Laurel Hartley 1, Jennifer Doherty 2, Cornelia Harris 3, Andy Anderson 2, Alan Berkowitz 3, John Moore 4 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER 1, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY 2 and CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES 3,, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY 4 Using scenario-based assessments to build a learning progression framework for reasoning about ecosystems

Why do we need biodiversity? Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Species perform vital ecosystem functions/services.

Why do we need biodiversity? Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy The more diverse a population or community is, the more resistant it might be to perturbations like disease

Questions ecologists ask? Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy How are organisms alike and different? How and why do organisms interact with each other? Why do you find particular species where you find them? How and why do organisms interact with their environment?

Challenges Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Ecosystems are complex –governed by a large variety of principles –Principles vary in importance depending on context Students lack experiences with the natural world –Don’t have many experiences –Experiences are geographically constrained Importance of media in providing vicarious experiences –Many students have spent more time watching movies and nature shows than actually being outdoors

Scenario Interview Approach Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Include most relevant principles and characteristics of ecosystems Provide rich context in which students can apply principles in a series of related items Allow us to focus on a core issue for environmental literacy, the effects of disturbances on ecosystems Specify a set of temporal relationships that make it possible to assess whatever combination of principles and characteristics we want to focus on

Methods Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Developed 3 scenarios Administered semi-structured interviews Student in rural Michigan, suburban Colorado, and urban Baltimore, Maryland –46 grade 6-12 students –3 undergraduates –4 post-doctoral researchers ecology

Analysis Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Used grounded theory to look for trends around key areas of ecology –Dispersal –Biotic interactions –Abiotic interactions –Community and ecosystem responses to disturbances

Scenario 1: Python Introduction to the Florida Everglades Native Asia Florida Everglades

ForestSuburb Scenario 2: Habitat Fragmentation and Lyme Disease Risk

Scenario 3: Loss of Kelp Forest Habitat

Results: Two trends Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Learning progression level Anthropomorphic/ Analogic Reasoning Ecological/ Systems Reasoning Number of Indicators for Type of Reasoning

Biodiversity: Grouping and Explaining Ecosystems and Subsystems DimensionsSubsystems Larger systems Upper Anchor Parts IndividualsKinship groups PopulationsBiotic commu- nities Ecosystems Comparison Tasks Kelp forest dispersal Python families Python range Kelp forest food web Python abiotic effects Lower Anchor Parts IndividualsFamiliesRelationshipsPlaces or settings DimensionsActors Enablers, settings Black: Linking processes that students at all levels can tell us about Red: Lower anchor accounts based on informal discourse Green: Upper anchor accounts based on scientific models

Biodiversity: Grouping and Explaining Ecosystems and Subsystems Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy DimensionsSubsystems Larger systems Upper Anchor Parts IndividualsKinship groups PopulationsBiotic commu- nities Ecosystems Comparison Tasks Kelp forest dispersal Python families Python range extension/po pulation growth Kelp forest food web Python abiotic effects Lower Anchor Parts IndividualsFamiliesRelationshipsPlaces or settings DimensionsActors Enablers, settings Black: Linking processes that students at all levels can tell us about Red: Lower anchor accounts based on informal discourse Green: Upper anchor accounts based on scientific models

Example: Population Growth Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy INTERVIEWER: In general, do you think we might see pythons becoming more abundant in other parts of the U.S. as the next couple of decades go by? RESPONDENT: No ….. Like it’s probably like it doesn’t rain too much over here, but like in here [Florida] it rains…..they like the weather more here than other places. ….Because of the living things, the weather and the plants ….[OR] Like they [Humans] would feed them, take care of them, make sure that no one tried to kill them. Vague understanding of biotic and abiotic factors, likes and dislikes, humans as care- givers

Example: Population Growth Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy INTERVIEWER: In general, do you think we might see pythons becoming more abundant in other parts of the U.S. as the next couple of decades go by? RESPONDENT: I don’t think that [pythons becoming more abundant in northern us] will happen because I think the temperature preference, tolerance of the snake is probably going to keep it more toward the south. I assume it’s like a lot of other reptiles, as it gets colder, the metabolism slows down to the point where it doesn’t even really move that much. Note: Uses generalizable knowledge about the relationship of temperature and metabolism in ectotherms, appropriate analogy with other reptiles

Biodiversity: Grouping and Explaining Ecosystems and Subsystems Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy DimensionsSubsystems Larger systems Upper Anchor Parts IndividualsKinship groups PopulationsBiotic commu- nities Ecosystems Comparison Tasks Kelp forest dispersal Python families Python range extension/po pulation growth Kelp forest food web Python abiotic effects Lower Anchor Parts IndividualsFamiliesRelationshipsPlaces or settings DimensionsActors Enablers, settings Black: Linking processes that students at all levels can tell us about Red: Lower anchor accounts based on informal discourse Green: Upper anchor accounts based on scientific models

