In addressing climate change as one of the key problems of humanity (IPCC 2014), the school subject of geography is of particular importance, as it is a leading subject for Education for Sustainable Development with a pronounced systemic character (DGfG 2020). In this highly relevant area, on the one hand, the interest of students is considered a decisive prerequisite for the success of learning processes. On the other hand, students’ interest is also regarded as an important goal of (geography) lessons (Krapp 1998) - yet there are hardly any differentiated findings on its characteristics regarding climate change.

Against this background, in a quantitative, questionnaire-based study N = 4627 students in the federal state of Bavaria were surveyed about their topic-specific interest in climate change, and the data were analyzed both descriptively and interference-statistically. Overall, the students show a high level of interest in climate change. However, there are remarkable differences regarding different aspects of climate change, as well as between genders and between students attending different types of schools. Aspects related to actions against climate change as well as to the global level are considered more interesting than aspects concerning spatial proximity and climate change measurement/methodology, and girls show an overall higher interest in climate change than boys do. Furthermore, students attending grammar school (“Gymnasium”) show a higher interest than students attending secondary school (“Realschule”), and these in turn than students attending lower-level secondary school (“Mittelschule”). These and the results of further analyses of the survey will be presented.

Conceptual change research is an important field of science education research. This also applies to geoscience education (e.g. Guffey & Slater 2020). Despite the high importance of student conceptions for successful learning processes (Hattie 2017), a decline in conceptual change research can be observed in recent years (Potvin et al. 2020).

This presentation aims to provide an overview of conceptual change research in geoscience education. Building on the reviews by Cheek 2010, Francek 2013, Guffey & Slater 2020, the current state of reconstructing geoscience student conceptions will be outlined. Emphasis is placed on the specific challenges of learning geoscience content: the enormous temporal and spatial dimensions and the high complexity.

Finally, current approaches of conceptual change research (e.g. “embodied cognition”, cf. Amin 2015, “conceptual prevalence”, cf. Potvin & Cyr 2017) are discussed in their potential for further research in geoscience education.

The lecture is aimed at interested geoscientists who are only partially familiar with didactic theories. Examples from my own research on student conceptions (glaciers: Felzmann 2017, climate zoning) serve as illustration.

In addition to its importance for basic scientific research, Citizen Science involving micrometeorites collected from the roofs of Berlin has a special potential for promoting scientific literacy and the understanding of science in general (Hecht et al. 2021). Yet, Citizen Science still occurs too rarely in schools and requires further development (GEWISS 2016). Moreover, earth sciences are only briefly addressed in school curricula. The Citizen Science approach can be applied very well to the Berlin framework curriculum due to its many links to geography, physics and chemistry lessons. Citizen Science can be an important part of geoscience or natural science education and even contribute to strengthening democratic participation and research (Burger 2016).

This project aims to develop and test a Citizen Science approach in a school setting. In cooperation with grade 9 students in a Berlin high school, we are conducting sampling and scientific processing of micrometeorites from a Berlin roof using almost all essential research steps. The project’s main setting is at school. In order to enable active participation in the use of large-scale equipment, we will test the remote control of such equipment by students in the classroom.

Burger, D. (2016): GW-Unterricht, 2(142), 18–27. https://doi.org/10.1553/gw-unterricht142/143s18

GEWISS (2016): Grünbuch. Citizen Science Strategie 2020 für Deutschland. Leipzig: FRITSCH Druck.

Hecht, L., Milke, R. & Greshake, A. (2021): GMIT 84, 7-21, https://doi.org/10.23689/fidgeo-4328.

The Museum Mineralogia München is the public part of the Mineralogische Staatssammlung München (MSM). The aim of the MSM is to provide knowledge transfer in natural science subjects, i.e. especially in the field of geosciences. The MSM has been trying to fulfill this task for over 16 years and has thus also gained a great deal of experience in the teaching-learning field. Since the geosciences are unfortunately not a school subject, but geoscientific topics are becoming more and more relevant for socio-political concerns, it is important to sensitize and inspire children and young people for the geosciences at an early age.
We offer a variety of activities: (1) volcanism, (2) the cycle of rocks, (3) meteorites, (4) the construction of a smartphone. In addition, special exhibitions on various geoscientific topics are included in the projects. In addition, there is a network with other science laboratories for schoolchildren both in Munich (Muc-Labs) and throughout Germany (LeLa). Participation, for example, in Girls' Day, Science Days (Forscha) or the Children's Culture Summer, as well as projects with other museums also strengthen the reach. In addition to national projects, international work (e.g. with Austria, Italy, Norway) is also carried out. As a further concept, internships are also offered to school students. In addition, the Mineralogische Staatssammlung München has successfully participated in two funded programs on ease-Corona (BMBF - catching up after Corona). In particular, children and adolescents with Corona- and Lock down-induced learning deficits should be supported.

The Disaster Risk Platform project is a humanitarian program aimed at digital disaster education based on articles published in scientific journals. The DRP project is a user-centered program and the information services provided are fully, open and free of charge to its users. The target group of this project is educational centers, managers and communities at risk. We are trying to bridge the large gap between advances in disaster science and public education. The Disaster Platform is designed in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction with a focus on educating at-risk communities. Five DRP services digitize data published in scientific products. This information is converted into the following training courses.

1- Flood risk assessment services

2- Earthquake damage estimation services

3- Tsunami hazard and risk assessment services

4- Landslide risk assessment and management services

5- Land subsidence vulnerability assessment services