Your students can read these each morning as part of the school-wide announcements, or in front of their own classroom!

Below are examples of Pubic Service Announcements (PSAs) written by PAESTA members for Earth Science Week. You can also have students write their own PSAs for their school! Please share any example PSAs you may have by Contacting Us to help build the collection!

PSAs for any day, focusing on careers and the importance of Earth/space science

So do you know what jobs a geoscientist can fill?  How about an anthropologist, meteorologist, archeologist, civil engineer, environmental engineer, geological and petroleum technicians, hydrologists, and the list goes on with an average starting salary of $82,000 and up.  Today’s career is forensic anthropologist.  If you ever watched the show BONES, you have a head start in understanding this career.  Forensic anthropologists are charged with identifying the remains of an organism.  The remains are usually just the bones of the organisms.  These bones can yield such information as sex, age, stature and ancestry.  A forensic anthropologist can also identify skeletal abnormalities, broken bones, medical procedures, as well as diseases.  They work closely with homicide investigators.  --  authored by Kathy Tait

Did you know that Earth and space science research saves and improves lives across the nation? Believe it or not, Earth and space scientists have played a very important role in protecting American troops overseas and firefighters at home! Earth and space science research is responsible for developing the heat and flame-resistant fabrics used to protect both American soldiers and firefighters, as well as the fireproofing products that make America’s high-rise buildings and public structures safer.   --  authored by Laura Guertin, with information provided through the American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Focus Day #1 (Sunday) - International Earthcache Day

Have you ever heard of Earthcaching?  It’s a great way to take the inventive sport of Geocaching to the next level!  What exactly is Geocaching?  It is a relatively new sport that defies description. Put simply, it’s how some people use billion dollar satellites to find Tupperware in the woods.  It has also been described as “hiking with a purpose,” or a global scavenger hunt using GPS .  There are thousands of hidden treasure troves all over Pennsylvania.  There are also thousands of treasure seekers who spend their spare time with a GPS receiver searching for hidden trinkets.  What Earthcaching does is bring the wondrous world of Earth science together with sport of Geocaching.  Instead of finding a plastic container full of pens and other knick knacks, Earthcachers use GPS to find rare and unusual geological oddities, like unusual rock formations, fossils, or mineral deposits.  The Earthcaches you find just may spur natural curiosity and excitement and an appreciation of the natural beauty of our Earth.  Come to www.earthcache.org to learn more today!  --  authored by Dave Curry

Focus Day #2 (Monday) - Earth Science Literacy Day

Happy Earth Science Literacy Day!  Are you Earth science literate? 

        Can you:

• explain the fundamental concepts of Earth’s many systems?
• find and assess scientifically credible information about Earth?
• communicate about Earth science in a meaningful way?
• make informed and responsible decisions regarding Earth and its resources?

Source: http://www.earthscienceliteracy.org

How about a short quiz to test your Earth science literacy?  See how you do!

Question One: 

What is the most abundant component of Earth’s atmosphere?

a     a. nitrogen   b. carbon dioxide   c. oxygen   d. hydrogen

            Question Two:

Why is it warmer in the summer than in the winter?

     a. because Earth is closer to the sun in summer.   b. because Earth is farther from the sun in summer.  c.  because Earth’s tilt causes more direct rays of sunlight during the summer months  d. because the sun’s temperature is higher during the summer months.

            Question Three:

Which of the following mountain ranges were caused by tectonic forces? 

     a.  The Rocky Mountains   b.  The Alps  c.  The Himalayas  d.  All of the above

And the answers are…

Question One: (a) The most abundant gas in Earth’s atmosphere is Nitrogen at 78% by volume of dry air.

Question Two: (c) During the summer months, Earth’s 23½ degree tilt causes one hemisphere of Earth to experience more direct rays of sunlight, longer days, and as a result warmer temperatures.  The other hemisphere experiences winter.

Question Three:  (d) All of the above.  All three mountain ranges were caused by tectonic forces and the ongoing process of plate tectonics.  Plate tectonics also explains the longest mountain range ever discovered, which lies at the bottom of Earth’s oceans and lay undiscovered until 1953.

So how did you do?   No matter how well you scored, there’s an Earth science educator who wants you to learn more!  Ask your science teacher and librarian how today!  --  authored by Dave Curry

Focus Day #3 (Tuesday) - No Child Left Inside Day

Today we celebrate No Child Left Inside day.  This day began in 2008 and is celebrated every Tuesday during Earth Science Week.  At ___(insert your school name here)____there are numerous ways you can take your learning outside and enhance your connection with our natural home while learning principles of Earth Science.  Here are just a few examples:  Take your classroom students outside to sketch the cloud patterns for 5 minutes.  Have them see what kinds of rocks and minerals are present around your school building.  Have students sort them by color, texture, or type.  Get permission to have students take small soil samples from the surrounding playing fields. Is the soil sandy, silty, clay rich, or a mix?  Were there insects present and can you identify them?  Have students measure the temperature and pH of a nearby pond or stream.  Of course, whenever taking students outside, take all appropriate outdoor safety precautions and be sure that adult supervision is present for all students, just like you would inside your classroom.  Be sure to let the school office know of your plans to leave the building.  --  authored by Dave Curry

Focus Day #4 (Wednesday) - National Fossil Day

Do you know what the Pennsylvania State Fossil is?  Well, in 1988, Pennsylvania designated the trilobite as the official state fossil.  What is a trilobite?  This organism lived in Pennsylvania more than 250 million years ago during the Paleozoic Era.  This organism is an arthropod and is related to crabs, shrimp, lobsters, spiders and insects.  Trilobites had an exoskeleton and would molt their shells in order to grow up to six inches in length, thereby leaving several behind to fossilize.  Trilobites were able to roll up like a pill bug due to their jointed appendages.  Swimming and walking were not a problem since they had separate appendages for each.  They had the first ancient visual system with large, compound eyes and were scavengers.  --  authored by Kathy Tait

Focus Day #5 (Thursday) - Geoscience for Everyone Day

Focus Day #6 (Friday) - Geologic Map Day

Focus Day #7 (Saturday) - International Archaeology Day