Graduate student research in the sciences rarely leaves the walls of academic institutions and almost never makes its way to the general public. However, this information can easily be applied for the development of educational units for the GK-12 community. By integrating research and GK-12 education, both the quality of aspiring academics and the scientific literacy of the general public is enhanced. This project focuses on the development of an educational unit for the Arizona public school system in collaboration with a "Down to Earth" education grant administered through Arizona State University. It is based on my thesis research which involves the description of Late Paleocene (around 65 million years old ) fossil plants from North Dakota. Although the specific details may be too complex for the GK-12 audience, the general concepts that provide a foundation for such research are filled with potential lessons. Paleobotany is by nature an interdisciplinary subject, bridging the physical and life sciences, making it especially suited to address many scientific concepts that are united under one overarching theme. Unit activities center around many broad topics within the discipline including: geologic time scale, plate tectonics, biogeography, plant classification, climate modeling and paleoecology. All activities use a guided inquiry "puzzle" approach that enables the students to utilize their own innate curiosity about the natural world (rocks, plants, fossils, etc) to direct the learning process. The exploration and experimentation which is central to scientific endeavors provide students with useful skills for academic success. By fostering a relationship with the GK-12 community, graduate students have the opportunity to mentor students, provide content expertise to educators and develop professional skills that can enhance their future career opportunities. This "Down to Earth Science" project was funded by NSF-DGE-0086465 to B. Ramakrishna, Arizona State University, from the NSF Division of Graduate Education.

Key words: GK-12 education, graduate education, inquiry-based learning, outreach, paleobotany, science teaching using plants