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LEARNING PROGRESSIONS TOWARD ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY
Charles W. Anderson, Beth Covitt, Kristin Gunckel, Lindsey Mohan, In-Young Cho, Hui Jin, Christopher D. Wilson, John Lockhart, Ajay Sharma, Blakely Tsurusaki, Jim Gallagher
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Environmental Literacy Research Group
PARTNERS
Mark Wilson, Karen Draney, University of California, Berkeley
Joe Krajcik. Phil Piety, University of Michigan
Brian Reiser, Northwestern University Jo Ellen Roseman, AAAS Project 2061 Long Term Ecological Research (LTER)
Network Alan Berkowitz, Baltimore Ecosystem Study Ali Whitmer, Santa Barbara Coastal John Moore, Shortgrass Steppe
Environmental Literacy Research Group
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY LEARNING PROGRESSION
PracticesPrinciplesProcesses in systems
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Environmental Literacy Research Group
PRACTICES for ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE LITERACY (SECTIONS OF TABLE)1. Inquiry: Learning from experience (not addressed in these
papers) Practical and scientific inquiry Developing arguments from evidence
2 and 3. Scientific accounts and applications: Learning from authorities
Applying fundamental principles to processes in systems
Using scientific models and patterns to explain and predict
4. Using scientific reasoning in responsible citizenship: Reconciling experience, authority, and values
Enacting personal agency on environmental issues Reconciling actions or policies with values Understanding and evaluating arguments among
experts
Environmental Literacy Research Group
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE ACCOUNTS and APPLICATIONS
Applying fundamental principles (rows of table)…
Structure of systems: nanoscopic, microscopic, macroscopic, large scale
Constraints on processes: tracing matter, energy, information
Change over time: evolution, multiple causes, feedback loops
…to processes in coupled human and natural systems (columns of table)
Earth systems: Geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere
Living systems: Producers, consumers, decomposers
Engineered systems: Food, water, energy, transportation, housing
METHODS FOR INVESTIGATINGPROGRESSIONS IN STUDENT PERFORMANCES
Data sources– Volunteer teachers in working groups– Tests administered to upper elementary, middle, and high school
students (available on website)
Data analysis– Developing rubrics for open-response questions– Searching for patterns and common themes within and across
tests Patterns in accounts of environmental systems (Practices 2 and 3) Patterns in reconciling experience, authority, and values (Practice 4)
– Looking for developmental trends
Environmental Literacy Research Group
A K-12 LEARNING PROGRESSION TO SUPPORT UNDERSTANDING OF WATER IN THE ENVIRONMENT
Beth Covitt & Kristin Gunckel
CCMS Knowledge Sharing InstituteJuly 10, 2006
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Environmental Literacy Research Group
TRACING WATER IN ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS
What to know about “tracing water and other substances”
In environmental systems, water usually exists as a mixture
When moving through systems, water carries other substances
Substances “picked up” by water occur naturally or are result of human action
Humans prefer to find and use water with few added substances
Humans treat water to minimize harmful substances before/after use
Humans return used water to natural systems. Water travels through water cycle and is reused by humans and other species.
PRINCIPLES, PROCESSES and SYSTEMS
One facet of water literacy is that…
Students can apply FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES (e.g., structure of connected human & natural systems)
to PROCESSES IN SYSTEMS (e.g., tracing water & other substances through systems)
Examples Groundwater Landfill Contamination Watersheds Ocean Water Human Water System
SOME QUESTIONS NOT ADDRESSED TODAY
Watersheds If a pollutant is put into a river at Town C, which towns will be affected?
Ocean WaterWhy can’t we drink clean ocean water without treating it first? How could you make ocean water drinkable?
Human Water SystemWhere does water come from before it gets to your house? Where does it go after your house?
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
KEY FINDINGS: PROGRESSION IN STUDENT UNDERSTANDING OVER TIME
Increasing understanding of complexity of systems BUT invisible parts of systems remain invisible
Water as mixtures; transport substancesGroundwater, watersheds, atmospheric systemsConnections between natural & human systems
Increasing understanding of need for processes & mechanisms, BUT how these mechanisms work & constraints on processes remain poorly understood.
