FULL STEAM AHEAD: A Document for teachers of STEAM via an example(Written by a teacher for teachers)

FOR THE TEACHER: AN INTRODUCTION

This document will serve to guide teachers through the crevasse from traditional learning to guided, inquiry learning. Guided, inquiry learning has itself evolved from project-based and problem-based learning to STEM and STEAM philosophy to Design Thinking. I find all to be different subspecies of the same animal. All involve critical thinking and design with a real-world framework.

The catchy title above focuses on STEAM philosophy. The philosophy of STEAM (and the other subspecies) is real-world and interwoven. Rather than thinking of science as separate from art and technology, consider the value to students of the myriad interrelationships in their learning. Consider fashion design for instance. The STEAM movement was driven by the Rhode Island School of Design, where art and design were critical and so STEM philosophy was transformed into STEAM.

I am a little partial, even as a teacher of science, to STEAM, having minored in Art in college – a minor my professors at the time thought

odd. I remember well a collaboration I taught with a fellow art teacher about the beauty and value of symmetry and asymmetry in nature and in art.

Design Thinking is a term coined by David Kelley that uses “non-linear and hands on modeling processes of designers to learn and master critical thinking skills.”

In my humble opinion, having been a traditional, “old-school kind of teacher,” I struggled to design projects that had all of the aspects of these wonderful constructs. I have found it simply important to engage students in critical thinking regardless. Some projects and tasks you will have students participating in may not meet all the desired goals but if students see real-world significance, are required to think critically and the projects have interest then you will have succeeded.And, it is important that students know and understand what the real-world thinks about their education. Do they care that you have memorized facts and can succeed at jeopardy or do employers want critical thinkers because problems need to be solved via design, innovative thinking, marketing or the ability to engineer? The National Academy of Engineering has identified the 14 Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st Century. (see www.engineeringchallenges.org). I have attached as APPENDIX C the list for you to peruse.

LET’S BEGIN

You should read, at this point, Old MacDonald Had a Farm: And Now You Do Too!, so you have a sense of what the students will be designing. (SEE APPENDIX A.)

You can take the time to explain to them what STEAM stands for and means. STEAM recognizes important aspects of learning through critical thinking and the solving of problems using Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. I think most kids inherently get why these venues are important to their learning but you might want to begin a dialogue for the skeptics or traditionalists.

Certainly discuss what it means to think critically and why it is important. You can take this time to bash the SAT also, if you want. For some commentary on why STEAM education is important, see my thoughts in Appendix B.

Design Highlight: Critical Thinking

Let me offer a definition of critical thinking as expressed by Michael Scriven and Richard Paul. “Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness.”

I further offer a passage from The Critical Thinking Community. “Critical thinking is that mode of thinking – about any subject, content, or problem – in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it. Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-motivated, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem-solving abilities, as well as a commitment to overcome our native egocentrism and sociocentrism.”

And, finally this self-guided, self-disciplined thinking occurs “at the highest level of quality in a fair-minded way. People who think critically consistently attempt to live rationally, reasonably, and empathetically” (Linda Elder, 2007)

This is pretty heavy-duty for students. It is our job as teachers/ facilitators to guide them to this end – such that they view problems and issues in their lives and their solutions using critical thinking.

In the STEAM approach, students ask questions of their world generally to solve problems for themselves and others and hopefully to make the world a better place for all that inhabit it.I think it suffices to say as you begin STEAM critical thinking analysis students should simplify this process by thinking along a continuum of ASK > IMAGINE > PLAN > CREATE AND > IMPROVE.

“The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.” – Bertrand Russell

For additional thoughts about critical thinking I refer you to the website of The Critical Thinking Community – (www.criticalthinking.org).

IT’S TIME YOU KNEW!

This is an important section for students. Most students do not read extensively on the problems facing our world today, especially those related to the environment. Their “bumper-sticker” understanding is generally not enough for them to solve these problems or even think about solving these problems. Start with some examples that are in the news. Have students ask questions of these examples. In many cases students will come to realize how much information is necessary to assess a problem. It might also help to debunk myths and understandings about the world they might have.

I have offered three examples. You may have others. Make sure you fully research your examples before you discuss them with students.

