Earth Science Education Research Papers (original) (raw)

Envisioning, Structuring, and Situating Earth Science in Classical Education: The Value and Planning of a Course in Earth Science, and Why Earth Science Should Be a Logic- or Rhetoric-Stage Subject Steven K. Mittwede Providence... more

Envisioning, Structuring, and Situating Earth Science in Classical Education: The Value and Planning of a Course in Earth Science, and Why Earth Science Should Be a Logic- or Rhetoric-Stage Subject

Steven K. Mittwede
Providence Classical School
Spring, Texas

The Earth has been a subject of scientific study for millennia. The ancients demonstrably devoted considerable effort to the investigation of Earth materials (rocks, minerals, and ores), fossils, and landforms, as well as to the genetic processes responsible for each. Earth Science was at the heart of ancient Greek and Roman scientific enquiry, and the weight given to Earth Science continued through medieval and modern times and into the present. Why? First, because of human curiosity concerning the environment and natural disasters and, second, because of the need for raw materials and resources.

Unfortunately, the logical centrality of Earth Science as a broad field of study is being lost, even in many classical and Christian schools. In many cases, Earth Science –which properly includes astronomy (Earth’s place in the universe), atmospheric/climate science (atmospheric function and processes, meteorology, and weather prediction), geology (Earth Science proper), and water science (surface water, groundwater, stewardship of water resources, etc.)– is diminished to facts learned in the Grammar stage or, alternatively, to fragmentary insertions into other Logic- or Rhetoric-stage classes. Such treatment of this truly classical and central field of study is ill-advised.

Earth Science lends itself to study in the Logic or Rhetoric stages for several reasons: 1) Earth Science involves natural systems and processes (meteorological and atmospheric processes [such as cloud formation and precipitation, or ozone-layer protection and remediation]; the water and rock cycles; mountain-building and coastal processes as controlled by plate tectonics and currents, respectively; natural-disaster-related planning and response [for example, disasters related to mass-wasting, volcanoes and seismicity]; etc.; 2) Earth Science is the native province of key, overarching concepts such as the anthropic principle and the cultural mandate, and such principles constitute the fabric of faith-learning integration; 3) Earth Science involves a multitude of ethical concerns, such as climate change, land use, soil and water conservation, and issues surrounding the extraction and utilization of natural resources.

Will we equip our students to evaluate and engage in dialogue and decision-making about some of the most pressing issues of our day? Teaching them the three classes of rocks, the planets of the solar system, or the types of clouds in the Grammar stage will prove woefully insufficient. Systematic study of Earth Science in the Logic or Rhetoric stage prepares our students for understanding and wise stewardship of the Earth, and for thoughtful and responsible involvement in societal dialogue and decision-making.

Recommended Resources on Historical Geological Thinking (from earliest to most recent)

Geikie, Archibald (1897, 1905, 1962), The Founders of Geology. New York, NY: Dover.

Adams, Frank D. (1938, 1954), The Birth and Development of the Geological Sciences. New York, NY: Dover.

Fenton, Carroll L. & Fenton, Mildred A. (1952), Giants of Geology. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company.

Thompson, Susan J. (1988), A Chronology of Geological Thinking from Antiquity to 1899. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press. ☼

Recommended Textbook

Earth Science: God’s World, Our Home
Kevin Nelstead, Novare Science & Math, (forthcoming)
Target Audience: Grades 6-8

[probably also suitable for many 9th-grade students,
depending upon the students’ educational backgrounds]

Questions? Contact Information for Steve Mittwede:

e-mail: mittwede@gmail.com
smittwede@pcsclassical.org

telephone: 713-900-9682

postal correspondence: 12830 Pine Meadows Street, Tomball, TX 77375

particular educational interests: faith-learning integration, science education, theological education, teacher training, educational leadership

http://sc.academia.edu/SteveMittwede/Analytics#/overview
http://www.researchgate.net/profile/S_Mittwede
http://www.pcsclassical.org/

☼ especially comprehensive and useful