Buxton, estuarine shoreline erosion at Nags Head 

 Woods, ocean shoreline erosion and urban 

 development at South Nags Head, and dune 

 migration at Jockey's Ridge. 



"We chose the Outer Banks because it 

 provides good examples of barrier island 

 processes and conflicts in North Carolina," says 

 Dawkins. 



For Freedom High School student Eva Lee, 

 this was her first glimpse of the rough waters of 

 the Adantic. "I just kept looking at the waves," 

 says Lee of Morganton. "I now understand" the 

 power of the sea, she adds. 



This program gives students a unique 

 opportunity to participate in the curriculum 

 process early in their educational experience. 



For the project, Dawkins selected experi- 

 enced science teachers who had participated in 

 Earth- View, a National Science Foundation 

 project that educated earth science teachers about 

 the geology of the Appalachian mountains, 

 piedmont and coastal plains. The select group of 

 teachers received extensive field experience and 

 developed leadership skills. 



"Sea- View is a natural extension of Earth- 

 View," says Dawkins, director of ECU's Center 

 for Science, Math and Technology Training. 

 "Over three years, 10 teachers have developed a 

 comprehensive picture of North Carolina's 

 geologic history and the human impacts on our 

 valuable resources. Sea- View is a wonderful 

 opportunity for them to use their knowledge and 

 skills at a different level." 



Dawkins conceived the idea for professional 

 development in earth/environmental materials for 

 teachers in 1999 after conducting a statewide 

 survey of school superintendents regarding the 

 new required course in earth/environmental 

 science. 



"Only a small percent of teachers had any 

 earth science background," says Dawkins. 

 "Almost none had earth science certificates. A 

 large number were biology or chemistry teachers 

 who were asked to teach earth science." 



Although all slots for earth science 

 teachers in the state's public schools are filled 

 this fall, Tucci says that many teachers are 

 "underprepared." 



"Because earth science includes four content 

 areas — geology, astronomy, meteorology and 

 environmental issues — it is hard to find a teacher 

 who is prepared in all these areas," he adds. "Staff 



development efforts like Earth- View and Sea- 

 View are making genuine progress toward 

 preparing teachers to address the environmental 

 issues in the Standard Course of Study." 



Lundie Spence, North Carolina Sea Grant 

 marine education specialist, agrees. 



By initiating Sea- View, Dawkins is 

 "taking a new leap in the development of earth 

 science materials for high school and middle 

 school," says Spence, the project's faculty 

 advisor. 



"Identifying coastal hot 

 spots where natural systems 

 are in conflict — with 

 impacts on people — and 

 then developing lessons 

 makes science relevant," she 

 adds. "The use of Web and 

 digital technology will make 

 the product more accessible 

 and exciting to North 

 Carolina teachers and 

 students. Other states also 

 will be able to use the 

 materials to compare our 

 state's hot spots to their own 

 hot spots." 



Experienced 

 Leaders 



Dawkins and Riggs 

 bring different expertise to 

 the program. 



Since 1990, Dawkins 

 has been providing professional development 

 programs for science teachers in elementary, 

 middle and high school at North Carolina State 

 University and ECU through the N.C. Mathemat- 

 ics and Science Network. Before working at the 

 university level, Dawkins was a high school 

 science teacher for more than 20 years. 



On the field trip, Dawkins is both a mother 

 figure and mentor to the teachers and students. 

 She leaves the field trips early to prepare home- 

 cooked meals for the participants. During 

 meetings, she encourages students and teachers to 

 work together and collect good data, including 

 rich descriptions and accurate sketches and 

 measurements on their field trips. 



"I find that the work with teachers provides 

 a tremendous intellectual challenge and boosts 

 my creative juices terrifically," says Dawkins. 



TOP: Karen Dawkins has organized numerous workshops for North 

 Carolina science teachers. BOTTOM: Stan Riggs shows teachers and 

 students peat samples from the shoreline at Nags Head Woods. 



Riggs brings a research perspective to the 

 teachers and students. 



For 35 years, he has studied the origin and 

 evolution of the world's continental margins, 

 including climate and sea-level change. His work 

 has taken him from coastal plain rivers in North 

 Carolina to the outer edge of the continental shelf. 



Riggs also has taken numerous teacher 

 groups on field trips. Last summer, he led an 

 Earth- View trip at the juncture of the coastal plain 

 and piedmont in northeastern North Carolina. In 

 2000, he gave teachers a first-hand look at the 

 aftermath of Hurricane Floyd in a Sea Grant- 

 sponsored workshop, a spinoff of Operation 

 Pathfinder. 



"This is the third trip I have taken with 

 Stan," says Martha Buchanan, a teacher at 

 Freedom High School in Morganton. "He is 



14 HOLIDAY 2002 



