Geoscience Education in the Mountain State:
GEOCATS
GEOCATS is funded by a No Child Left Behind Grant obtained through the West Virginia Higher Education
Policy Commission. If you or teachers in your county are
interested in doing something similar for your county, or a group of adjacent counties, contact Tom Repine.
For a full copy of the proposal, download the PDF version here (1.19 MB).
See the 2003 GEOCATS schedule here.
GEOCATS offers hands-on inquiry-based activities, content, integration of geology content within the
CATS curriculum, and an extensive field experience. Our staff includes science educators and professional
earth scientists with more than a decade of geology professional development experience. GEOCATS consists
of four segments. These are the four daily classroom/activity sessions, an Extended Field Experience,
a Capstone Classroom/Activity session, and a follow-up session (to be scheduled for a time
and place convenient to all participants). Science teachers and elementary teachers who incorporate
science or wish to offer more science are eligible. Teachers from high needs schools are encouraged to
apply (defined as having more than 50% of the student body in a school lunch program).
Objectives
GEOCATS will:
- provide an introduction to geology for those with no prior knowledge or experience.
- focus on geology concepts that enhance a teacher's ability to incorporate and teach the
geology/earth science components mandated by the West Virginia Coordinated and Thematic Science (CATS)
curriculum.
- engage individuals in inquiry-based instruction.
- ask participants to construct knowledge by constantly comparing, contrasting, and
connecting classroom and field observations, measurements, and conclusions.
- provide content and activities needed to address many grade level content standards and objectives
set forth by the West Virginia Department of Education.
- emphasize the citizen-relevant geology of Marion County and contiguous areas.
- provide the appropriate field experiences to encourage cooperative learning and application
of classroom knowledge.
Expectations
Each participant will be actively engaged and complete all assignments; this includes maintaining
appropriate classroom and field notebooks.* On or before November 15, 2003, participants will submit
a grade-appropriate lesson plan illustrating ways in which GEOCATS activities, field experiences, and knowledge
have been modified into a classroom activity or lesson. Submitted lessons will be compiled into a single
volume disseminated to all GEOTEACH participants. In addition, the collective work of GEOCATS participants
will be disseminated to every Marion County science teacher. Participants are encouraged, but not required,
to participate in a GEOCATS shar-a-thon at the 2003 meeting of the West Virginia Science Teachers Association
in Snowshoe, West Virginia.
*Participant notebooks, assignments, and lessons may be reviewed and evaluated by project staff
before credit and stipend are awarded.
Levels of Participation and Credit
Participants may, at their discretion and cost, earn graduate credit for GEOCATS. Regardless of credit
level, all participants are expected to actively participate and complete all assignments. Participants
desiring credit may earn a total of three graduate credits awarded by Dr. Bob Behling of
the WVU Department of Geology and Geography. Full completion of all assignments will be required before a
grade is issued. Credits will be issued as S/U (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) for course number GEO391
for the Fall 2003 semester. Upon acceptance, those participants expressing a desire to earn credit will
be sent appropriate WVU registration forms. Participants will be required to complete and return these
forms along with a non-refundable WVU Extended Learning Fee of $33.00 per credit. Participants not currently
enrolled in the WVU must call the Extended Learning Office (293-2834 or 800-253-2762) for advice. Additional
fees may be levied.
Logistics
GEOCATS will use facilities classroom and laboratory space at Hunt/Haught Hall on the campus of Fairmont
State College. Transportation during the Extended Field Experience will be by WVU chartered bus. Lodging
will be direct-billed double occupancy. DRIVING PERSONAL VEHICLES AS PART OF THE FIELD EXPERIENCES WILL NOT
BE PERMITTED.
Evaluation and Assessment
The grant providing this opportunity stipulates that program assessment will be done. This will be
accomplished using a variety of instruments, including brief individual/group
interviews to explore awareness of a new method of teaching earth science, how participants envision
using it in their classrooms, explore expectations versus experiences, and derive constructive comments
for improvements.
Lead Agencies
The West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, Fairmont State College, and West Virginia University are
pleased to invite Marion County K-12 educators to apply. GEOCATS is made possible by an Improving Teacher
Quality grant of the No Child Left Behind Act administered by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy
Commission.
Primary Instruction Staff
Dr. Deb Hemler, Fairmont State College
Dr. Bob Behling, West Virginia University
Dr. Jack Renton, West Virginia University
Dr. Tom Repine, West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey
Benefits
- New teaching and activity ideas.
- Earn a stipend of $400. (Stipend requires participant to attend all sessions and complete all
assignments. Stipend paid within 90 days of successful submission of all required assignments.)
- Learn about your own county by learning with local educators.
- Experience geology and learn by doing geology in the field.
- Return home every evening after the classroom sessions.
- Earn credit if desired.
- Obtain a total package of content, activities ideas and materials, and teaching ideas.
- Have fun!
- GEOCATS is a Marion County equivalent of RockCamp. As a result, you will become a full-fledged member
of the state-wide RockCamp community. You will be eligible for participation in RockCamp excursions,
professional development sessions, etc. A good example of this is our Falls and Fossils field trip.
This summer we will be going to the Great Falls of the Potomac and fossil collecting at the
well-known Calvert Cliffs in Maryland. Dates are August 4, 5, 6.
For more information, contact Tom Repine, WVGES Education Specialist (repine@wvgs.wvnet.edu)
Page last revised: January 5, 2006
