Washington, DC—June 30, 2009—The 21st Century Skills and Science and Geography Maps demonstrate how the integration of 21st century skills into science and geography classes support teaching and prepare students to become effective and productive citizens.
The maps were released at the National Education Computing Conference by representatives from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) along with colleagues from the National Council for the Social Studies and National Council of Teachers of English, who released social studies and English maps in 2008.
The science and geography maps provide educators with teacher-created models of how 21st century skills can be infused into instruction and highlight the critical connections between science, geography and 21st century skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and communication.
“I commend NSTA and NCGE for creating a tool that shows how to incorporate 21st century skills into these important subjects,” said Paige Johnson, worldwide manager, K–12 education, Intel Corporation and chair, Partnership for 21st Century Skills. “These content maps help to give practical examples for science and geography teachers across the country.”
In addition to aligning teaching and learning to the demands of today’s world, the maps cite specific student outcomes and provide project models that will result in enhanced student achievement in grades four, eight, and 12.
“The 21st Century Skills and Science map, which includes examples taken directly from science classrooms, represents a tool for teachers and students as they move toward a 21st century education system,” said Dr. Francis Eberle, executive director of the National Science Teachers Association. “Through a combination of rigorous coursework and the application of skills such as communication, collaboration and innovation, science courses come alive and better engage students. In turn, students will enjoy learning more and achieve a higher level of excellence.”
For example, twelfth graders participate in a “citizen science” project such as a service learning project or an environmental issue specific to the community; through which they have the opportunity to work collaboratively with local and remote research scientists, organizations, agencies and/or universities. Students then work in teams and blog about their experiences and how they connect to their classroom learning. They then present their research finding to an external audience, such as a science fair, junior academy of science, or a local chapter of a scientific professional society. Through this science project, students learn how to collaborate with their peers and experts and defend arguments using scientific reasoning, logic, and modeling.
“The 21st Century Skills and Geography Map presents some of the best teacher-created examples of geographic education,” said Joseph Kerski, vice president of external relations, the National Council for Geographic Education. “This work augments our mission to enhance the status and quality of geographic teaching and learning and ensures students engage in spatial analysis and inquiry that will prepare them for today’s rapidly changing world.”
For example, at the eighth grade level, to combine the teaching of geography with 21st century skills, students identify historic and contemporary migrant groups in their area and examine why migration occurs. They consider factors such as war, famine, recession, natural resources and climate, among others. Students then form teams to investigate the changes that occur when people migrate and present their findings to the class. As a result, eighth graders learn what can cause migration and the impact that migration has on communities, while also developing collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.
The 21st Century Skills and Science and Geography Maps are the third and fourth in a series of core content maps designed for educators, administrators and policymakers. The last map in the series, for mathematics, will be available later in 2009. All of the Partnership's resources are freely available at www.21stcenturyskills.org.
About the Partnership for 21st Century Skills
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is the leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education. The organization brings together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers to define a powerful vision for 21st century education to ensure every child’s success as citizens and workers in the 21st century. The Partnership encourages schools, districts, and states to advocate for the infusion of 21st century skills into education and provides tools and resources to help facilitate and drive change.
21st Century Skills Leadership States include: Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Dakota, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
Member organizations include: Adobe Systems, Inc., American Association of School Librarians, Apple, ASCD, Atomic Learning, Blackboard, Inc., Cable in the Classroom, Cisco Systems, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Dell, Inc., Education Networks of America, Educational Testing Service, EF Education, Ford Motor Company Fund, Gale Cengage Learning, Hewlett Packard, Intel Corporation, JA Worldwide®, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, K12, Learning.com, Learning Point Associates, LEGO Group, Lenovo, McGraw Hill, Measured Progress, Microsoft Corporation, National Education Association, Oracle Education Foundation, Pearson, PolyVision, Quarasan!, Scholastic Education, Sesame Workshop, Sun Microsystems, THINKronize, Verizon, and Wireless Generation. Organizations interested in joining the Partnership may contact info@21stcenturyskills.org.
About NSTA
The Arlington, VA-based National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA's current membership includes more than 60,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education. For more information, please visit www.nsta.org.
About NCGE
NCGE is a non-profit organization, chartered in 1915 to enhance the status and quality of geography teaching and learning. NCGE supports geography teaching at all levels—from kindergarten through university. Our members include both U.S. and International teachers, professors, students, businesses, and others who support geographic education.
Contacts
Albert Lang
(202) 585-0243 (w)
(202) 207-8510 (c)
alang@eluminategroup.com
Kate Meyer, for NSTA
(703) 312-9211 (w)
(703) 798-8559 (c)
kmeyer@nsta.org