Earth Science Week Toolkits Available to Wyoming Teachers

To commemorate Earth Science Week, the Wyoming State Geological Survey is distributing 50 complementary toolkits to science classrooms throughout the state. These toolkits, developed by the American Geosciences Institute, aim to enhance geoscience education.

The toolkits will be made available to Wyoming teachers on a first-come, first-served basis through the Wyoming State Geological Survey’s website. By offering these valuable resources, the survey hopes to support science education and inspire students to explore the wonders of earth science.

The press release reads as follows:

The Wyoming State Geological Survey (WSGS) is celebrating Earth Science Week by providing 50 complimentary toolkits to science classrooms across the state. The toolkits are created by the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) and will be available to Wyoming teachers on a first come, first serve basis.

Earth Science Week 2023 is Oct. 8–14. AGI has organized the event for 26 years with the goal of fostering public and professional awareness of the status of Earth science in education and society. This year’s theme is “Geoscience Innovating for Earth and People,” which AGI says, “emphasizes ways that innovations in the geosciences are helping communities create healthier and increasingly sustainable lives, while accelerating environmental problem-solving around the world.”

This year’s toolkits contain the following:

• 12-month school-year activity calendar, suitable for hanging
• The 2023 Earth Science Week poster, including instructional ideas
• Explore the Globe game poster using satellite images (NASA)
• Updated Water Cycle Diagram (USGS)
• Soil resources (Soil Science Society of America)
• Geologic Map Day poster on the use of lidar in geoscience
• Climate literacy and climate resiliency booklets (NOAA)
• Jobs of Tomorrow (Mineral Education Coalition)
• Discovering Caves (National Speleological Society)
• Geoscience in the news (American Geophysical Union)
• Information on meteorology and geoscience (American Meteorological Society)
• Earthquakes and plate tectonics infosheet (EarthScope Consortium)
• Geologic timescale and more (American Institute of Profession Geologists)
• Innovations in geoscience (Association for Women Geoscientists)
• Fossils of federal lands (U.S. Forest Service)
• Information on education resources and more from (Nutrients for Life Foundation)
• Earth science material for educators from NESTA and NAGT
• Dinosaur information page (U.S. Bureau of Land Management)
• Caves and karst material (NCKRI)
• Information and games on gems (Gemological Institute of America)
• Activities on soil data and urban agriculture (NRCS)
• Resources on climate and energy science (CLEAN)
• Geoscience and agriculture material (Nourish the Future)

To request a toolkit for your classroom, please email Christina George at christina.george@wyo.gov and provide a mailing address. Toolkits may also be ordered through the AGI website. The toolkit is free and available for just the cost of shipping and handling, $9.50 for the first toolkit and $2.50 for each additional toolkit in the United States.

The WSGS will recognize every day of Earth Science Week with social media posts focused on that day’s specific theme, including Minerals Day, National Fossil Day, and Geologic Map Day; be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as we connect the daily theme to Wyoming geology.