Once an elementary school teacher with a degree in history, Charles “Kip” Ault earned his doctorate in Science & Environmental Education. His dissertation on children’s grasp of geological time continues to influence his career—most recently in collaborating with scientists designing a “Trail of Time” along the south rim of the Grand Canyon.
At Lewis & Clark Graduate School, Kip taught courses in the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program that emphasized how interpreting landscapes may integrate several fields of inquiry. His interests include the biodiversity of Costa Rica where he has worked with Proyecto Campanario to promote local conservation initiatives.
To read more about Kip’s current work, visit his personal website at kip-ault.com.
Personal Statement
Learning through inquiry means seeking answers to interesting questions in disciplined ways.
Publications
- Ault, C. R., Jr. (2021). Beyond Science Standards: Play, Art, Coherence, Community. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
- Ault, C. R., Jr. (2016). Do Elephants Have Knees? And Other Stories of Darwinian Origins. Ithaca, NY: Comstock Associates/Cornell University Press.
- Ault, C. R., Jr. (2015). Challenging Science Standards: A Skeptical Critique of the Quest for Unity. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
- Ault, C. R., Jr. (2017). Concept mapping geologic reasoning in answer to “What to teach?” Proceedings of the 1st Asian-Pacific Conference on Concept Mapping, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China, September 21.
- Ault, C. R., Jr. (2014). The ghost forests of Cascadia: How valuing geological inquiry puts practice into place. Journal of Geoscience Education, 62, 158-162.
- Ault, C. R., Jr., & Dodick, J. (2010). Tracking the footprints puzzle: The problematic persistence of process in teaching the nature and culture of science. Science Education, 94, 1092-1122.
- Ault, C. R., Jr. (2010). On the origins of Darwin’s impertinence. American Paleontologist, 18 (1), 29-31.
- Ault, C. R., Jr. (2010). One size fits none? Journal of Science Teacher Education, 21, 1-5.
- Ault, T. R., & Ault, C. R., Jr. (2009). On the trail of Darwin’s megabeasts. American Paleontologist, 17 (1), 16-19.
- Ault, C. R., Jr. (2009). Querencia along the Purgatoire River. The Oregon Science Teacher, 50 (5), 8-10.
- Ault, Jr., C. R. (2008). Achieving Querencia: Integrating a sense of place with disciplined thinking. Curriculum Inquiry, 38 (5), 605-637.
- Orion, Nir, & Ault, C.R., Jr. (2007). Learning Earth Sciences. In S. A. Abell & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), The Handbook of Research on Science Education (pp. 653-687). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
- Ault, K. (2005). The Importance of Conserving Turtle Eggs: Working with EcoTeach and Proyecto Campanario on Conservation Education in Costa Rica. The Oregon Science Teacher, 45 (3), 26-29.
- Norman, O., Ault, C.R., Jr., Bentz, B, & Meskimen, L. (2001). The Black-White ‘Achievement Gap’ as a Perennial Challenge of Urban Science Education: A Socio-Cultural and Historical Overview with Implications for Research and Practice. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38 (10), 1101-1114.
- Ault, C.R., Jr. (1998). Criteria of Excellence for Geological Inquiry: The Necessity of Ambiguity. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 35 (2), 189-212
- Ault, C.R., Jr., & Nagel, N.G. (1997). Teachers and Science Museums: Creating Interest in Science. Science Education International, 8 (1), 33-37.
- Ault, C.R., Jr. (1994). Research on Problem-solving: Earth Science. In D. Gabel (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Science Teaching and Learning. New York, NY: MacMillan.
Academic Credentials
PhD 1980 Cornell University, AB 1972 Dartmouth College