Global Natural Science Center

Proposal to CPSU revised 6/22/05

ÓBob Field 2005

The Global Natural Science Quest (GNSQ) is an educational program intended to benefit high school and college students and educators, environmental educators, and the general public. The theme of the GNSQ is that the diversity of life depends on interactions of energy and matter in the oceans, atmosphere, solid Earth, and Sun. These interactions are responsible for the formation, evolution, composition, and structure of geophysical (and astrophysical) systems. They also create conditions that favor the origin, evolution, diversity, abundance, and distribution of life and living ecosystems. The process of change is emphasized at all time scales including evolution, global climate change, seasonal change, and tidal cycles. The objective is to focus on global, universal, and long-term perspectives and connections, often starting with local interests and observations. The GNSQ emphasizes the observation of nature and the power of simple math models to explain observations. Math models can be used to estimate the relative importance of factors that influence observed phenomena and to predict additional phenomena. The theme inspires students and teachers and challenges scientists and engineers to explore the universe for ideas to improve life on Earth. Observations of nature can inspire scientists to develop new ideas, designs, materials, processes, and technologies.

The Global Natural Science Center (GNSC) supports GNSQ educational programs through its four activities: 1) student projects, 2) displays and discussion groups, 3) multi-media resources, and 4) outreach of goods and services. The director of the GNSC ideally shall have an advanced degree in physics and a strong interest in geophysical, astrophysical, and biophysical systems, as well as science and math education. The GNSQ program includes the Earth sciences, natural history, evolution and the origin of life, symbiosis, ecosystems, photobiology, and biochemistry. The existing GNSQ is a work in progress that is constantly evolving and currently consists of temporary poster displays, PowerPoint and film slide shows, a book collection, mathematical models, and visual aids prepared at my own expense for a variety of educational purposes at Cal Poly and in the California State Parks.

The GNSQ is based on the Cal Poly learn-by-doing educational philosophy and should inspire student inquiry and projects at Cal Poly and elsewhere. The GNSQ emphasizes mastery over memory of theories, facts, and figures. The mission of the GNSQ is to help individuals learn how to think, not what to think. Political, religious, commercial, environmental, and humanistic agendas should be excluded or investigated objectively and skeptically. The intent is to promote scientific thinking, not dogmas. With that in mind, the physical, chemical, biological, and mathematical principles investigated in GNSQ educational programs are applicable to academic and industrial research, engineering design and development, science education, agricultural and environmental projects, journalism and public policy, and military and space systems. The four activities are described as follows:

1. Student projects: The GNSC shall provide resources and ideas for senior projects and other student projects in the natural sciences. Students may observe natural systems and processes in the field or in a lab with or without special instrumentation. Mathematical models can help students to design experiments, estimate and evaluate measurements, explain observations, and/or explain data in published reports. Students may prepare oral presentations, written reports, and graphical displays of photographic images, diagrams and illustrations. Optical and digital technologies and mathematical tools can help students and educators understand and communicate concepts in the natural sciences. The GNSC may have a remote sensing workshop and optical science and material properties labs. GNSQ projects may design, develop, monitor and/or control cameras and sensors for natural habitats, process and analyze results, and evaluate and demonstrate geophysical principles.

2. Displays and discussion groups: The GNSC shall prepare and/or purchase permanent, temporary, and traveling exhibits and displays related to geophysical systems for Cal Poly and for schools, libraries, and museums, and special events produced by qualified organizations. The GNSC may have an exhibit hall and a workshop with storage to develop new exhibits and educational materials. GNSC exhibits and displays should be accessible to the community and should use digital presentation technologies to enhance visitors' interest and comprehension, to provide layered depth to technical information, and to permit easy additions and revisions. Exhibits should be provocative, informative, and challenging in order to stimulate scientific thinking. The GNSC may prepare and present illustrated lectures and/or discussion groups on campus or in other venues and may organize a geophysical systems seminar or engage in other activities that advance the mission. Exhibits may involve student projects and competitions, seminars, natural science part-time jobs, summer internships, scholarships, and awards. Guest speakers may present lectures and seminars and lead discussion groups on campus or at other local venues including schools, libraries, and museums.

3. Multi-media resources: The GNSC shall have a multimedia learning center with current science textbooks, popular books on natural science, publications, study prints and posters, videos, slides, software like Mathcad and illustration and animation tools, electronic media like CDs and DVDs, and Internet access. The GNSC may have computers, digital projectors, scanners, printers, and cameras. The GNSC multimedia learning center may be located in a science building along with an exhibit hall and project workshops and labs. It could also be located in the Cal Poly library under the administration of the library staff with assistance from science and math faculty. GNSC funds shall not support library staff positions. The library could also help create additional multimedia centers in other schools, preferably in California. It should also provide resources for field and lab activities, and student projects and competitions related to geophysical systems.

4. Cash grants and gifts: The GNSC should promote its mission beyond the Cal Poly campus. The GNSC can purchase and prepare books, publications, displays, and other educational materials for distribution to qualified non-profit organizations and individuals to help them prepare or distribute educational materials and programs related to geophysical systems and the GNSQ themes. The GNSC can provide goods and services and give cash grants to qualified organizations and individuals. The GNSC can support programs in the local California state parks and Morro Bay State Park Natural History Museum, Cal Poly's College of Science and Mathematics, College of Education, Center for Excellence in Science and Math Education, Central Coast Science Project, and Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, as well as other schools, libraries, museums, nature centers, zoos, gardens, and aquaria, primarily in California. These programs can include training K-12 teachers, museum and outdoor natural science educators, and environmental educators to enhance their skills and comprehension of the structure and evolution of physical and biological systems and the interactions of energy and matter in natural systems.