Pacific Museum of Earth Teacher Training Program

A Canada Geological Foundation Grant has helped support the Pacific Museum of Earth Teacher Training Program. They report:-
On October 24, 2014, the Pacific Museum of Earth hosted a 1-day teacher training workshop. We hosted 21 K-12 educators from the Lower Mainland for a day of Earth science lectures and activities. Workshop registration was free for teachers and the PME provided lunch as well as specimen kits, which contained a selection of rocks and minerals.
We plan to run our teacher training program annually as a means to forge stronger relationships with BC schoolteachers, introducing some to Earth Sciences for the first time and building upon past experiences for returning participants. Many K-12 teachers feel unprepared to teach this area of the science curriculum. In particular, teachers who come from an arts background are confused by the range and depth of the subject material and unsure how to present it in the classroom. In our workshop, we explored K-12 program requirements through presentations, hands-on activities and experiments. We linked each topic to the Prescribed Learning Outcomes as detailed in the BC curriculum.
Our workshop topics included:
• Stars and the solar system
• Rock identification
• Fossil identification
• Mineral identification
• Earthquakes and plate tectonics
• Volcanoes
Graduate students and instructors from the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences led 30 minutes presentations for each topic followed by a 20-30 minute hands on experiment or activity. We ordered a catered lunch for all of the teachers and instructors.
We evaluated the effectiveness of the workshop through an anonymous online questionnaire where teachers could provide feedback and suggestions for next year.
We appreciate the support provided by the Canadian Geological Foundation and would not have been able to successfully run these programs without it!

CGF grants helped support the Stonehammer Geopark in New Brunswick host the 6th International UNESCO Global Geoparks Conference in September 2014. CGF funs helped support production of the field guide, and educational outreach programmes.

The “Petit Musée de minéralogie de  l’UQAC” has reported that the $8000 grant provided to them in 2011 has resulted in the installation of new display cases for their mineralogical displays. They are presently preparing material to display which should be ready sometime this fall, so please visit if you are in Chicoutimi.

CGF provided support to the St. John’s 2012 GAC-MAC Local Organizing Committee for the planning and delivery of the EdGEO Teacher Workshop and Field Trip held May 25-26, 2012 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. This two day activity-based program was attended by 38 local teachers and more than a dozen experienced geoscience facilitators. The Newfoundland and Labrador curriculum-linked workshops provided a unique opportunity for educators to discover teaching strategies and tools to make Earth Science topics relevant, engaging and fun! Continue reading →