The curriculum program "EDC Earth Science" will drive our "Earth Science - P" course.
Developed by Oceans of Data Institute & the Education Development Center (EDC), EDC Earth Science is designed around the belief that students are capable of rigorous and in-depth explorations in science when given adequate support, structure, and motivation for learning.
Students perform over 59 data-intensive Earth Science investigations, all set in real-world contexts. They also engage in a variety of other activities, including topical fiction and non-fiction readings and research projects, and presentations that build critical life and scientific literacy skills.
I was lucky enough to be the one that selected this program for Buckingham. What stands out to me is that, thanks to the program's emphasis on hands-on investigations, students learn science by doing science.
As science communicator Carl Sagan said, "Science is more than a body of knowledge; it's a way of thinking." I believe that EDC Earth Science puts this belief front and center.
To access the digital textbook:
Click "Login with Google Classroom"
Select your VUSD Google Account
EDC Earth Science is organized around chapters and units where students are introduced to compelling phenomena and real-world problems, develop and strengthen claims by collecting evidence and testing assumptions, and apply their learning in new contexts.
Each unit of EDC Earth Science engages students in a relevant, real-world problem where they investigate scientific phenomena, engage in collaboration and discussion, and develop models or explanations in order to arrive at solutions.
Comparing Earth to Other Worlds
Life’s Blood: Seeking Water from the Earth
Rivers of the Sea: Ocean Currents
Local Connections: Regional Climate
Making a Case: Global Climate
The Longest Experiment: Climate Change in Earth's History
Mid-Year Challenge: Broadcast from the Future
Stars, Planets, and Everything In Between: Solar System Origins
Journey to the Center of the Earth: Exploring Earth’s Interior
On Shaky Ground: Understanding Earthquakes
Sleeping Dragons: Subduction Zone Volcanoes
Clues on the Ocean Floor: Divergent Boundaries
Mississippi Blues: Sedimentary Processes in a Delta
A Solid Foundation: Building the Earth’s Crust