A K-12 LEARNING PROGRESSION TO SUPPORT UNDERSTANDING OF WATER IN THE ENVIRONMENT Beth Covitt & Kristin Gunckel Geological Society of America, North-Central Section Meeting Akron, April 21, 2006 MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Environmental Literacy Research Group

LEARNING PROGRESSIONS TOWARD ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY Charles 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 ), the Center for Curriculum Materials in Science (ESI ) and Long-term Ecological Research in Row- crop Agriculture (DEB 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 SYSTEM Where does water come from before it gets to your house? And where does it go after?

THE HUMAN WATER SYSTEM Water Treatment  Most students do not mention water treatment  More of elementary & middle mention treatment before  More of high school mention treatment after

THE HUMAN WATER SYSTEM Water Recycling in the Human System  40 percent of high school students indicate that water recycles

WATERSHEDS If a water pollutant is put into river at town C, which towns will be affected?  Few students understand how water flows in watersheds

WATERSHEDS If a water pollutant is put into river at town C, which towns will be affected?

GROUNDWATER Draw a picture or explain what it looks like underground where there is water.

Example from High School

LANDFILL CONTAMINATION Can a landfill (garbage dump) cause water pollution in a well?

LANDFILL CONTAMINATION How could a landfill contaminate a well?

LOCUS OF CONTROL By taking actions, I can make a difference in protecting water quality in my community. P<.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 QUALITY Describe 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 QUALITY Describe one (two) actions you could take to protect water quality in your community.  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

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