Online Weather Studies (OWS) materials are being used to enhance the "Atmosphere" and "Hydrosphere" units in an effort to increase students' interest. Currently, TSU has no formal earth sciences program. Only a Minor in Geography is available with approximately 20 students currently electing to complete it. Among the learning objectives met through incorporating the OWS material are for students to be able to: 1.) interpret weather and climate maps and remote sensing imagery, 2.) understand concepts of scale, space, and time with respect to atmospheric processes, and 3.) develop and effectively employ an extensive vocabulary of atmospheric science terminology.
The dynamic, technical, and "real time" nature of the OWS content is expected to result in increased student enrollment in the course and in the Geography Minor program. Also expected is more k-12 teacher participation in TSU's partnership in the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program. A larger mission is that of attracting African American students to research and career opportunities in the earth sciences.
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