Example: Population Growth Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy INTERVIEWER: Do you think the population of pythons in Florida will grow more rapidly or slower or about the same as the native snakes to Florida? RESPONDENT: I think they might start growing more rapidly first if they’re trying to … like if pythons live in large groups or something in their native land. Then they’re probably trying to make up for the population. Because animals mate to kind of survive. They have babies to survive in a way to keep their family going. I think once their population is comfortable enough for them, I think, it would start to slow down until it’s about the same rate as their native. Note: Agency lies with pythons only, interpreted as a family question rather than a population question

Example: Population Growth Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy INTERVIEWER: Do you think the population of pythons in Florida will grow more rapidly or slower or about the same as the native snakes to Florida? RESPONDENT: I’m gonna lump Burma into the rest of what I know about Southeast Asia … they have issues with deforestation and filling in the wetlands. … in the native population, Asia, the suitable habitat is shrinking. The everglades are a very … regulated environment. They constantly have water because the water going into the everglades is regulated. There is a lack of predators to keep the population down … only limits are … competition with themselves, competition with other organisms for resources, and/or whatever temperature differences there are. Note: Integrates understanding of biotic and abiotic controls on population growth

Biodiversity: Grouping and Explaining Ecosystems and Subsystems Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy DimensionsSubsystems Larger systems Upper Anchor Parts IndividualsKinship groups PopulationsBiotic commu- nities Ecosystems Comparison Tasks Kelp forest dispersal, Python acclimation Python families Python range extension/po pulation growth Kelp forest food web Python abiotic effects Lower Anchor Parts IndividualsFamiliesRelationshipsPlaces or settings DimensionsActors Enablers, settings Black: Linking processes that students at all levels can tell us about Red: Lower anchor accounts based on informal discourse Green: Upper anchor accounts based on scientific models

Example: Acclimation by Individuals Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy INTERVIEWER: So there’s these two sibling sets, one in Burma and one in Florida. Would you expect the traits of the baby pythons born in Burma to be different than the traits of the baby pythons born in Florida? RESPONDENT: They could be similar, but they might also be different because they are two different environments…. I think it would take time to get used to, because like for us kids that move, like they’re young and then they move to a different state and a new school, they take time to adapt to their environment; their new school, their new home. So I think it would probably happen like that. Note: inappropriate analogy with humans

Example: Acclimation by Individuals Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy INTERVIEWER: So there’s these two sibling sets, one in Burma and one in Florida. Would you expect the traits of the baby pythons born in Burma to be different than the traits of the baby pythons born in Florida? RESPONDENT: No. I imagine they would be the same …. So whatever genetics or series of traits that they get from both parents, as well as environmental controls mostly dealing with what resources they’re able to gather Note: traits of individuals controlled by genetics and environment

Biodiversity: Grouping and Explaining Ecosystems and Subsystems Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy DimensionsSubsystems Larger systems Upper Anchor Parts IndividualsKinship groups PopulationsBiotic commu- nities Ecosystems Comparison Tasks Kelp forest dispersal Python families Python range extension/po pulation growth Kelp forest food web Python abiotic effects Lower Anchor Parts IndividualsFamiliesRelationshipsPlaces or settings DimensionsActors Enablers, settings Black: Linking processes that students at all levels can tell us about Red: Lower anchor accounts based on informal discourse Green: Upper anchor accounts based on scientific models

Example: Dispersal by Individuals Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy INTERVIEWER: How could they [fish] have gotten there? RESPONDENT: They might have come down the coast a mile or so ….[so basically they swam there] yeah. Note: Acknowledges movement but doesn’t attribute it to life cycle stage

Example: Dispersal by Individuals Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy INTERVIEWER: How could they [fish] have gotten there? RESPONDENT: I think if would just kind of be almost like somewhat accidental that they come across this kelp forest, I mean if they’re used to living where they would maybe they were migrating or like moving to mate or something and then they came across this kelp forest and decided that that’s where we want to live now. Note: attributes movement to chance rather than free will, knows that movement is part of the organism’s life cycle, has some analogy about “deciding” where to stay in the kelp forest

Reduce their reliance on anthropomorphic/ analogic reasoning Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy Inappropriate analogies – attributes characteristics of humans to other species Appropriate analogies – reasons about species using true similarities with humans or other familiar organisms

Building capacity for ecological reasoning Learning Progressions for Environmental Literacy focus on individuals populations environments and communities are static recognizing relevance of change over time and b) expanding temporal scales of reasoning environments and communities are uniform a) recognizing the relevance of change over space and b) expanding their spatial resolution abilities (e.g. can see micro as well as macrohabitat) c) expanding spatial scales of reasoning “agency” or “free-will” is the only determinant of individual actions recognizing the relevance of randomness, chance, stochasticity

Thank you! Questions? Please visit our website: