Our report is a formative update on a program not yet in action for a full year. There are, however, three focal points of interest to the geoscience group which we will address.

1. Actions and findings of Project STEF. This program started in the summer of 2000 and addressed the need to strengthen the Earth Science pedagogical approach of teachers while enlisting them in the purpose of recruiting new teachers. A three day experience and follow-up meetings engaged in-service teachers in a fourfold approach to improving geoscience education. The approach combined: A. Field-based inquiry, B. Technology-based use of data, C. Clarification of underlying Earth Science content standards. D. Encouragement of students to consider teaching as a career goal. Outcomes measured formatively and recorded for this endeavor included increased understanding and knowledge of A. B. and C. as well as increased commitment to pursue D. On-going follow up activities include meetings of STEF participants and the Earth2 class extension to a full joint STAC/LDEO credit bearing program.

2. Actions and findings of the "Earth2 Class." This component has enabled classroom teachers to interact with research scientists at LDEO. The program combines Saturday morning workshops, in which scientists share their latest research findings with teachers, and on campus follow-up sessions at STAC in a graduate course "Facilitating State Standards: Earth Science." The follow-up sessions add the further dimension of pedagogical applications to the updated subject area knowledge presented by scientists during the Saturday workshops as well as distance learning opportunities and increased skill in utilizing educational technologies. See: Evaluation is in progress.

3. The on-going Earth Systems class for undergraduates is enriched with unique inquiry activities and use of real data. The course was developed by a team of STAC faculty and LDEO scientists. The team-teaching approach has been facilitated via our class web page This course approaches the study of the Earth from the Earth System perspective, because we think (and many of our colleagues agree) that this approach helps citizens understand the "impacts of natural processes on human health and safety, the dependence of all people on Earth resources, and the consequences of human activities on global processes. The approach views the Earth as composed of a series of interacting systems. These systems include the earth's gaseous envelope (atmosphere), its liquid water (hydrosphere), frozen water (cryosphere), solid earth (geosphere), and its shell of living and once living organisms (biosphere). Energy and matter flow between and within these sphere on a variety of time scales.

Questions considered include: What are the most important processes in each sphere? How do processes in one sphere influence or control those in the other spheres? Why is there so much oil in Saudi Arabia? Why are there destructive earthquakes in California, Mexico, Japan, Armenia? Is the climate really changing? And if so, is it because of human activities? Why are there mountains around the edges of North America, and a flat part in the middle? Why is the beach on Long Island and New Jersey eroding? What made the Palisades cliffs along the Hudson River? To encourage student to think like a scientist we encourage the following: Identifying unanswered questions, formulating hypotheses, planning experiments, assembling chains of reasoning, drawing inferences from observations. In addition there are opportunities for lunchtime discussions with Drs. Kim Kastens and Pearl Solomon for future teachers. Participants reflect on their experience as learners in the course, and then generalize to reach insights about the process of learning about the earth & environment. Possible discussion topics include: What makes a concept hard or easy to learn? Did the use of computer technology aid your learning process? What is needed to set up a situation where students will learn in the field? How could you adapt this week's activity for high school students? How does this week's material fit into the National Science Education Standards and with State Regents Earth Science curriculum?