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Contours
This November, the Great Salt Lake and the surrounding environment will serve as inspiration for art in "Contours," a new collaborative, multimedia event from independent arts presenter Brolly Arts. Director Amy McDonald Sanyer says, "We have this amazing ecosystem right next to us that influences us all the time. Through art we can connect to the lake and increase our awareness of this very special place." The Ahn Trio will perform an original Michael Nyman composition as dancers perform the choreography of Charolotte Boye-Christensen. The photography of Stephen Trimble will highlight the lake's singular landscape. Internationally known.

Inquiry-based Education of Pre-service Teachers Using a Unique Regional Ecosystem
Bonnie K. Baxter, Ph.D., Carolyn C. Jenkins, Ph.D., and Ty Harrison, Ph.D.
Program in Biology and School of Education
Westminster College

Two new Science Methods courses were developed that focus on inquiry-based learning with Great Salt Lake as a model system. Our goals for our students were: 1) to experience science as a process, 2) to design curricula incorporating this inquiry approach. In addition, this project has highlighted the educational value of studying a unique regional ecosystem. Pre-service teachers participated in research projects and developed teaching units inspired by these projects. Ultimately we guided the transition from "doing science" to "teaching science," and the result was teaching units rich in inquiry. These teaching units were evaluated based on the new American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2061 curricula assessment clusters. In addition, a formative evaluation was done, which focused on student attitude changes as a result of participation in our course. We have accumulated preliminary data from both evaluations for the first year of our project.

Utah Wetlands Education Manual
The Utah State Office of Education and teachers throughout the state recently recognized the importance of Utah's natural areas by including the study of wetlands, forests and deserts in the 4th grade science core curriculum. The core states that students are to be able to "understand the physical characteristics of Utah's wetlands, forests, and deserts and identify common organisms for each environment." As a result of this, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Project WILD program has designed a wetlands education program for 4th graders in Utah entitled Utah's Wonderful Wetlands. This educational program includes school and field-based experiential activities to help teachers meet these new requirements. The field component of the program is very important, as there is no substitute for real experience. Although the program is currently in its beginning stages, eventually we would like every teacher in the State of Utah to be able to implement this program.

Training

Great Salt Lake Learning Center at Famington Bay
The purpose of the Learning Center is to provide opportunities for Utah School Teachers to be trained to use wetland education materials and activities to assist them in meeting Utah Science Core Standards regarding wetlands education. The Center also serves as a field trip resource for teachers to bring their classes to experience the wetlands of the Great Salt Lake. The Learning Center is also used by the Farmington Bay Volunteer Naturalist Program to conduct tours of the Waterfowl Management Area for the general public.

Great Salt Lake Teacher Training Institute
Our curriculum stimulates standards-based learning about a place that is far more than "big, salty, buggy or stinky." This workshop is designed to make you an enthusiastic partner with this world-famous inland sea. This year's theme focuses on the plants and animals that make up the rich and sometimes mysterious Great Salt Lake Ecosystem. Free Materials, Resources, Activities, Demonstrations, Field Trip Training. Contact Bruce Thompson, Director of Education.

Evidence of Climate Change Workshop at Antelope Island
In this workshop teachers will be introduced to the shorelines of Lake Bonneville and Great Salt Lake as precious archives of recent Earth systems history (geoantiquities). Evidence for global and local climate change will be discussed and geologic relationships will be worked out in the field. They will also learn about evidence that exists on their school grounds and will write the Lake Bonneville story for their school appropriate to grade. Contact Genevieve Atwood with Earth Science Education.

Curriculum

The Great Salt Lake: A Process-Based Teaching Guide for Third and Fourth Grades
Olivia L. Griset: Project Director
Barbara Middleton: Utah State University Environmental Education Laboratory
Linda L’Ai: Edith Bowen Laboratory School: Third Grade Instructor

USGS Learning Web
An introduction to topographic maps featuring the Salt Lake City region.

Greater Salt lake Ecoregion Virtual Tour and Learning Module
Robert Ford, Loma Linda University