Thirty 4th - 12th grade science teachers from around Texas will embark July 13 from College Station on a trip back in time – geologic time that is. They’ll spend 14 days traveling through Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado while attending G-Camp, a geology field camp that explores the processes and environments of planet Earth from past to present.

G-Camp is a new outreach program for the Department of Geology & Geophysics in the College of Geosciences at Texas A&M.  G-Camp will take teachers this summer, and both teachers and incoming A&M freshmen next summer, on two-week geology field trips to study significant geological features.

This summer’s G-Camp for Teachers is the first phase of the program. Phase 2 will be added next summer, when the field trip is offered to incoming freshmen as well. Students who attend G-Camp will earn 4 hours of science credit (Geology 101) before their first semester at A&M even begins, while discovering geology and making friends too.

The goal of G-Camp is threefold: to increase the geosciences workforce by ensuring quality teaching of the geosciences in grades 4-12, to attract motivated young people to professions in the geosciences, and to provide all students with quality educational opportunities. This summer’s program for teachers is completely underwritten by industry partners Halliburton, Chevron, Hess, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, and Baker Atlas Hughes. The only expense for the teachers is the cost of tuition for those who elect to receive 3 hours of graduate credit for the course.

G-Camp teaches the principles of geology in the field, letting participants learn and experience it from the top of an outcrop, the slope of a volcano, and the footwall of a fault. In addition to becoming proficient in field geology, teachers will also get curriculum materials, handouts, and field kits to share with their students and use in the classroom.

During the two-week trip, participants will explore modern coastal environments, the geologic landscapes of Texas, volcanic features, ancient marine deposits, sand dunes, faults, glacial landscapes, streams, landslides, caves, energy resources, and mineral resources. G-Camp will travel from Galveston Island through Texas to New Mexico and Colorado, going from sea level to over 10,000 feet. Some of the many locations they will visit include Enchanted Rock, the Llano Uplift, White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns, Spanish Peaks and Grand Mesa.

According to Dr. J.R. (Rick) Giardino, professor of Geology & Geophysics who coordinates the program, G-Camp will also benefit teachers by exposing them to inquiry-based teaching and learning.

“By participating in field work throughout the trip, these teachers will experience inquiry teaching and learning in action,” Giardino said. “Inquiry-based teaching is central to new standards and benchmarks for science literacy, and it demands hands-on demonstrations. This program helps teachers understand the process of inquiry-based learning, how it benefits students, and most importantly, how to use it in the classroom.” 

After G-Camp, participating teachers must attend three follow-up workshops that will focus on the integration of inquiry learning with the Texas Education Association’s TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) objectives to bring the excitement of geology in the field to learning in the classroom. 

Over 350 teachers applied for the 30 openings for this year’s G-Camp. Each applicant submitted two essays – one on why they wanted to gain this knowledge and another describing how they intend to use the knowledge in their classrooms. They also submitted letters of recommendation from their principal, district science coordinator, and a colleague, and had to commit to participating in the follow-up workshops. Preference was given to applicants from schools in economically depressed areas of Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. A selection committee chose 11 elementary, 11 middle school, and 8 high school teachers to participate.

Leading G-Camp this summer will be Giardino, Geology & Geophysics Professor Jack Vitek,  Carolyn Schroeder who is a research associate in the College of Science’s Center for Mathematics and Science Education (CMSE), and coordinating teacher Mary Boltezar, a fifth grade science teacher from Bryan Independent School District. Geology & geophysics graduate assistants Netra Regmi and Kelin Zhuang will help as well.

“We are really excited about G-Camp,” Giardino said.  “The trip this year for teachers will take them out into the field and let them experience geology first hand. Complex geological concepts are difficult to comprehend sitting in a classroom. Seeing these four dimensional processes in the field and being able to stand back and examine, measure, explore and experience what you’re learning about is really essential.”

Giardino added that “it’s also important to note that without our industry sponsors – Halliburton, Chevron, Hess, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, and Baker Atlas Hughes – we couldn’t afford to do this, and while we’re starting with just teachers this year, we plan to also take several busloads of new Aggies on the road this time next year. G-Camp will just grow and grow.”

For more information on G-Camp visit the program website at http://web.mac.com/rickgiardino1/G_Camp_/Welcome.html.