michigan state university
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A K-12 LEARNING PROGRESSION TO SUPPORT UNDERSTANDING OF WATER IN THE ENVIRONMENT
Beth Covitt & Kristin Gunckel
Geological Society of America, North-Central Section MeetingAkron, April 21, 2006
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Environmental Literacy Research Group
LEARNING PROGRESSIONS TOWARD ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACYCharles W. Anderson, Ajay Sharma, Lindsey Mohan, In-Young Cho, Hui Jin, Christopher D. Wilson, John Lockhart, Blakely Tsurusaki
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
This research is supported in part by three grants from the National Science Foundation: Developing a research-based learning progression for the role of carbon in environmental systems (REC 0529636), the Center for Curriculum Materials in Science (ESI-0227557) and Long-term Ecological Research in Row-crop Agriculture (DEB 0423627. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
CONVERGING TRENDS
Science Education Policy: Critiques of standards
Science: Interdisciplinary research on coupled human and natural systems
Citizenship: The need for environmental responsibility
Science Education Research: Creating learning progressions
Environmental Literacy Research Group
RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSHIP and ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE LITERACY
Human impacts on systems are increasing
Citizens need to consider environmental consequences in concert with diverse values
Citizens take actions and make decisions everyday
Environmental science literacy is the ability to… Understand and evaluate scientific arguments (including
arguments among experts) Reconcile actions or policies with values Enact personal agency with respect to environmental issues
Environmental Literacy Research Group
Creating Grounded Learning Progressions
A learning progression is a description of successively more sophisticated knowledge and practices that can follow one another as children learn about and investigate a topic over a broad span of time. (Smith & Anderson, 2006)
Our water learning progression will synthesize…
– Current scientific understanding
– Review of relevant research on student learning
– Results of our research on student learning
Product will include instructional materials and assessments
Environmental Literacy Research Group
WATER DATA SOURCES & ANALYSIS
Data Sources 11 Volunteer teachers Student assessments
- 40 elementary (3rd & 5th grade) - 40 middle (7th & 8th grade)- 40 secondary (Chemistry & Biology classes)
Items focused on role of water
Data Analysis Rubrics capture patterns in responses and
developmental trends- Reliability checks and revision of rubrics- Interrater agreement for all items ≥ .75
Environmental Literacy Research Group
PRINCIPLES, PROCESSES and SYSTEMS
Applying fundamental principles…
Structure of systems: – Scale: microscopic,
macroscopic, large– Connecting Natural and
Engineered Systems Constraints on processes:
- Tracing matter: Water and Contaminants
…to processes in coupled human and natural systems
Human Water System Watersheds Groundwater Landfill Contamination
SCIENCE and RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSHIP
Using scientific reasoning to determine…
Actions that protect water quality
Students’ personal agency as evident in…
Individual & group locus of control
THE HUMAN WATER SYSTEMWhere does water come from before it gets to your house? And where does it go after?
THE HUMAN WATER SYSTEMWater Treatment
Water Treated Before Home
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
TreatedBefore
Not TreatedBefore
No Answer
Per
cen
t Elementary
Middle
High
Water Treated After Home
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Treated After Not TreatedAfter
No AnswerP
erce
nt Elementary
Middle
High
Most students do not mention water treatment More of elementary & middle mention treatment before More of high school mention treatment after
THE HUMAN WATER SYSTEMWater Recycling in the Human System
Water Recycles Before Home
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Recycles in HumanSystem
No Recycling No Answ er
Per
cen
t Elementary
Middle
High
40 percent of high school students indicate that water recycles
Water Recycles After Home
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Recycles in HumanSystem
No Recycling No Answ erP
erce
nt Elementary
Middle
High
WATERSHEDSIf a water pollutant is put into river at town C, which towns will be affected?
Few students understand how water flows in watersheds
Which towns will be affected?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
A orA&C
ABC orAB or
BC or B
ABCDor D
C Only Other /No
Answer
Pe
rce
nt
Middle
High
WATERSHEDSIf a water pollutant is put into river at town C, which towns will be affected?
Why were towns affected?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Explains howwater moves
All areconnected
Water flowsother way
Pollutionevaporates
Other / NoAnswer
Pe
rce
nt
Middle
High
GROUNDWATERDraw a picture or explain what it looks like underground where there is water.
Underground Water
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
In S
pace
s
In L
ayer
s & P
ools
Human Con
taine
rs
Uninterp
reta
ble/O
ther
Per
cen
t Elementary
Middle
High
GROUNDWATERDraw a picture or explain what it looks like underground where there is water.
Example from High School
LANDFILL CONTAMINATIONCan a landfill (garbage dump) cause water pollution in a well?
Can a Landfill Contaminate a Well?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Yes No Don't Know
Per
cen
t Elementary
Middle
High
LANDFILL CONTAMINATIONHow could a landfill contaminate a well?
How Landfill Contaminates Well
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Water
Tra
nspo
rt
Liquid
w/out
Wate
r Tra
nspo
rt
Solid
w/out
Wate
r Tra
nspo
rt
Above
Gro
und M
echanis
m
Uninterp
reta
ble/O
ther
Per
cen
t Elementary
Middle
High
LOCUS OF CONTROLBy taking actions, I can make a difference in protecting water quality in my community.
I can protect water quality (Mean Rating)
1
2
3
4
5
Elementary Middle High
Str
on
gly
Dis
ag
ree
<--
> S
tro
ng
ly A
gre
e
Working Alone
Working w/Others
P<.001 P<.001P<.001
Students aren’t sure if they can make a difference working alone. Students think they can make a difference working w/others.
ACTIONS THAT PROTECT WATER QUALITYDescribe one (two) actions you could take to protect water quality in your community.
Actions could impact water quality (informed) Use toxics appropriately or less (e.g., fertilizers). Dispose of properly
(e.g., auto oil). Do not put pollutants in surface water. Educate and/or work with others (e.g., water clean up day) Someone else could do this (e.g., stop filling in wetlands, pass laws) Take trash/litter out of surface water
Environmental mantras Conserve or use less water Recycle Don’t litter / Pick up litter Don’t pollute
Unhelpful or no answer
ACTIONS THAT PROTECT WATER QUALITYDescribe one (two) actions you could take to protect water quality in your community.
Actions to Protect Water Quality
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Actions thatConnect to
Water Quality
EnvironmentalMantras
Unhelpful or NoAnswer
Pe
rce
nt Elementary
Middle
High
47% of elementary did not name 1 action 39% of middle & high did not name 2 actions Most recommended action at all 3 levels “Don’t Litter”
KEY FINDINGS
Because parts of systems are invisible, students have limited experiences.
• Human system, groundwater and watersheds
With limited experiences, students are unsure how systems work.
• How does a pollutant move in a watershed?• Can a landfill contaminate a well?
Without knowing how systems work, students are unable to determine effective roles.
Students believe they can help, but they are not adequately informed.
Environmental Literacy Research Group
MORE INFORMATION
Papers, Tests, and Other Materials are Available on Our Website:
http://edr1.educ.msu.edu/EnvironmentalLit/index.htm
Environmental Literacy Research Group
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