Texas Teachers Attend Inaugural G-Camp

Courtesy of Carol Trono, communications coordinator, College of Geosciences, Texas A&M University

COLLEGE STATION -- Thirty science teachers from grades 4-12 in locations throughout Texas recently returned from a trip back in time -- geologic time, that is.

The group left Texas A&M University July 13 and returned Monday (July 28) after traveling across Texas, New Mexico and Colorado as participants in G-Camp, a new two-week geology field camp that explores the processes and environments of planet Earth from past to present.

The program, dubbed G-Camp for Teachers, represents the first phase of an outreach effort sponsored by the Department of Geology and Geophysics in the College of Geosciences at Texas A&M. Phase 2 will be added next summer when the field trip is offered to incoming Texas A&M freshmen as well. Students who attend G-Camp will earn four hours of science credit (Geology 101) before their first semester at Texas A&M even begins, while discovering geology and making friends too.

Organizers say the goal of G-Camp is threefold: to increase the geosciences workforce by ensuring quality teaching of the geosciences in grades 4-12; to attract motivated young people to professions in the geosciences; and to provide all students with quality educational opportunities.

G-Camp for Teachers was completely underwritten by industry partners Halliburton, Baker Atlas Hughes, Chevron, Hess, ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil. The only expense for the teachers was the cost of tuition for those who elected to receive three hours of graduate credit for the course.

G-Camp teaches the principles of geology in the field, letting participants learn and experience geology from the top of an outcrop, the slope of a volcano and the footwall of a fault. In addition to becoming proficient in field geology, teachers received curriculum materials, handouts and field kits to share with their students and use in the classroom.

During the two-week trip, participants explored modern coastal environments, the geologic landscapes of Texas, volcanic features, ancient marine deposits, sand dunes, faults, glacial landscapes, streams, landslides, caves, energy resources and mineral resources. G-Campers traveled from Galveston Island through Texas to New Mexico and Colorado , going from sea level to more than 10,000 feet. Some of the many locations they visited included Enchanted Rock, the Llano Uplift, White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns, Spanish Peaks and Grand Mesa.

According to Dr. J.R. "Rick" Giardino, professor of geology and geophysics and coordinator of the program, G-Camp also benefited teachers by exposing them to inquiry-based teaching and learning.

"By participating in field work throughout the trip, these teachers experienced inquiry teaching and learning in action," Giardino said. "Inquiry-based teaching is central to new standards and benchmarks for science literacy, and it demands hands-on demonstrations. This program helps teachers understand the process of inquiry-based learning, how it benefits students and, most importantly, how to use it in the classroom."

In addition to G-Camp, participating teachers must attend three follow-up workshops that will focus on the integration of inquiry learning with the Texas Education Association's TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) objectives to bring the excitement of geology in the field to learning in the classroom.

More than 350 teachers applied for the 30 openings for this year's G-Camp. Applicanta submitted two essays each -- one on why they wanted to gain this knowledge and another describing how they intend to use the knowledge in their classrooms. They also submitted letters of recommendation from their principal, district science coordinator and a colleague, and had to commit to participating in the follow-up workshops. Preference was given to applicants from schools in economically depressed areas of Dallas , Houston and San Antonio . A selection committee chose 11 elementary, 11 middle school and eight high school teachers to participate.

G-Camp leaders included Giardino; geology and geophysics Professor Jack Vitek; Carolyn Schroeder, a research scientist with the Texas A&M College of Science's Center for Mathematics and Science Education (CMSE) who also serves as project director for the Texas A&M-College Station Regional Collaborative for Excellence in Science Teaching; and coordinating teacher Mary Boltezar, a fifth grade science teacher from Bryan Independent School District. Texas A&M geology and geophysics graduate assistants Netra Regmi and Kelin Zhuang also assisted with the debut camp.

"We are really excited about G-Camp," Giardino said. "The trip this year for teachers took them out into the field and let them experience geology first-hand. Complex geological concepts are difficult to comprehend sitting in a classroom. Seeing these four-dimensional processes in the field and being able to stand back and examine, measure, explore and experience what you're learning about is really essential.

"It's also important to note that without our industry sponsors -- Halliburton, Baker Atlas Hughes, Chevron, Hess, ConocoPhillips, and ExxonMobil -- we couldn't afford to do this. While we started with just teachers this year, we plan to also take several busloads of new Aggies on the road this time next year. G-Camp will just grow and grow."

-aTm-

Contact: Carol Trono, (979) 845-0910 or ctrono@tamu.edu or Dr. Carolyn Schroeder, (979) 458-4450 or cschroeder@science.tamu.edu

Trono Carol

2008-07-31 00:00:00