AMS introductory college-level courses: A hands-on exploration of the dynamic Earth system

Introductory college courses are important avenues for promoting scientific literacy. Such courses may be the only scientific training that students receive in college or the inspiration that begins a career in science. The American Meteorological Society considers the development of high-caliber, scientifically authentic educational materials to be among its highest priorities. With the support of NSF, NOAA, and NASA, AMS is continuing to offer a suite of introductory college-level courses that engage students using current, real-world datasets and investigations.

The newest of these courses, AMS Climate Studies, is a turnkey package offered by colleges in traditional, online and blended instructional settings and encourages students to investigate the components that create Earth's climate system. The course maintains a strong scientific focus while addressing the societal impacts that make it relevant to today's students. The course serves to prepare students in becoming responsible, scientifically literate participants in the discussion of climate science and climate change.

AMS Climate Studies is modeled after the highly successful AMS Weather Studies and AMS Ocean Studies, which have been offered at over 500 colleges and universities throughout the United States. These learning systems consist of fully-integrated printed and online materials. They include an innovative hardcover 15-chapter textbook and compelling Investigation Manual with 30 lab-style activities. These are complimented by the Current Climate, Weather or Ocean Studies, which are updated weekly with real-time data on the course website.

The flexibility of AMS Climate, Weather, and Ocean Studies allows any instructor with a keen interest and some science-savvy to offer the courses. This gives colleges and universities, which would otherwise not have any exposure to the AMS disciplines, a meaningful, cost-effective way to expand their geoscience offerings.