Abstract
This course offers in-service teachers an opportunity to learn about geology and geoscience education through a 2-week inquiry-based field course across Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska. In 2011 this course utilized the UW-NPS facilities for 3 days in mid-June. The group discovered local glacial features, evaluated the uplift and subsidence history of the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole, respectively, and built upon growing geological abilities and knowledge of the geological evolution of the Rocky Mountain region. The 2011 course included seven teacher participants (5 from Nebraska and 2 from North Carolina), one education and media facilitator from the ANDRILL Program at the Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), and two instructors. This course is offered as part of UNLâs Nebraska Math and Science Summer Institute (NMSSI) Program, receiving support from this program, from the Dept. of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and private donations. The primary aim of this course is to improve educators' ability to teach inquiry in their classrooms, gain knowledge and understanding of geoscience, and to demonstrate effective teaching methods that can integrate geoscience into K-12 learning environments. The UW-NPS facilities provide an excellent opportunity for participants to discover the natural history of the Teton Range.