A Purdue University faculty member has created Indiana 4-H’s first online curricula program involving environmental science topics including weather, climate, soil and water.

“Soil and Water Science” and “Weather and Climate Science” will help students in grades 3-12 learn about topics of increasing interest among the public, according to Natalie Carroll, a Purdue Extension specialist and youth development and agricultural education professor who developed the programs. They can also serve as resources for educators, 4-H volunteers and parents.

“These topics often are in the news because of the importance of preserving our natural resources not only for today but for future generation,” Carroll said. “We want to help make the public better informed about the issues, and we also hope to help better prepare our youth for college.”

The curricula are divided into three education levels: grades 3-5, grades 6-8 and grades 9-12, with increasing material complexity for each level. The high school level material will help students prepare for topics they will study at a college level.

The programs will be presented in interactive documents online for ease of answering questions on the various topics covered. Results can be stored on a computer or printed.

Because the program is online, it will offer more learning activities than would otherwise be available in a printed manual. And instead of following a manual from beginning to end, participants can choose any topic of interest in the table of contents.

“We are very pleased to be able to offer these new educational products in an interactive downloadable format,” stated Renee McKee, assistant director and program leader of 4-H youth development at Purdue. “This aids in the transfer of information that is easily applied by 4-H members to real-world settings.”

The curricula are available for a small fee through Purdue Extension’s education store, www.edustore.purdue.edu.

Source: Purdue University