Using GLOBE to engage students in Earth System Science with the Next Generation Science Standards

The GLOBE Program (www.globe.gov) engages K-12 students through scientific discovery to learn about the Earth as a system and provides a curricular example for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). A key component of GLOBE is its inquiry-based, hands-on activities, which align with the eight practices found in Dimension 1 of the Standards.

GLOBE teachers currently address the crosscutting concepts from Dimension 2 in the Standards by engaging students in data analysis and application through GLOBE Investigations, such as GPS, hydrology and atmosphere. Hands-on activities align to the disciplinary core ideas of Dimension 3 of the Standards through the implementation of protocols in air, water, soil, land cover, and seasons in over 25,000 schools in more than 110 countries worldwide. Integration of technology, engineering, and the application of science have played a central role in The GLOBE Program since its inception in 1995.

This presentation will illustrate the extent to which GLOBE protocols and activities support NGSS, indicate gaps or mismatches in scope and sequence, provide recommendations for new materials development, and demonstrate a process that can be repeated by other science education programs to review their own current alignment to NGSS. We will also highlight examples of classroom activities and student research reports that serve as artifacts illustrating the scientific practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas students engage in while participating in GLOBE.