Atmospheric Science and Climate Literacy Workshop Roberta Johnson1, John Snow2, Mark McCaffrey3, Sus

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Atmospheric Science and Climate Literacy
Workshop Roberta Johnson1, John Snow2, Mark
McCaffrey3, Susan Buhr3, Susan Foster1, and Frank
Niepold41UCAR Education and Outreach 2The
University of Oklahoma, College of Atmospheric
and Geographic Sciences 3CIRES Education and
Outreach, 4NOAA Climate Program Office
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When we try to pick out anything by itself, we
find it hitched to everything else in the
universe. John MuirMy First Summer in the
Sierra 1911
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Building a Framework for Earth System Science
Literacy
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Nano-History of U.S. Earth Science Education
-- adapted
from Frank Ireton (2002)

• 1950s Earth Science introduced into NY PA
  state curricula
• 1967 Earth Science Curriculum Project released
• 1990s Earth Space Science identified as core
  science in AAAS Benchmarks (1993) NSES (1996)
• 1990s Earth System Science Education programs
  (e.g., ESSE ESSEA) initiated
• 2002 Revolution in Earth Space Science
  Education report issued
• 2005 Ocean Literacy framework developed
• Ongoing Threats from creationism intelligent
  design advocates

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Earth System Science Literacy Initiative

• Interagency Collaboration
• Sub-system Frameworks
• Oceans 2005
• Atmosphere
• Climate
• Terrestrial Geology Hydrology
• Cryosphere
• Biosphere
• Integrated Framework for Earth System Science
  Literacy
• Mapping to Standards Benchmarks
• Dissemination

From the Jason Project web site
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A functional definition of literacy

• A(n) ______-literate person
• understands the Essential Principles and
  Fundamental Concepts about the functioning of the
  ______
• can communicate about the ______ in a meaningful
  way and
• is able to make informed and responsible
  decisions regarding the _____.
• Insert ocean, atmosphere, climate, earth
  system, for ______

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Ocean Literacy

• Not entirely hydrosphere- crosscutting
• NOAA
• National Geographic
• National Marine Educators Association
• The College of Exploration
• Scope and Sequence
• an understanding ofthe oceans influence
  onyour and your influence on the ocean.

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Climate Literacy

• April 2007 Workshop in Washington DC with AAAS
  Project 2061
• Version 2.0 in final draft form
• Will continue to evolve
• Need to identify supporting ideas and resources

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Atmospheric Sciences Climate Literacy

• Outcomes from this workshop
• establish an ASCL framework for educational uses
  by these disciplinary communities, and
• provide raw material for the broader Earth System
  Science Literacy initiative
• The goal is to define what an average citizen
  should know, based on current science and
  reasonable expectations
• Avoid duplication and build on previous efforts,
  where appropriate
• Engage broad community support

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Workshop Charge

• Formulate and build community consensus for the
  Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts
  that comprise a framework for Atmospheric Science
  and Climate Literacy

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Participants

• 60 in-person participants including leading
  scientists, educators, policy specialists from
  across the country
• 49 invited participants and 11 selected from
  among 99 applicants
• 40 On-line participants
• Participating via blogs during breakouts and
  plenary
• Video conference participants from NSF and
  Goddard
• Volunteer facilitators and online participant
  liaisons from across Boulder/Denver (14 total)

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Essential Principles ? Big Ideas
Each Essential Principle

• Is a pithy statement that captures the essence of
  a system
• Organizes more detailed concepts into a coherent
  whole
• Stands alone ? Would never fit under another
  concept or principle

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Fundamental Concepts ? Important Details
Each Fundamental Concept

• Supports one or more Essential Principles
• Represents foundational knowledge without which
  it would be impossible to understand an Essential
  Principle and possibly even other Fundamental
  Concepts
• Can be deconstructed (unpacked) into sub-concepts
  that must be introduced at age- and
  developmentally appropriate times (grade levels)
  in order to lead to an understanding of the
  fundamental concept
• Is not an example or simple factoid

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Practical Considerations

• Targets K-12 (formal and informal)
• Competition for classroom time
• 6 to 8 Essential Principles (7 ideal)
• 25 to 30 Fundamental Principles (4 to 5 for each
  Essential Principle)
• Mantra for the workshop Less is more! ? fewer
  are better
• Rough parallelism to the 7 Essential Principles
  for Ocean Literacy???
• Earth System approach ? inherently
  interdisciplinary ties to ocean, solid earth,
  life

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Example from Ocean Literacy
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1 The Earth has one big ocean with many features
a The ocean is the dominant physical feature on
our planet Earthcovering approximately 70 of
the planets surface. There is one ocean with
many ocean basins, such as the North Pacific,
South Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic,
Indian and Arctic.
b An ocean basins size, shape and features
(islands, trenches, mid-ocean ridges, rift
valleys) vary due to the movement of Earths
lithospheric plates. Earths highest peaks,
deepest valleys and flattest vast plains are all
in the ocean.
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ASCL Essential Principles

• The Earth is surrounded by a thin atmosphere that
  sustains life.
• Energy drives atmospheric processes.
• Atmospheric circulations transport gases,
  particles, and energy.
• The atmosphere changes over time and space giving
  rise to weather and climate.
• The atmosphere constantly interacts with other
  components of the Earth system.
• Though measurement and the application of
  physical principles, humans can understand and
  predict the behavior of the atmosphere.
• The atmosphere and humans are inextricably linked.

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Feedback and Revisions

• Draft report will be made available online for
  comment by community in January 2008
• AGU, AMS, NSTA, online community
• Anticipate several cycles of revisions based on
  community input prior to submission to NSF in
  July 2008
• Please get involved and take advantage of
  opportunity to contribute during this process
• http//www.eo.ucar.edu/ascl/

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