1. 25 years of seismology at school in France
- Author
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Jean Virieux, Françoise Courboulex, Jean-Luc Berenguer, Fabrice Jouffray, Julien Balestra, and Fabrice Mourau
- Subjects
Syllabus ,Software deployment ,Interpretation (philosophy) ,Natural hazard ,Political science ,Adventure ,Interrogation ,Curriculum ,Educational program ,Seismology - Abstract
An educational program focusing on seismological activities for student training in observational sciences and on raising citizen awareness of natural hazards has been active in France since 1995. Over this quarter century, different generations of students have learnt various lessons concerning instrument installation, data recording and analysis. These actions have led them into the field of scientific interrogation and interpretation, making them better prepared for our modern technological societies. We describe these student commitments motivated by the installation of the first educational broadband seismometer in southern France. Analysis of regional earthquakes has generated a strong awareness of the seismic hazard where students live, while records of strong earthquakes all around the world have induced interaction between students, especially after the deployment of additional seismometers at schools. The natural extension of such an educational seismic network, first at the national level in France in 2006 and later in many countries through various collaborations, has enriched the pedagogical practices of teachers, increasing their skills in seismology and natural sciences among various other disciplines complementing standard educational resources. We describe the necessary and sustainable relations between teachers and researchers over time. Combining students' motivation, teachers' experience and researchers' expertise has led to different hosting structures over the years. We conclude by presenting the feedback from a survey carried out in 2019 among all the teachers involved, highlighting the strong and weak points of such a long-term adventure. Recent integration into the official syllabus of the new Geosciences high-school curricula in France illustrates the impact of such an exceptional experience.
- Published
- 2020
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