Karen Draney (University of California, Berkeley) Lindsey Mohan (Michigan State University) Philip Piety (University of Michigan) Jinnie Choi (University of California, Berkeley) 2007 AERA Annual Meeting, Chicago Symposium on Learning Progressions April 12, 2007

 Overview of the Carbon Cycle project  Applying the BEAR Assessment System  Theories around the Carbon Cycle progress variables  Qualitative differences among student responses  Describing & revising the levels  More complications  Next Steps 2007 AERA Annual Meeting 2

 Environmental Science Literacy Project ▪Funded by National Science Foundation ▪The goal is to integrate Environmental Science Literacy into contemporary K-12 curriculum ▪Expected products are 1) research-based learning progressions, 2) assessment resources, and 3) teaching resources  Big Ideas ▪Environmental science literacy ▪Learning progressions ▪Upper elementary (4 th grade) – High school ▪Progress variables 2007 AERA Annual Meeting 3

 Working groups ▪Carbon cycle/ Water cycle/ Biodiversity and evolution/ Connecting actions  We are now… ▪Developing learning progressions ▪Qualitatively analyzing assessment items and student responses ▪Designing additional items ▪Developing accompanying teaching modules ▪Conducting teaching experiments 2007 AERA Annual Meeting 4

 Environmentally literate students are expected to be able to apply fundamental principles to processes in coupled human and natural systems  Focuses of the Carbon Cycle project ▪Systems: coupled human and natural systems ▪Processes: generation, modification, and oxidation of organic carbon ▪Principles for scientific accounts: structure of systems, tracing matter, tracing energy, change over time 2007 AERA Annual Meeting 5 Progress Variables

 Connections between progress variables and environmental science literacy  What is a connection between a car driving down the road, a tree growing in a forest, and global warming? 2007 AERA Annual Meeting 6 CO2

 Example: Tracing Matter  Grandma Johnson (GRANJOHN) Describe the path of a carbon atom from Grandma Johnson’s remains, to inside the leg muscle of a coyote. NOTE: The coyote does not dig up and consume any part of Grandma Johnson’s remains AERA Annual Meeting 7 ?

Inputs and Outputs – Tracing Carbon Grandma Johnson Plants Decomposers Herbivores Coyote Organic carbon Carbon dioxide Generation of organic carbon - Photosynthesis Modification of organic carbon - Food Chain Oxidation of organic carbon - Cellular Respiration

Student Response 1  CRD does not have understanding of key processes: the process are very physical  CRD Identify changes by common sense of natural phenomena, but not as changes in materials and does not identify material kinds. CRD: “A carbon atom from Grandma Johnson's remains sink into the ground and mixes with the soil. Then when the soil is mixed and churned, it rises to the top of the ground. When the coyote kills something upon that dirt, he may consume it and have some of the soil come with it, which produces him with Grandma Johnson's carbon atom.” 2007 AERA Annual Meeting Characteristic of Response-CRD Grandma Johnson Plants Decomposers Herbivores Coyote Soil

Student Response 2  MCK describes the movement of carbon atom not necessarily through decomposers, but through a food chain.  MCK pays attention to hidden mechanism, but does not identify any material kinds. MCK: “The carbon in grandma body is decomposed into the ground. The plants then use the fertile soil to use her carbon atoms. As the soil passes it to the plant, the plant is eventually eaten by the coyote. The carbon atom then travels to its leg.” 2007 AERA Annual Meeting Characteristic of Response-MCK Grandma Johnson Plants Decomposers Herbivores Coyote Soil

Student Response 3 DES: “Grandma Johnson's remains decay and decomposers use respiration and turn it to carbon dioxide. The plants absorb the carbon dioxide. Rodents eat the plants and then the coyote eats the rodent.” 2007 AERA Annual Meeting Characteristic of Response-DES  DES traces carbon atom through decomposers, photosynthesis, and food chain  DES correctly identifies reactants and products of individual chemical processes: identifies carbon dioxide, but not the organic carbon compounds in living organisms. Grandma Johnson Plants Decomposers Herbivores Coyote Carbon dioxide

CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONSES 2007 AERA Annual Meeting 12 o CRD does not have understanding of key processes: the process are very physical o CRD Identify changes by common sense of natural phenomena, but not as changes in materials and does not identify material kinds. Tracing Matter: Material Kinds, Properties of Matter 7 Correctly characterizes reactants and products of all processes in terms of how they affect organic carbon compounds 6 Correctly identifies reactants and products of individual chemical processes: Substances/molecules and the elements/atoms of which they are composed. 5 Correctly identifies some reactants and products of single chemical process, and solids, liquids, and gases involved. 4 Correctly identifies some reactants and products of single chemical process, and solids, liquids, but not gases involved. 3 Attention to hidden mechanism, but cannot identify any material kinds 2 Identify changes by common sense of natural phenomena, but not as changes in materials and cannot identify material kinds. 1 Egocentric/Naturalistic Reasoning: Respondents use human analogy to explain the changes in materials o MCK describes the movement of carbon atom not necessarily through decomposers, but through a food chain. o MCK pays attention to hidden mechanism, but does not identify any material kinds. ◦ DES traces carbon atom through decomposition, photosynthesis, and food chain ◦ DES correctly identifies reactants and products of individual chemical processes: identifies carbon dioxide, but not the organic carbon compounds in living organisms.

2007 AERA Annual Meeting 13

PROCESSESMATERIAL KINDS 14 Events Hidden mechanisms Incomplete descriptions of chemical reactions Incomplete descriptions of chemical reactions Complete chemical reaction in single organism Complete chemical reaction in single organism Not identifying materials Recognizing materials are made of smaller parts Recognizing some reactants and products, such as CO2 Recognizing complete reactants and products, including organic materials in processes Multiple reactions in multiple systems

 Refine assessments (current)  Work on other progress variables  Designing additional items  Items revision based on the levels of scaffolding  Quantitative analyses of item responses  Conduct teaching experiments to…  Refine understanding of how students engage with and learn about environmental science  Use research to…  Inform development of curriculum materials  Inform development of new standards for formal K-12 science education 2007 AERA Annual Meeting 15

 Environmental Literacy research groups ▪Michigan State University ▪Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network ▪University of California, Berkeley ▪University of Michigan ▪Northwestern University ▪AAAS Project 2061  Visit our websites at… ▪Environmental Literacy website ▪ ▪Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research (BEAR) Center ▪ AERA Annual Meeting 16