Earth Science is regularly marginalized as a high school science subject, ironically at a time when its significance might never have been higher. While this marginalization may occur in a variety of ways among the stakeholders involved in Earth Science education, among students it is often discernible as an apparent lack of interest in the subject material. Students frequently express that the relevance of the course is not obvious for them, and as such deem Earth Science as having little to offer them in terms of practical and applicable scientific knowledge. This is often in contrast with the relevance purported to exist by students when reflecting on their experiences within Biology. A series of Earth Science activities with biological implications were implemented to determine if relevance of the topics could be conveyed to students when coupled with their prior experiences and knowledge of Biology. The Earth Science topics covered represented subject matter from each of the 4 spheres of Earth Science (geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, as well as the biosphere). The activities included a range of science processing skills, including modeling, experimentation, measuring and collecting data, as well as reading scientific literature. Students expressed a greater sense of relevancy in regard to Earth Science at the culmination of the study; both through direct expression via survey as well as through traditional assessment of course content knowledge. Additionally, students communicated a significantly increased appreciation for both nature and the connections between Biology and Earth Science.
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