There is a serious drought out west. Going into the fourth year now, very little rain has fallen in California. Newspapers decry that California will be out of fresh surface water in one year. Scientists calculate that California would need 11 trillion gallons of fresh water to recover. Forty per cent of California is in an “exceptional drought”. The governor has asked for one billion dollars in aid for things like desalination. Restrictions on water use include less watering of lawns and having to ask for a glass of water when dining out. Many Californians do not think this is enough and wonder whether this is the future for California. They complain that their neighbors are not following the mandates or common sense. Farmers, skiers and salmon have all been impacted by this drought. Clearly people need to work together to craft a plan or design technology to address this far-reaching problem.

Ask students, “What would you do? What plan would you design?”

In Florida, sea level rise is causing serious issues in Miami. Miami has more people living at four feet above sea level or less than anywhere in the country except Louisiana. Climate change has resulted in this sea level rise. Since 1870 the ocean has risen approximately eight inches but in Florida this is exacerbated and the rise has been near twelve inches. Flooding has already cost millions and Florida officials are considering 200 million dollars for an improved storm drainage system in Miami. Roads need to be elevated, beaches rejuvenated due to erosion and that’s only the impact on humans.

Ask students, “What would you do? What plan would you design?”

A train carrying oil has derailed once again. In Fayette county West Virginia 30 cars carrying oil came off the tracks. The accident occurred 33 miles from Charlestown. A huge explosion occurred and some oil leaked into the nearby river. A state of emergency was issued and clean-up has begun.

Ask students, “What would you do? What plan would you design?”

How might you design a plan to conserve water in California? What buildings might you engineer to handle rising waters in Miami? And, could you build a better oil tanker train if derailment continues to be a problem?

Read the paper and listen to the news. There are problems that need solving. And, even though the paper may become outdated (just like the SAT), information won’t!

The example I have chosen for you is one of designing a present-day, environmentally friendly farm.

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At this point you can give out the Old MacDonald Had a Farm: And Now You Do Too! Handout.

What follows is the STEAM activity. This should be given to the students, EXCEPT AS NOTED FOR TEACHER, and they and you will work through this activity. Emphasize perseverance. In a world where immediacy is a student’s mindset, the quick solution ideology needs to be couched in favor of dialogue, research, reflection, and design.

Let’s start with Old MacDonald’s Farm. Your goal is not simply to make as much money as you can. That’s what has gotten us into trouble in the past. So what’s the problem? What have others done in the past and/or where are we today with regard to the design of a fairly large farm?

Design Highlight: A Premise (Students may not have a good sense of what this word means but it is critical to coming up with a solution to a problem).

To solve a problem it is often necessary to agree on a premise. A premise is “a proposition upon which an argument is based or from which a conclusion is drawn” (Webster’s). Sometimes people cannot agree on the premise. If this happens then sometimes no solution can be crafted. Sometimes parties spend a lot of time arguing about the premise and the problem persists and/or gets worse. We will agree on the premise for our STEAM project.

For STEAM education the premise is similar to the problem. First, we must agree that a problem exists. Second, we need to agree that the problem can be solved.

STEP ONE: THE PROBLEM

Let’s agree that farms need to be sustainable financially. Farms also need to have a smaller carbon footprint (than Old MacDonald’s) and they need to consider the care and safety of the plants, animals and the environment.

So the problem is (drum roll please) that farms need to be more cognizant of energy use and environmental issues than they used to be. We need to design a farm that is environmentally friendly and profitable.

Some would consider the environmentally friendly component of our problem to be empathetic. In today’s world being empathetic is an important part of many solutions to problems. We don’t want to use land for a farm that might displace some native animals. We don’t want to create so much pollution that it would hurt those around us.

Design Highlight: Empathy

“Empathy is the centerpiece of a human-centered design process.” Empathy is what we do as we try to understand the impact of our solution on the people around us. What are their emotional needs; what is meaningful to them; is what we will do going to impact them negatively?

“As a design thinker, the problems you are trying to solve are rarely your own – they are those of a particular group of people; in order to design for them, you must gain empathy for who they are and what is important to them.