Evaporation, condensationTreating water
Increasing awareness of scales, BUT little success in connecting accounts across different levels
Macro-Large Scale: Watersheds
Environmental Literacy Research Group
DEVELOPING A CARBON CYCLE LEARNING PROGRESSION FOR K-12
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Environmental Literacy Research Group
PRINCIPLES, PROCESSES and SYSTEMS
Applying fundamental principles… Structure of systems:
– atomic-molecular (CO2 and organic materials),
– single-celled and multicellular organisms (producers, consumers, decomposers),
– ecosystems Constraints on processes:
– Tracing matter: inorganic to organic forms
…to processes in coupled human and natural systems
Physical Change of Dry Ice
Burning Match Losing Weight Plant Growth
TRACING CARBONIN ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS
Living systems follow the basic principles of physical and chemical change, including conservation of mass and conservation of atoms
Organisms are made mostly of water and organic substances
Organic substances consist of molecules with reduced C plus H, O, and a few other elements
Virtually all reduced C is created from CO2 and H2O through the process of photosynthesis
Virtually all organisms get their energy by oxidizing reduced C compounds in cellular respiration
The products of cellular respiration are CO2 and H2O
Summary: CO2 + H2O + minerals with N, P, etc.Organic substances + O2
CO2 + H2O + minerals
Environmental Literacy Research Group
photosynthesis
c. respiration
CONSERVING MASS DURING PHYSICAL CHANGE
A sample of solid carbon dioxide (dry ice) is placed in a tube and the tube is sealed after all of the air is removed. The tube and solid carbon dioxide weigh 27 grams.
The tube is then heated until all of the dry ice evaporates and the tube is filled with carbon dioxide gas. The weight after heating will be:
a. less than 26 grams.b. 26 grams.c. between 26 and 27 grams.d. 27 grams.e. more than 27 grams.
Explain the reason for your answer to the previous question.
Environmental Literacy Research Group
Dry Ice
CHANGE OF STATE
“Because going from a solid to a gas, it weighs less” “Because of the law of conservation of mass”
Environmental Literacy Research Group
Conserving Mass During Physical Change
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Weight isless after
sublimation
Weight isthe same
aftersublimation
Weight ismore aftersublimation
Noresponse
% o
f s
tud
en
ts
Middle
High
Dry Ice
BURNING MATCHEnvironmental Literacy
Research Group
What happens to the wood of a match as the match burns? Why does the match lose weight as it burns?
Elem Middle High
Account for matter (CO2 and H2O) 0% 0% 10%
Match turns to gases, do not specify gases 0% 10% 5%
Account for matter as visible products 12.5% 15% 12.5%
Matter is transformed to energy 0% 0% 5%
Matter disappears, evaporates, disintegrates 27.5% 47.5% 17.5%
Physical “visible” changes (turns to smaller pieces) 10% 20% 20%
I don’t know or no response 50% 7.5% 30%
LOSING WEIGHT
A person on a diet lost 20 pounds. Some of his fat is gone. What happened to the mass of the fat?
“As mass is converted into energy for energy for use, it has to go somewhere. This energy is used to power the body and the fat (now transformed to energy) is spent and no long in the body”
“I think it is turned into energy and it also comes out by it turning into water or gas”
“it will come out of the large intestine” “the person sweats”
Environmental Literacy Research Group
LOSING WEIGHTEnvironmental Literacy
Research Group
A person on a diet lost 20 pounds. Some of his fat is gone. What happened to the mass of the fat?
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
Fat is brokendown to CO2and H2O in
cells
Fat ischanged intowater / sweat
Fat isconverted into
energy forbody functions
Fat is storedin the body
Fat isreleased inthe form of
feces
Fat burns outor disappears
I don’t know /no response /unintelligible
% o
f st
ud
ents
Elem
Middle
High
PRINCIPLES, PROCESSES and SYSTEMS
The fundamental principle of tracing matter is not being applied by students.
