Earth-science Reciprocal Learning Year (EaRLY) Initiative

Harlem Renaissance High School, NYCS

As standardized testing shaped my teaching, I found myself unwillingly prioritizing content coverage over curiosity.  Both my students and I felt the disconnect. I had entered Earth science education with fervent enthusiasm for the geological sciences, but over time I struggled to sustain that passion. I was letting down my students and myself. I tried to pack as much time in the field as I could between July and August, but the renewal I would gain over the summer would fade by November and the energy in my classroom would diminish. The EaRLY program changed that cycle of depletion. EaRLY sustained my passion for science teaching throughout the school year. Now, I look forward to offering students the same experiences in the classroom that I have in the field. My students love smashing rocks and uncovering geological phenomena that no living being has seen in hundreds of millions of years. Our sense of wonder is difficult to measure, but its effect on my students and me is evident: deeper engagement, renewed curiosity, and a lasting, meaningful connection to science beyond the classroom.

High School of Art and Design, NYC

When adapting my lesson materials for the new Next Generation Science Standards (NGGS), I wanted to ensure that students were genuinely engaged in science practices and that my activities were aligned to the New York Regents exam.  I decided to use Penn Dixie rocks to create a four-day lab experience aligned to HS-ESS2-7 (Construct an argument based on evidence about the simultaneous coevolution of Earth’s systems and life on Earth).  After breaking down bulk rock with rock hammers and identifying and counting fossils, students analyzed our class data to make inferences about our  fossils' evidence of past environments on Earth. They used the new Earth and Space Science Reference Table to determine the age of the fossils and their relationship to mass extinction events.  Providing students with authentic scientific experiences while practicing skills needed for the Regents exam resulted in higher engagement and better retention of key concepts.

Copiague Middle School, Copiague, NY

In middle school Earth science education, few standards relate to fossils and geologic time.  Students are often bound to readings and virtual labs about Earth’s history, relative dating, and the rock cycle. In my second year of teaching, the EaRLY program gave me the opportunity to visit Penn Dixie Fossil Park and collect bulk fossil rock to bring back to my school for a one-of-a-kind experience. Students interacted with 400-million-year-old rocks, finding and collecting fossils to keep as their own. During the class activity, students worked in small groups to make observations about the fossils, infer where the organisms likely lived, and consider whether those organisms exist today. Many students asked to stay longer than scheduled, to spend more time breaking open rocks. They took rocks home with them.  Students achieved our goal: to investigate how much Earth has changed since prehistoric times. It is every science teacher’s dream to inspire students to deepen their scientific understanding and perhaps pursue a science or STEM career. I hope this hands-on experience forms a meaningful part of my students' development.

Cornwall Central High School, New Windsor, NY

As a teacher, I seek ways to bring the thrill of discovery into the classroom. Through the EaRLY program, I translated my own field experiences into a student-centered fossil club.  During a series of after-school sessions, our classroom transformed into a field station where students engaged in the hands-on work of paleontology. They got their hands dirty (literally) as they learned the art of breaking open rocks, identifying fossil specimens, and tracking biodiversity data. By doing the work of paleontologists, they moved beyond traditional classroom walls to understand how fossils form and how these ancient remains serve as a roadmap to the marine environments that once covered New York State.  I witnessed the value of their experience at our annual STEM Expo. My students stepped into the role of teachers, educating younger children and adult community members. They didn't just show off fossils; they taught the process of identification and explained how these "clues" help us reconstruct New York’s prehistoric past.

Curator, Division of Paleontology, and MAT Earth Science Residency Program Faculty

We started this program with a plan to take teachers in the field but no set strategy for engaging their students. It was through ideation with the first cohort and further development with subsequent cohorts that the classroom activity (bringing bulk samples into schools and sharing data across classrooms) came into being.  I was blown away by how creative each teacher was in realizing the activity and adapting it to their schools’ differing needs, structures, and curricula.  I learned so much from the time we spent thinking critically about how to meaningfully share and analyze data across classrooms, and also seeing how students responded, what resonated with them.

MAT Earth Science Residency Program Faculty

Working with novice MAT Earth science teachers in the field alongside Museum specialists in EaRLY reaffirmed my belief in the power of reciprocal learning. Science teachers want to maintain their connection to scientists and bring that perspective into their teaching.  Scientists value pedagogical conversations with teachers.  It was a privilege to unearth Devonian fossils in New York State and support the transfer of these scientific experiences in New York  public school classrooms.

Ph.D. graduate, Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History 

My passion for science, paleontology specifically, started during high school in museum programs very similar to the EaRLY program. Personally, it’s a very full circle moment for me sharing experiences with teachers in the field and breaking open rocks with students to find fossils in the classroom as it’s these types of experiences that directly let me pursue science into college, graduate school, and beyond. Connecting and bonding over fossils with students and teachers was a reciprocally informative and enlightening learning experience for me, as it was for them.