EDG 794 General Science for Elementary and Middle School Teachers: Adirondack Adventure (Course fee $100)
Instructor:
Len Sharp
Course Description
Adirondacks Revealed: A Natural History of the Adirondack State Park is an intensive study of the largest state park in the U.S. The bulk of the course will consist of three days of firsthand field experiences observing and researching the geology, geologic history, geography, ecology and human impacts of the Adirondacks. This course is designed for the K-12 classroom teacher who desires to heighten his or her awareness about the “pulse” of earth specifically as it relates to a fantastic natural area known as the Adirondacks!
* All items listed below are subject to some modification(s) as demanded by the schedule and weather.
Objectives:
- Heighten awareness about the “pulse” of earth - that is, the environmental concerns that are vital to students’ informed decision making, responsible citizenship and career success.
- Students will observe the interaction(s) between the lithosphere (rocks and minerals, landscape development, earthquakes, etc.), hydrosphere (bogs, stream, rivers, lakes and groundwater), atmosphere (weather and climate, acid rain, global warming), biosphere (wildlife and people), and cryosphere (the remnants of the last continental Ice Age).
- Develop a sequence of events via a geologic timeline of the Adirondack Mountains.
- Investigate weathering and erosion at High Falls Gorge, Whiteface Mt., AuSable Chasm, and Natural Bridge/Caves areas specifically as related to kinds of rock and minerals, climatic factors, availability of water, gradient, etc.
- Examine conservation practices concerning logging, mining, recreation, wildlife, population growth and construction projects.
- Explore mines and caves; sample water in stream, bogs and ponds; monitor the weather; visit museums and science centers via firsthand field experience(s).
- Prepare science projects and conduct scientific investigations in the classroom and in the field.
Develop a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation describing a specific aspect of the natural resources of the Adirondacks.
Instructor Information
Len Sharp retired from Liverpool High School as an Earth Science teacher of 39 years. Len has been awarded many honors such as Presidential Awardee, Christa McAuliffe Fellow (field studies in Antarctica, Greenland and Iceland), National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) Outstanding Earth Science Teacher (OEST): Eastern Section [1989 and 2006], and Distinguished Teacher Award from the National Science Teachers Association [2005]. Len is a past president of STANYS, NESTA and the Association of Presidential Awardees of Science Teaching (APAST), as well as a past NSTA district IV director. Len has traveled, hiked and studied in 102 national parks/monuments, all 50 states and all seven continents.
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