Observing what people do and how they interact with their environment gives you clues about what they think and feel. It also helps you learn about what they need. By watching people, you can capture physical manifestations of their experience – what they do and say. This will allow you to infer the intangible meaning of those experiences in order to uncover insights. These insights give you direction to create innovative solutions. The best solutions come out of the best insights into human behavior. But learning to recognize those insights is harder than you might think. Why? Because our minds automatically filter out a lot of information without our even realizing it. We need to learn to see things “with a fresh set of eyes,” and empathizing is what gives us those new eyes.

Engaging with people directly reveals a tremendous amount about the way they think and the values they hold. Sometimes these thoughts and values are not obvious to the people who hold them, and a good conversation can surprise both the designer and the subject by the

unanticipated insights that are revealed. The stories that people tell and the things that people say they do – even if they are different from what they actually do – are strong indicators of their deeply held beliefs about the way the world is. Good designs are built on a solid understanding of these beliefs and values” (Hasso Plattner, An Introduction to Design Thinking).

You will notice that Plattner has discussed empathy with regard to humans. I would argue that it is as important for the health of this planet to consider our plant and animal friends too. Can we empathize with plants and animals? Strictly speaking, no. I guess we might consider our sense of animal feelings as being anthropomorphic, but really, why not? The word niche was coined to define the role of an organism in its natural world and has evolved to address a human’s need to find a meaning and place in their “people” world. So, let’s do it.

In our problem, we considered not just the people but the environment. We want to grow and sell what our farm produces to feed people and to make a profit. But, we don’t want to do this if what we are doing or how we are doing it negatively impacts the environment and those plant and animal friends. And, the empathy you should have might not just be with regard to the “feelings” of plants and animals but to the people who care deeply about plants and animals.

And, remember, empathy is an important part of our working definition of critical thinking.

In order to “empathize,” research will be important. Research may involve observations. Making observations of plants and animals is how scientists discern a lot about animal and plant needs before experimentation. Making observations about natural ecosystems is important in understanding how “nature works”.

As far as people are concerned, interviewing might be an important tool to assess viewpoints and gather anecdotes.

The merging of what is important to people and nature with the solution(s) to your problem is vital. So, let’s do some research and gather some data.

STEP TWO: RESEARCH

Let’s research the various types of farms that exist in our country. Let’s make it easy to start. Essentially there are animal farms and

plant farms. You can house and grow chickens or cows or you can grow corn or apple trees.

Let me give you some suggestions for your research.

1 – First, what is a farm? Let’s see if we can define it.

2 - Look up the Green Revolution. Farms are very different today than they were at the beginning of the 1900’s. Consider the types of equipment that farmers used, their farming techniques and the size of a typical farm.

3 – While you are researching, think about what type of farm you would like to design.

STEP THREE: REDEFINE THE PROBLEM

Define the problem in your own words and be specific with regard to the type of farm you are planning on designing.

Remember that your farm can grow one crop or many. It can grow one animal or many or it may be a mix of crops, a mix of animals or a mix of crops and animals. You are NOT constrained by what you grow on your farm.

Constraints:

Most problems have constrains. For instance our farm can’t be infinitely large. Our farm can’t include land that is not ours like National Park Land. The resources you will need might also be used by others.

Remember in the original handout about OLD MACDONALD’S FARM, we identified the size of the farm at 1000 acres.

STOP: Make sure you know how much an acre is and how large a farm this would be in square miles.

Also, your farm is in Oklahoma.

Can you think of any other constraints for your farm?

Design Highlight: Brainstorming

Brainstorming is an important part of STEAM education. This process is meant to be cooperative. Brainstorming is not just “shooting the breeze”. It is important to stay on task and not stray too far from the ideas you are exploring together. It is important that you understand that whatever the team comes up with, you are an author; you are, in part, responsible for the outcome. This takes the pressure off of one individual but because the team owns the idea but also requires contribution by each individual. Each individual will come at the problem with a unique set of talents, values, and expertise. Listen to others. Be involved.

STEP FOUR: MORE RESEARCH

Now that you have chosen a farm and what you will be “growing”, you will need to gather information about what you are growing.

So, for instance, if on your farm you are growing corn, you will need to buy corn seed and determine the resources that corn needs to grow successfully (however you define that) – fertilizer, water, herbicides, pesticides, sunlight , etc. What farm equipment will you need? Also, will you need other buildings on your farm? How much will you be able to grow? To whom will you sell your corn? Etc.?

