No matter how the world changes – and it will continue to change – Earth science will remain one of the most crucial areas of education for our young people. You see, the Earth sciences are more than just about rocks. Learning natural science is one of the most important things that you can do to become an informed citizen. Without understanding about thefood we eat, the ecosystem we inhabit, the cells that form our bodies, and the process of evolution that has served to create us, it is impossible to truly understand our positions as human beings living in this time and place.
This is why I became a 6th grade Earth science teacher in the first place. I remember how much I loved my science classes when I was a kid. A good science teacher doesn't make it feel like a chore, but like an adventure. We would get to go out and dig for worms, look at trees and draw sketches of them, read about fascinating plants that grow in other parts of the world, and even do endangered species reports.
You see, our teacher was smart. Rather than just lecturing to us and having us read a dry textbook, she gave us earth science projects that really taught us about the world we live in. We would get to choose what we learned about and how he went about learning. You could do a research project, an experiments, record a Journal about the plants and animals that live in your backyard, or even do something to create positive changes in your community. She made us feel like we were a part of our school. Instead of just being talked at, we were able to make our own choices.
This is why I am so disappointed in the state of the so-called interactive Earth science nowadays. With all of their promise, computers have failed to deliver in the area of education. Back in the day, we used to actually get our hands dirty. Earth sciences were about touching, measuring, watching, and interacting with the world around you. It wasn't just a matter of looking at videos of an animal on the computer. You actually had to go out into the field and get close to that animal to make your observations. Nowadays, new learning methods are quickly taking the hands-on approach out of science, and I think it is a real shame.
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