teaching - Earth Science Teachers' Association

TEACHING EARTH SCIENCES ● Volume 31 ● Number 3, 2006
News and Views
Mars.google.com
Following on from Google Earth, which
combines satellite images with other data
into extensive 3D presentations and
allows you to navigate the Earth and
view the details of landscapes and
features from the Grand Canyon to
tsunami damage, there was the
interactive google for the Moon. Now,
you can also get a closer look at Mars.
The homepage has elevations of Mars
which range from 9 km below the
planet’s average surface level to 21 km
above the surface, and every crater and
trench between. You can scroll across the
surface, which is made up of more than
17,000 photos seamlessly joined together
and home in on areas that interest you.
The photos were obtained by NASA’s
Mars Odyssey spacecraft which has been
orbiting the planet for about 5 years.
You can also click on a list of features to
explore, including: canyons, mountains,
dunes, plains, ridges etc; on a particular
mountain, for example Olympus Mons
(which is 3 times as high as Mt Everest),
watch videos or learn about the size and
history of specific areas or features.
See mars.google.com
Deepest
dinosaur
The first dinosaur to be found in
Norway is also the deepest discovered
dinosaur in the world. It was
recovered from 2,256 meters below
the seafloor during drilling offshore in
the North Sea.
From The Research Council of
Norway press release, 24 April, 2006
Scientists ‘too busy’ for pupils
A study suggests that the pressure to
publish research means many scientists
do not have time to go into schools to
encourage pupils to take up sciences. A
survey of 1,485 scientists found 64% said
they needed to spend their time
generating funds for their departments.
The Royal Society survey also found 52%
of respondents did not regard outreach
work in schools, public debates or media
interviews as important. The society said
scientists needed more encouragement to
share their knowledge.
The survey of research scientists
highlighted that taking part in public
engagements was sometimes regarded as
“fluffy” and “not good for their careers”.
73% had received no training in talking
about science to a non-specialist audience.
However, the study also found that
45% would like to spend more time
engaging with the “non-specialist
audience” about science and 74% of
those surveyed had taken part in at least
one public science event in the past 12
months. Respondents said they would be
motivated to undertake more public
commitments if, by doing so, they
generated rewards for their departments
– 81% said this would be a key incentive.
A spokesperson for the Royal Society
said contact with practising scientists was
one way to encourage young people to
consider further study and careers in
science.
“Teachers can also gain a huge
amount from meeting and talking to
practising scientists as a way of updating
their knowledge and refreshing their
passion for modern science.
“It is heartening that 50% of scientists
surveyed identified schools and school
teachers as being among the most
important audiences to engage with.”
Sir David Wallace, vice president of
the Royal Society, said: “While the report
identified that research pressures are a
factor in discouraging involvement with
science communication activities we
should be careful not to paint an overly
simplistic picture of ‘cause and effect’.
“We need to see the profile of this kind
of work being raised within departments
so that it is seen as a more integral part
of a well rounded career.”
The aim of the study is to help
funding organisations, universities and
other research institutions devise a
reward system for those scientists who
get involved with public engagement
activities. The survey was conducted
with the support of Research Councils
UK and the Wellcome Trust. The
findings come as the number of students
in Scotland taking most science subjects
has fallen markedly.
Statistics from the Scottish Executive
have shown a fall of about 20% in
students of physics and electronic
engineering at Scottish universities in a
decade. In England, though, the number
of candidates taking sciences at A-level
has risen slightly in the past two years. In
2005, 33,164 students sat A-level
chemistry, compared with 32,130 in 2004
and entries for biological sciences rose
from 44,235 to 45,664. But entries for
A-level physics fell from 24,606 in 2004
to 24,094 in 2005.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/
1/hi/education/5124950.stm
www.esta-uk.org
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