The Earth Science Literacy Draft Document is open for community comment
The NSF-supported Earth Science Literacy Initiative has prepared a draft
document outlining what every citizen should know about earth science, and
we are seeking community input on the draft. We hope that you will take the
time to provide your input, because this document will provide a clear and
concise summary of the fundamental ideas in earth science for policy
makers, educators, students, and the general public.
In order to read and comment on the draft, please go to
www.earthscienceliteracy.org before October 31st, 2008. We will then
incorporate community comments, add graphics, and release a revised draft
by early December. The final document will be printed toward the end of
January.
This document complements the efforts of the Ocean, Climate and Atmospheric
science communities in defining the big ideas and supporting concepts
essential for an earth system literate public. The Earth Sciences draft was
developed through an NSF-supported, 350-participant online workshop held in
May, 2008 and a 35-participant, in-person writing workshop held in July,
2008. These workshops brought together scientists from a broad
representation of the geosciences, including mineralogists, petrologists,
resource explorationists, sedimentologists and stratigraphers,
paleontologists, tectonicists, geophysicists, geomorphologists,
low-temperature geochemists and biogeochemists, continental dynamicists,
volcanologists, geohazard specialists, and members of the freshwater
hydrologic science community.
This is a critical time for our science – the geosciences can play a
critical role in helping society meet the challenges of natural hazards and
human impacts on the environment. Please help us make this document the
best it can be!
***Special Announcement: GSA Town Hall Meeting***
There will be a Town Hall meeting at the GSA Meeting on The Earth Science
Literacy Initiative. The meeting will be at noon on Monday, October 6, in
Room 342AD of the George R. Brown Convention Center. All are welcome to
hear of the progress of the ESLI project and offer commentary.
Robert M. Ross
Associate Director for Outreach
Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth
1259 Trumansburg Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850
P: 607.273.6623 x18
F: 607.273.6620
Now Showing at Museum of the Earth:
Missing the Forest for the Trees: The Beauty of Petrified Wood
October 4, 2008 - January 18, 2009
Visit us on the web at <http://www.museumoftheearth.org>
<http://www.museumoftheearth.org>MuseumoftheEarth.org
Associated PRI/Museum website addresses:
InformalEarthScience.org
TeacherFriendlyGuide.org
VirtualFieldwork.org
|