Strong content knowledge in Earth and space sciences is required to avoid misconceptions and misinformation for students. College laboratory coursework and professional development in Earth and space sciences is highly recommended. (Cohen)

Earth and space sciences educator groups can increase awareness and provide instructional support for teachers. These groups often hold seminars, workshops, and fieldtrips to build Earth and space sciences content knowledge. Many provide networking services for communication, idea sharing, and lesson plan exchange. (Barstow)

Classroom lessons, instruction and laboratory activities must be updated regularly to reflect new technology, the latest discoveries and pique student interest. (Giese)

Give students opportunities to observe, question, and record natural phenomena in their everyday lives. (Bybee)

Access data collected through global initiatives for secondary schools (such as the GLOBE Program) to bring real-life science to the classroom. (Krajcik)

Make sure that facts presented in the classroom are accurate and up-to-date. Misconceptions that occur in elementary and middle school are very difficult to unlearn. (Schoon)

Address misconceptions by developing student-centered lessons that begin with inquiry. Students who discover through research the correct information are more likely to accept it. (Schoon)

Include geologists and other scientists in the instructional plan. Invite scientists to the classroom to conduct a unique experiment, demonstrate research or discuss new discoveries or technologies to enrich students’ experiences. (Barstow)

Use “Nature’s Classroom” whenever possible to support concepts learned in the classroom. This can be as simple as touring the school grounds to observe erosional processes, to taking a field trip to a local park to see how streams demonstrate erosion and deposition processes. (Barstow)

Encourage students to research current Earth and space events on their own. Discuss the relationship between the event and the Earth system. (Mayer)