NEWS RELEASE: Wyoming Geological Survey Offers Earth Science Week Toolkits to Wyoming Teachers

Earth Science Week 2021 Toolkits now Available

The WSGS has 50 complimentary toolkits to offer Wyoming educators  

The Wyoming State Geological Survey (WSGS) is offering toolkits to classrooms in Wyoming in celebration of Earth Science Week. Toolkits are free to Wyoming educators on a first come, first served basis.

Earth Science Week 2021 is Oct. 10–16. Toolkits are provided by the American Geosciences Institute (AGI), which has organized the weeklong celebration since 1998.

“We appreciate the AGI providing these toolkits for the WSGS to then offer to our Wyoming educators at no cost,” says Dr. Erin Campbell, WSGS director and Wyoming State Geologist. “The toolkits are full of fun and interesting information about earth science, which as geologists, is an important part of our work.”

The theme for this year’s event is, “Water Today and for the Future.” According to the AGI, the event focuses on the importance of learning how to understand, conserve, and protect water, Earth’s most vital resource.

Water is especially important in semi-arid Wyoming where supplies are often limited. In fact, some large Wyoming communities, such as Cheyenne, Gillette, and Douglas, must pipe much of their municipal water from mountain reservoirs and wells located many miles away. The Rocky Mountains serve as Wyoming’s “water towers” because most surface water and groundwater supplies originate as precipitation in the form of mountain snowpack and rainstorms.

Education material in toolkits are suitable for middle-school-age students. This year’s toolkit will include the new WSGS postcard depicting the geologic map of Wyoming and a sample of a Wyoming rock. Other items are:

• 12-month school-year activity calendar
• New Earth Science Week poster, including a learning activity
• NASA materials on water science on Earth and in space
• Geoscientists Without Borders® poster on water from SEG
• National Park Service resource on fossils at natural landmarks
• Flyer on resources from the Soil Science Society of America
• Geologic Map Day poster dealing with the geoscience of water
• Mineral Education Coalition material on aggregates
• IRIS flyer dealing with seismology and earthquakes
• AmericaView-NASA-USGS water board-game poster
• Geothermal Rising poster on energy and water science
• Association for Women Geoscientists geoscience flyer
• Forest Service poster on groundwater-dependent ecosystems
• Geologic time scale material provided by AIPG
• Flyer on curricula and more from Nutrients for Life Foundation
• Water science education material from NESTA and NAGT
• Bureau of Land Management dinosaur coloring page
• National Science Foundation materials on water and careers
• GemKids poster from Gemological Institute of America
• Water Footprint Calculator information on water science
• USGS, NOAA, UNAVCO, CLEAN, NSS, AMS items and more

Request one of the 50 complimentary toolkits here. Toolkits can also be purchased from the AGI’s website.