.‖ For more information about the
Earthworks workshop series, see http://cires.colorado.edu/education/k12/earthworks
The Earthworks 2007 hydrology team demonstrates their study protocols.
Northeast Front Range Math and Science Partnership: Teachers from five local school districts attended an institute
on Earth and space science led by outreach scientist Sandra Laursen. The 21 teachers engaged in inquiry-based
activities, lab work, field trips, and discussions during the intensive two-week session. During four summer and fall
follow-up sessions, teachers completed additional field and class work and
conducted ―lesson study‖ projects on their own classroom practice and student
learning. The institute is offered by a Math/Science Partnership funded by the
Colorado Department of Education. Project results have been disseminated at the
Colorado Science Convention and included in a national study of 25 exemplary
teacher professional development programs by the Council of Chief State School
Science Officers.
Teacher Dave Title (Niwot HS) generates surface currents in a shoebox-sized
ocean model.
129