Climate change high school teacher institute the proposed climate change high school teacher institute (cchsti) is a twelve day teacher training summer institute targeting high school teachers over…

Climate change high school teacher institute the proposed climate change high school teacher institute (cchsti) is a twelve day teacher training summer institute targeting high school teachers over two summers and the following school years, 2010-2012. Sixty teachers (30 teachers per summer) will be recruited and enrolled in an innovative professional development program grounded in the multiple high school science disciplines (biology, physics, chemistry, earth, environmental and physical science), that integrates current global climate change research, relying on extensive integration of NASA data and resource tools, into proposed education activities. This research and development investigation will provide teachers with a fundamental, accurate understanding of the science of natural and human-influenced global climate change; a curriculum grounded in the high school level sciences, aligned with california and national science standards; and provide them with resources and best practice instruction to use this information in their classroom science lessons. There is a significant need for high quality professional development for science teachers. There is also an urgent need for the american public to become "climate science literate," as part of overall science literacy and advancement of students towards stem study and careers. This requires understanding essential principles of the high school sciences; knowing how to assess scientifically credible information about climate; communicating about climate and climate change in a meaningful way; and ultimately being able to make informed and responsible decisions with regard to actions that may affect climate. Cchsti effectively addresses this need; IT can be expected that high school teachers who have professional development opportunities to become more climate science literate will then be able to help their students become climate science literate. The primary innovations of cchsti are: teachers are immersed in a comprehensive learning experience as "students" themselves receiving instruction in the science content, working with the models, and developing solutions that they will take into their respective classrooms for students; introduction to NASA data and investigative tools associated with high school level science, space missions, and other relevant data on climate science and climate change; and, instruction in scientific investigative methods and inquiry that can be taught to students. Cchsti will improve teacher competency for global climate change education and provide a best practices model for integrating climate science and climate change into current science curricula that are appropriate to grade-level national science education standards and the science content standards for california public schools. Standards for teaching the science of climate change are only now being proposed, and cchsti will make a major contribution to this effort. Measures of success will be demonstrated by the increased confidence and ability of these teachers to teach complex science principles associated with climate science; their students' abilities to engage meaningfully with this material and explore deeper topics of inquiry utilizing the NASA educational tools, and a viable model of curriculum development and instruction that can be adapted and implemented to meet requirements for other school districts state-wide, and potentially nationally.