If the students choose a chicken farm what type of chicken will they buy? Is your goal to sell the eggs or the chickens? If you sell the chickens how will you replace your stock? How much food is required to feed them? What type of building is required? Etc.?

You may want to divide up the work here. Since you have a group, each member may select an aspect of the project they want to research and then reconvene later to share information and data.

STEP FIVE: PROTOTYPE

Using the research and data, have each member of the group sketch out on graph paper what they think the farm will look like.

It is important that at this point the group’s concern is to consider all ideas. Do not easily discard an idea because one member or more can not see the imagination another does. Think outside the box; think beyond the obvious. You want variety and lots of prototypes. In the real-world you might test many of them (even though you may not have an opportunity now) and then discard those that don’t meet the appropriate needs, are un-empathetic, etc. You are trying to harness the collective energy, brain power and ingenuity of all the members.

Share your ideas and come to a consensus on which design is the “best”. – BRAINSTORMING AGAIN!

STEP SIX: REFINE YOUR SOLUTION

We live in a world where being environmentally conscious is very important to everyone. Think back on our discussion about the Tragedy of the Commons.

If you have not addressed this construct with your students, you might want to stop and entertain it now.

Design Highlight: Tragedy of the Commons

FOR THE TEACHER: There is a nice lab simulating fishing that would be nice to use. It is fun and edible and starts the students thinking about sustainability versus economics, that is stewardship versus selfishness. See APPENDIX D: Goldfish Lab

Ask Dick if he has the author.PUT GOLDFISH LAB HERE

Below are a series of issues you want to consider as you engineer your farm.

FOR THE TEACHER: It will be important for you to guide students and even help a little with the research. It is not my intent to give you the research and knowledge you need to know in its entirety (as you probably would not choose this project if you were not teaching environmental science) but I do offer a guide or list of items under each query below.

1 – Have you displaced natural species of plants or animals? Discuss and research.

2 – What is the climate of Oklahoma like? What is the natural ecosystem? What type of soil does Oklahoma have (if you are growing a crop or need pasture land?

3 – What are the possible pollutants that your farm might produce?

4 – What items will your farm need to buy or get from somewhere else?

5 – What impact might your farm have on local water, soil and air? What will be your need for water and where will you get it?

6 – What are your energy needs and where will you get them?

7 – Will you produce any hazardous waste? What will you do with it?

8 – What will be your costs? How much do you have to charge for your crop or livestock to make a profit?

9 – How did you choose the type of plant or animal that you will grow? Did you choose a GMO?

STEP SEVEN: Choose the Solution

STEP EIGHT: Implement the Solution

For most students implementing the solution is not viable. If you matriculated at Virginia Tech or similar institutions you might be asked to implement and test your prototype and collect data and organize feedback. So, as a teacher of this type of learning sometimes showing a documentary can serve the purpose of making what they have done “real”.

FOR THE TEACHER: There is a wonderful Documentary worth showing kids, maybe after they design their farm called KING CORN – you are probably familiar with it.You might also conclude by having the students read about a sustainable farm – the implementation of the solution.

NOTE ask Dick for the excerpt in the textbook.

SUMMARY:

It feels good to have solved a problem. In solving this problem and giving new life to Old MacDonalds Farm, we improved our literacy and experienced critical thinking.

Here are some of the concepts learned and some of the new vocabulary garnered:

Concepts:

1 – Sustainablity2 – Tragedy of the Commons3 – Pollution4 – Genetically Modified Organisms5 – Energy6 – Farming methodology7 – Nitrogen Cycle8 – Pest Management9 – Environmental and Farming Laws10 - Economics

Vocabulary:

GMO, Soil types (sand, silt, clay, loam), hazardous waste, nitrification, nitrogen fixation, eutrophication, ground water, aquifer, water table, water shed, solar energy, wind powered energy, irrigation (drip, flood, gulley, spray), monocrop vs. polycultures, invasive and indigenous species, biodiversity, species, agribusiness and industrialized food, overgrazing (rangelands and pastures), windbreaks, green revolution, soil conservation and erosion, antibiotics, pests and integrated pest management, organic and synthetic fertilizers, recharge and discharge, drought, dams and reservoirs, point and nonpoint sources, waste water, animal manure and manure ponds.