Geophysics in the high school STEM setting

In 2014, Bartlesville High School in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, USA, started an advanced math applications class as part of its new science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) program. Selected exploration geophysics topics were incorporated as part of the class. Four of the class students in the 2017–2018 school year completed independent study of various topics in seismic acquisition design for science fair projects. The contents of this paper are the findings of those science fair projects. Contents include generating evenly distributed fold for compressional wave surveys (P-P), evenly distributed fold for converted-wave surveys (P-S), evenly distributed fold for ocean-bottom-cable/seismometer surveys (P-P), and offset/depth relations for validity of using the asymptotic approximation for converted-wave surveys (P-S).

Sonic Interaction Design for Science Education

The PhET project is a collection of over 130 interactive simulations (or “sims”) designed to teach physics concepts to students from elementary to university levels. The sims rely heavily on visual representation, making them inaccessible to students with disabilities, including those with visual impairments. We present the theory, methods, and process behind our audio design and provide example mapping strategies from two of the simulations. We compare physical, abstract, and musical mapping strategies, noting the strengths of each. We conclude with design recommendations that have arisen in our work, and for which we think would benefit the field at large.

Exploring Curriculum for Science Education: Lessons from a Mexican Biosphere Reserve

Exploring science as a collective undertaking embedded in sociocultural contexts is a critical aspect of science education. This article concerns questions of curriculum design for science education for young learners, and it reports findings of a study on a conservation and environmental education initiative in Mexico’s Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve. Using situational analysis to study this case, I discovered that conservation projects and the science behind them are seldom framed as situated within complex social factors; yet these factors often drive decisions about the environment and can drastically affect what is taught in science curriculums. Presenting science in all its complexity can make science curriculums ‘live’ and can help students understand science as instrumental in addressing challenges that society confronts today.