Few students understand gases as products or reactants in cellular respiration
Students frequently interconvert matter and energy.
Many students saw “fat burning” as a process involving “breaking down”, but did not trace it to a chemical process of oxidation into CO2 and H2O in cellular respiration
Environmental Literacy Research Group
PLANT GROWTHEnvironmental Literacy
Research Group
A small acorn grows into a large oak tree. Where do you think the plant’s increase in weight comes from?
Elem Middle High
CO2 in air and H2O from roots 0% 0% 0%
From food or glucose 15% 15% 12.5%
From air, sun, water, minerals and/or soil 12.5% 7.5% 25%
H2O from roots 15% 25% 10%
Air 2.5% 0% 0%
From the ground or roots 12.5% 17.5% 5%
Natural growth 7.5% 12.5% 7.5%
Other or Unintelligible 10% 17.5% 32.5%
I don’t know or no response 25% 5% 7.5%
PRINCIPLES, PROCESSES and SYSTEMSEnvironmental Literacy
Research Group
• The fundamental principle of tracing matter is not being applied by students.
• Few students understand gases as products or reactants in photosynthesis.
• Students frequently saw water and soil nutrients as the critical source of plant weight.
KEY FINDINGS: FROM YOUNGER TO OLDER STUDENTS, WE SEE PROGRESS…
From stories to model-based accounts– Shift from why to how--purposes to mechanisms – BUT lack knowledge of critical parts of systems
From macroscopic to hierarchy of systems– Increased awareness of atomic-molecular and large-scale systems– BUT little success in connecting accounts at different levels
Increasing awareness of constraints on processes– Increasing awareness of conservation laws– BUT rarely successful in constraint-based reasoning
Increasing awareness of “invisible” parts of systems– Increasing detail and complexity – BUT gases, decomposers, connections between human and
natural systems remain “invisible”
TO DO LIST
Systematic review of literature Better assessments
- for inquiry (Practice 1)- for applications to citizenship (Practice 4)- Psychometric quality (BEAR assessment system)
Understanding pre-model-based reasoning in elementary students (and all of us)
- Embodied reasoning and inquiry- Storytelling and scientific accounts
Teaching experiments at upper elementary, middle school, and high school levels
Environmental Literacy Research Group
MORE INFORMATION
Papers, Assessments, and Other Materials are Available on Our Website:
http://edr1.educ.msu.edu/EnvironmentalLit/index.htm
Environmental Literacy Research Group
SLIDES AFTER THIS ARE FOR BACKUP IN
RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS
NEXT STEPS
Continue literature review
Revise and expand assessmentsGreater emphasis on inquiry and citizenship
Develop “mini water units”
Conduct teaching experiments
Further articulation of “K-12 Water in Environmental Systems Learning Progression”
Environmental Literacy Research Group
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
OCEAN WATERWhy can’t we use clean ocean water for drinking without treating it first?
Why can't we drink ocean water?
0
20
40
60
80
100
Too
sal
ty
bact
eria
/ger
ms
pollu
ted
harm
ful
othe
r
don'
t kno
w
did
not
answ
er
Per
cen
t Elementary
Middle
High
OCEAN WATERHow could you make ocean water drinkable?
How would you make ocean water drinkable?
0
20
40
60
80
100
Boi
l &
Con
dens
e
Boi
l onl
y
Filt
er
Cle
an/T
reat
Com
bina
tion
Oth
er
Did
not
answ
er
Per
cen
t
Middle
High
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
PRACTICES 2 and 3: SCIENTIFIC ACCOUNTS and their APPLICATIONS
From stories to model-based accounts– Shift from why to how--purposes to mechanisms – BUT lack knowledge of critical parts of systems
From macroscopic to hierarchy of systems– Increased awareness of atomic-molecular and large-scale systems– BUT little success in connecting accounts at different levels
Increasing awareness of constraints on systems– Increasing awareness of conservation laws– BUT rarely successful in constraint-based reasoning
Increasing awareness of “invisible” parts of systems– Increasing detail and complexity – BUT gases, decomposers, connections between human and
natural systems remain “invisible”