Your Turn – Earth science a necessity for students
Two recent articles in the Providence Journal caught my eye. The first was about the winter solstice and the many misconceptions surrounding it. This lead to a discussion of why we have the seasons, which is even less understood by the general populace, including many well-educated individuals. Mentioned was a documentary film made in 1989, when a group of Harvard students and a faculty member were asked the question “What is the cause of the seasons?” Most thought it was because earth must be closer to the sun in the summer and farther away in the winter. In fact, we are closer to the sun in the winter than we are in the summer. It is a misconception shared by many.
Why this lack of knowledge of something that occurs each year? The answer is quite simple. Of all the sciences, the most neglected are the earth sciences. Few high schools offer earth science to every student. Many that offer it reserve it for the less able students. Many high schools do not offer it at all. It is generally offered to many students at the seventh- or eighth-grade level, often taught by teachers who have had little or no formal training in the earth sciences. We then send these students out into the world with a seventh- or eighth-grade knowledge of this most important subject. Hence the responses given at the Harvard graduation.
Of all the sciences, earth science is the one that affects us the most in our daily living. Each day we are confronted with a myriad of news that requires us to have knowledge of our surroundings. Society, daily, is faced with environmental and economic concerns such as acid rain, water supply, global warming and waste disposal. Most recently the earthquake in Bam, Iran, and the visit to Mars by a probe are subjects of the earth sciences. Students who study earth science are better prepared to discuss issues and make informed, responsible decisions. In addition, earth science integrates many principles of both physical and life sciences. It is a lab science and an activity-oriented course.
If earth science is so important, why isn’t it in every high school student’s schedule? The National Science Standards say that it should be. The standards list many concepts found in the teaching of the earth sciences meteorology, geology, and astronomy. Yet, few students come away with the skills and knowledge listed in the standards. I would also include in this the study of geography, another science that does not get its due in high school.
A second article in the Journal the previous week was written by a person with a Ph.D who bemoaned the fact that Advancement Placement courses are being pushed in high school to almost everyone, whether they are able or not. What often are sacrificed at the altar of AP courses are courses such as earth science. AP courses tend to cram lots of information that most will never use, sending students into a world not understanding the basics of the nature that surrounds them.
Many years ago I was invited to a School Committee meeting to defend the inclusion of earth science in the high school curriculum. At the meeting one of the committeeman, who was an ex-student of mine and held a degree in physics, stated that of all the sciences that he took in high school, earth science was the one he used the most in his everyday living. It allowed him to understand his environment.
As the National Earth Science Teachers Association put it: “If tomorrow’s adults are to make wise decisions about the earth and environmental issues, it is vital that today’s students be given the opportunity to study earth science at all levels as an integral part of their education as well as an invaluable part of their high school experience.”
Robert Kitchen
Fall River