Curriculum Development and Instructional Materials

An important element of increasing the broader impacts of research projects  is the translation of scientific results into research-based educational materials which can include new curriculum development, creation of instructional materials, and contributions to databases useful for teaching.

Example Education Activities

Texas Sea Grant Program 

Education Level: K-12

Web site: http://texas-sea-grant.tamu.edu/

Texas Sea Grant is dedicated to the wise use and conservation of our valuable marine resources. The program has significant activities in marine education. An example of educational materials developed with Texas Sea Grant funding is Dr. Vi Lien's Investigating the Marine Environment. This  classroom supplement is a 13-part resource unit designed for both traditional and integrated science courses. The book also provides marine activities for social studies, language arts and mathematics courses or for interdisciplinary thematic units. The supplement is correlated to TEKS in these subjects and meets national standards in these fields. The teacher is the key to the use of this marine resource manual. The activities are not worksheets or cookbook laboratory activities but rather are guides to inquiry or problem solving. Teachers can use this book to help students become marine "literate" and develop skills for the 21st century. for more detail go to http://texas-sea-grant.tamu.edu/pubs/hotad.php.

To explore further how the Texas Sea Grant Program might support your broader impact activities, contact information is provided at http://texas-sea-grant.tamu.edu/personnel.php

Geographic Education National Implementation Project (GENIP)

Education Level: All Levels

Web Site: http://genip.tamu.edu/

The Geographic Education National Implementation Project (GENIP) is a consortium of geographic associations committed to improving the status and quality of geography education in the United State.

GENIP is currently focused in five key areas:

• the dissemination and implementation of the content, skills, and perspectives of the National Geography Standards in both formal and informal education settings;
• the use of geographic tools and technology (computer-based geographic information systems, remote sensing, spatial data available on CD-ROMs and the Internet) in education;
• the development of effective materials and programs in preservice and inservice education;
• the development of partnerships with other stakeholder organizations; and
• public advocacy for geography education.

To explore further how GENIP might support your broader impact activities, contact information for Dr. Sarah Bednarz is provided at: http://geog.tamu.edu/faculty/sbednarz.htm

Mission Geography

Education Level: K-12

Web Site: http://missiongeography.org/

Mission Geography is curriculum support materials that link the content, skills, and perspectives of Geography for Life: The National Geography Standards with the missions, research, and science of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) is collaborating with the Geography Education National Implementation Project (GENIP) on a project called Mission Geography. The goal is to produce publications linking the skills and content of Geography for Life: National Geography Standards with NASA’s missions and results. The publications contain curriculum support materials focused on the development of key grade-level-appropriate geography skills including remote sensing and map/image interpretation. This project is using NASA data and images to engage students in active, "hands-on" inquiry, modeling the scientific method and developing students’ understandings of environment-society relations and earth science.

To explore further how GENIP might support your broader impact activities, contact information for Dr. Sarah Bednarz is provided at: http://geog.tamu.edu/faculty/sbednarz.htm

Example Database Activities

Under Construction - Database, Digital Libraries, CD-ROMS