Rock Solid Teaching

Some Utah teachers are stepping out of the classroom and into Capitol Reef, transforming how K-12 students learn about geology. The experience, part of a U College of Education project, made a lasting impression on Washington County middle school teacher Jessica Jones. “The field experience was like a trip to Disneyland, and learning from a professional geologist deepened our learning,” she remarks.

Funded by a three-year National Science Foundation grant, the program is led by Lauren Barth-Cohen, an associate professor of both educational psychology and physics & astronomy. It includes a semester-long online geology course followed by a field experience in Capitol Reef National Park, where teachers apply classroom concepts amid striking rock formations.

The research team is studying how teachers learn—and teach—scientific observation skills. “Knowing how this land was formed will help kids, and others in the area, appreciate and love the beauty that surrounds us,” Jones says. The team includes Lynne Zummo, an assistant professor of educational psychology and curator at the Natural History Museum of Utah; Holly Godsey, a professor of geology & geophysics and associate professor of education; and Sarah Braden, an associate professor in Utah State University’s School of Teacher Education and Leadership.