Earth science is a popular and effective medium for teaching science in secondary schools. With the finalization of the E.S.C.P. materials in 1967, thousands of secondary schools will be added to the thousands that already have adopted earth science. What will this trend mean to the geologic professions?

The science of the earth deals with the materials of the planet and the processes which bring about changes. Youngsters who learn their basic science principles by studying earth materials and processes will develop an appreciation for the problems which man faces in coping with his environment and in finding and extracting useful materials from the earth's crust. Laboratory investigations and field experiences will put geology in a science framework, divorcing it from rock-collecting and dinosaur-naming. Universities can expect greater numbers of students with geologically oriented interests and a greater depth of appreciation for the science of geology.

A secondary school earth science course such as E.S.C.P. will not teach well logging, for example, but will prepare the student to understand why someone might want to detect differences in rock layers with depth and what these differences might mean. Principles are stressed; technical aspects are not. The effect that E.S.C.P. will have in changing the image of the geologic professions and in interesting more youngsters in studying various aspects of man's environment may be a tidal wave.

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