THIS IS A PROVISIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT
CONTINGENT ON POSSIBLE FUNDING
WE WILL NOT KNOW IF THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED
BEFORE JANUARY 20, 2010.
YELLOWSTONE AND GRAND TETON
NATIONAL PARKS
Environmental Science for Elementary Teachers
July 11 to July 23, 2010
and
July 25 to August 6, 2010
This Improving Teacher Quality State Grants Program, funded by the Ohio Board of Regents, will provide tuition, room, board and five semester-hours of Miami University graduate credit that can be used toward Highly Qualified Teacher Status or Individual Professional Development Plan for 77 Ohio elementary school teachers and up to eight elementary school administrators. Participants study in and near Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks while in residence at Miami University's Geology Field Station and at 4-H Camp Ohio. These five graduate credits and instructional services are worth approximately $4,000.
The purpose of this program is to train elementary school teachers to use Environmental Science across the curriculum to attain Ohio academic content standards and achievement test outcomes. We will give preference to 3rd-6th grade teachers in schools with a large percentage of educationally disadvantaged students.
Scientific content will emphasize: energy in the environment, biological cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and water, management of land and water, creation of rocks and landscapes, geologic time and fossils, and the diversity and adaptations of plants and animals. Teaching each class is a team composed of a professional geologist, a professional zoologist, a master botanist, and five master teachers who are actively teaching in Ohio school districts and who have completed similar courses in previous years. Teachers selected for this program will also be required to attend an Environmental Science Follow-Up Workshop at 4-H Camp Ohio near Utica, Ohio on October 8-10, 2010.
Facilities at the Geology Field Station
The buildings are of log construction and include bunkhouses, washhouse with showers, modern toilet facilities, and a main lodge. The main building has a large comfortably furnished living room with a huge fireplace, kitchen, and dining room. The dining room doubles as a study hall and lecture room in the evenings. The facilities are western rustic, more on the primitive side than a typical dude ranch. There are no private rooms. Married couples taking the course together will be accommodated separately in the men’s and women’s cabins.
Study Areas
The Miami University Geology Field Station located on the northeast flank of the Wind River Mountains is in western Wyoming near Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. 4-H Camp Ohio is in central Ohio, along the Rocky Fork, in the beautiful rolling hills of northern Licking County. The geology and climate in both areas have combined to produce a wide variety of plant and animal habitats suitable for teaching environmental science.
Eligibility
All Ohio elementary school teachers (grades K-8), particularly those with large numbers of educationally disadvantaged students, are encouraged to apply. At least 77 teachers will be selected from Ohio inner city and rural school districts. Up to 8 Ohio elementary school administrators will be selected. Participants will pay a $365 course fee, approximately $600 for airfare to the field station and approximately $100 in meals while off-station. Qualified candidates will be selected as soon as possible after completed applications are received. It is to your advantage to apply early!
Location and Transportation to the Field Station
The Field Station is at Timberline Ranch, 71 miles southeast of the entrances to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The closest town is Dubois, Wyoming, 15 miles to the southeast on U.S. Route 287. Public transportation by air is available to Jackson, Wyoming. Miami University vans will pick up participants arriving in Jackson on the Saturday before classes begin at the rate of $15 per person and will provide return transportation on the Saturday after classes end at the same rate. There is no public transportation from Jackson to Dubois or to the field station. Participants will be responsible for their own transportation to 4-H Camp Ohio near Utica, Ohio.
Staff
Robert McWilliams, Professor Emeritus, Department of Geology, Miami University.
Richard Lee, Distinguished Professor, Department of Zoology, Miami University.
Edward Soldo, Retired High School Biology Teacher, Sycamore High School, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Plus five Ohio elementary school master teachers.
TO APPLY
INTERNET: Download application materials from www.units.muohio.edu/cryolab/education/courses.htm#ESET
WRITE: GEOLOGY FIELD STATION, DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY, MIAMI UNIVERSITY, OXFORD, OHIO 45056-1643
EMAIL:
Request Environmental Science for Elementary School Teachers application materials. (No phone calls.)
Miami University: Equal opportunity in education and employment.
Environmental Science for Elementary Teachers
Geology Field Station
Department of Geology
Miami University
Oxford, OH 45056