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Harnessing an Effective Geoscience Curriculum for Students
with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Dina Billig, Education Department, Touro College, New York, New York 10023, USA, dinatbillig@gmail.com; and Howard R. Feldman,
Biology Department, Touro College, New York, New York 10023, USA, howard.feldman@touro.edu

INTRODUCTION the geoscience curriculum. The first step is bottom-up by beginning with basic details
to interest students in the natural world. before moving to the more complicated,
There is a growing awareness of the Students with autism are often withdrawn overarching concepts and skills is essen-
need to help individuals with autism sur- and avoid new and unfamiliar experiences. tial. Temple Grandin, a well-known autis-
vive the rigors of the classroom. On aver- However, we have found that a camera can tic writer and lecturer, advocates the use of
age, one in 68 students is diagnosed with be used to motivate students to voluntarily bottom-up teaching with many examples
autism spectrum disorder (ASD) annually look for new experiences and become to provide context and generalization
(Autism Speaks: “Facts about Autism,” more involved and social. This can be (Grandin, 2011). Bottom-up teaching could
n.d.). ASD is a large spectrum, ranging incorporated into the curriculum by hav- include beginning the year by defining the
from nonverbal individuals who respond ing them take photographs both on field study of geoscience and its purpose in the
minimally to intervention to individuals trips and in man-made environments, such classroom as a base for the other science
who “lose their diagnosis” (Sarris, 2016). as at school and students’ homes. More units. It is also important to explain the
A loss of diagnosis occurs when individu- challenged students can compare indoor concept of time to include thousands of
als are nearly indistinguishable from their and outdoor environments. If motivation is years (Flammer, 2011). Flammer suggests
peers; some individuals even use their effective, a good geoscience curriculum using one dollar to represent one year and
savant-like qualities to compensate for will bring science to life; motivation may then having students imagine that some of
their challenges (Winter-Messiers and become self-generating. Many teachers the fossils’ years in dollar thickness would
Herr, 2007; Wisconsin Medical Society, disregard the essence of a well-rounded add up to the size of a football field.
2016). ASD causes challenges with com- geoscience curriculum and design static Students with autism will benefit from this
munication, knowledge of socially appro- lessons bound to PowerPoint presentations, visual method of explaining what would
priate behaviors, and sensory regulation worksheets, and online video curricula. otherwise be esoteric concepts. Flammer
(Autism Speaks: “DSM-5 Diagnostic However, students’ natural curiosity itself also describes a possible class activity
Criteria,” n.d.). Individuals with autism are can be an effective motivator (Chalufour, whereby students guess how long ago
said to attempt to cope by engaging in self- 2010). Because science is about exploring, selected fossils lived, after which they
stimulatory behaviors. These are behaviors collecting, and organizing the rules that place the fossils in chronological order
that provide sensory input, which include govern the natural and/or social world (Flammer, 2011).
rocking, flapping hands, and rubbing (Science Made Simple Inc., 2006), geosci-
hands. These challenges can be mitigated ence should be applied to students’ lives To reach all students, vary the mode of
when building on the strengths of indi- using hands-on activities and field trips instruction to encompass visual, tactile,
viduals with ASD, which can include sci- (Chalufour, 2010; Berer, 2015). The science kinesthetic, musical, and artistic strengths
ence (Education Insider, 2015). One area of curriculum should be used to deepen stu- (Virginia Dept. of Education, 2011, p. 11).
difficulty for students with autism is the dents’ understanding of natural processes Varying learning experiences can address
hidden curriculum—the accepted attitudes and to discover the beauty and symmetry sensory issues, motivate students, and
and behaviors not part of the formal cur- around them (Teacher Vision, n.d.). improve application of the material
riculum but necessary for social interac- Providing autistic students with an under- (Virginia Dept. of Education, 2011, p. 94).
tions (Myles and Simpson, 2001). Teachers standing and opportunity to interact with Building on students’ strong curiosities,
can build on areas of strength while utiliz- natural phenomena may decrease anxiety, fixations, and strengths can be accom-
ing science to teach the hidden curriculum. as well as provide a sanctuary for when plished by providing choices in the topics
they become overwhelmed (Mind, 2013, covered, as well as letting students choose
METHODOLOGIES p. 38). the modes of input and output of informa-
tion. Student choice enables better learn-
Effective teaching methodologies first When the geoscience curriculum ing, motivation, engagement, and class-
must be in place before building beyond becomes more abstract, teaching from the room management to aid in developing

GSA Today, v. 27, doi: 10.1130/GSATG325GW.1.

36 GSA Today | October 2017