This course provides students with the scientific background to teach earth science at kindergarten through 8th grade levels. It emphasizes the application of the scientific method to the study of Earth systems. Topics include: geology (minerals, rocks, earthquakes, volcanoes, rivers, glaciers, the fossil record), oceanography (ocean composition, currents, tides, coastlines), meteorology (atmospheric composition, weather, storms), and astronomy (phases of the moon, eclipses, the solar system).

This course provides an introduction to the fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), including the history of automated mapping. The course includes a brief introduction to basic cartographic principles, including map scales, coordinate systems and map projections. GIS hardware and software are explored, as are various applications of GIS technology used in environmental science, business and government.