Earth Science Working Group
Explore Earth and space science with a collaborative community of educators. Share classroom challenges, exchange lab and curriculum ideas, and grow your practice together.
A community for your practice
Earth and space science educators, as well as formal and informal educators across science subjects and experience levels.
Bring questions, share what is working in your classroom, and learn from fellow educators.
What you can explore
Open, Communal Learning
Explore new labs and teaching techniques with peers who bring varied frames and expertise.
Instructional Troubleshooting
Address obstacles members are facing with curriculum, assessment, student needs, and more.
Highly-Effective Practices
Present or observe demonstrations of successful classroom activities and labs.
Shared Resources
Access a treasure trove of classroom-tested materials, lesson plans, and innovative teaching tools.
Meet your facilitators
Kristina Coker
Kristina Coker teaches Earth Science at Midwood High School in Brooklyn. She is a Math for America Master Teacher and Mentor Teacher for the MAT program at the American Museum of Natural History. Kristina enjoys developing new dynamic elective classes, like Space Engineers and advising the Dungeons and Dragons club at her school.
Elizabeth (Liza) Backman
Liza Backman teaches high school science at the Urban Assembly Institute of Math and Science for Young Women (UAI). She earned her B.A. in Chemistry and Geology from the College of Wooster, her M.A.T. in Earth Science Education from the Richard Gilder Graduate School at the American Museum of Natural History, an advanced certificate in Teaching Students with Disabilities from Relay Graduate School of Education, and holds additional NYS teaching certifications in Chemistry and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. As the current Science Instructional Lead at UAI, Liza is passionate about the importance of building teacher collaboration to navigate ever-changing curricula, student needs, and pedagogy.
2026/27 details updated October 7, 2026. Read past recaps and resources below; older posts may refer to previous years.
Group stories & resources
Exploring New Ground: Teachers Unite for the First Earth Science Working Group
The STEMteachersNYC community celebrated an exciting milestone in October with the first-ever meeting of the Earth Science Working Group, led by Kristina Coker with support from Liza Backman. The launch brought together educators from a range of disciplines
Building Connections for a Sustainable Future: Highlights from the Environmental Science Consilience Reading Club – December 2024
December 2024 The Environmental Science Consilience Reading Club held its first meeting on December 9, 2024, uniting educators and learners in a shared commitment to exploring sustainable, resilient, and adaptive systems. The group, which meets monthly, provides a welcoming space…