National concerns about the quality and effectiveness of science teaching have resulted in several efforts directed at restructuring the United States' science curriculum. This digest discusses recent initiatives of the Earth Systems Education. Topics discussed include: (1) efforts to understand the planet Earth; (2) the Program for Leadership in Earth Science Education (PLESE), a program designed to infuse more content regarding the modern understanding of planet Earth into the K-12 science curricula; (3) the Earth Systems Education framework; (4) Earth Systems education and science curriculum restructuring; and (5) Earth systems education projects. Earth Systems Education offers an effective curriculum development strategy that infuses planet Earth concepts into all levels of the K-12 science curriculum, and provides an organizing theme of an integrated science curriculum that could effectively serve the objective of scientific literacy and recruitment of talent into science and technology careers. Contains 16 references. (MDH)