ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY Developing a Learning Progression for Energy and Causal Reasoning in Socio-ecological Systems 2010 NARST Presentation Written by: Hui Jin and Charles W. Anderson (Michigan State University) Culturally relevant ecology, learning progressions and environmental literacy Long Term Ecological Research Math Science Partnership April 2010 Disclaimer: This research is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation: Targeted Partnership: Culturally relevant ecology, learning progressions and environmental literacy (NSF ). 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.

ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY Developing a Learning Progression for Energy and Causal Reasoning in Socio-ecological Systems Hui Jin, Charles W. Anderson

+ Research Overview  Learning progressions are descriptions of increasingly sophisticated ways of thinking or reasoning about science topics (National Research Council)  Research focus: energy as it relates to carbon-transforming processes— photosynthesis, digestion & biosynthesis, cellular respiration, and combustion.

+ Why Are Carbon-transforming Processes Important?  Keeling Curve: The graph below shows changes in concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over a 47- year span at Mauna Loa observatory at Hawaii.

+ Loop Diagram Using Electric appliances Driving Vehicles Burning fossil fuels Body Movement; Dead Organism Body Decay Plant Growth Animal Growth Organic Carbon Oxidation (Combustion) Organic Carbon Oxidation (Cellular Respiration) Organic Carbon Generation (Photosynthesis) Organic Carbon Transformation (Biosynthesis, digestion) Human Socio- economical Systems Ecosystem Atmosphere CO 2 LE Heat CO 2 CE: Chemical Energy; LE: Light Energy; OrgC: Organic Carbon-containing Molecules OrgC CE OrgC CE OrgC CE OrgC Matter Conservation Energy Conservation Energy Degradation

+ Conceptual Framework  Developing an empirically validated learning progression for energy and causal reasoning Learning Progression Framework Associated Assessments Suggested Teaching Approaches Energy and Causal Reasoning

+ General Structure of the Learning Progression Framework Levels of Achievement Progress Variables Variable 1Variable 2Variable 3 Upper Anchor Learning Performances Intermediate Levels Lower Anchor Progress Variables: Progress variables are aspects of students’ overall performances that differ for students at different levels of achievement. Levels of Achievement: There are patterns of students’ learning performances along each progress variable, which can be ordered into different levels in terms of the scientific proficiency From Environmental Literacy Research Project

+ Research Participants  K-12 students from suburban and rural schools in Michigan.  K-12 students from urban and rural schools in China StagesCountryAssessmentsElementaryMiddleHigh Stage 1 ( ) USTests Stage 2 (2008 Summer) USInterviews01812 ChinaInterviews01713 Stage 3 ( ) USPre-interviews888 Post-interviews888 Pre-tests Post-tests ChinaInterviews888

Learning Progression Framework Development  Stage 1. Science-based progress variable—energy  Stage 2. Performance-based progress variables—naming and explaining  Stage 3. Reconsider energy as progress variable Three Stages of Research Learning Progression Framework Associated Assessments Suggested Teaching Approaches Energy and Causal Reasoning

+ Stage  Cognitive linguists studying English grammar (Pinker, 2007; Talmy, 2000) and Chinese grammar (Dai, 2005; Lai & Chiang, 2003) suggest that both languages have implicit theories of cause and actions—force-dynamic reasoning.  Force-dynamic reasoning understands the world in terms of actors and enablers. Younger Students Tend to Rely on Force-dynamic Reasoning

+ Stage Levels of Achievement Energy Upper AnchorLevel 4. Accounts that successfully explain energy transformation in carbon-transforming processes Intermediate Levels Level 3. Accounts about changes involving energy forms; Use energy principles unsuccessfully Level 2. Force-dynamic accounts with hidden mechanisms Lower AnchorLevel 1. Macroscopic force-dynamic accounts that do not involve energy The Learning Progression Framework for Energy

+ Stage  We used energy as progress variable to measure students’ learning performances, but Level 1 and 2 are not about energy. They are about force-dynamic reasoning. Conceptual Problem

+ Stage Summer  Naming Progress Variable: The performance of verbatim reproduction of vocabulary.  Explaining Progress Variable (nature of the accounts): The performance of using specific reasoning patterns to construct the accounts.  Naming and Explaining are general progress variables that can be used to measure students’ understanding about any science topic. Performance-based Progress Variable—Naming and Explaining

+ Stage  Performance-based progress variables—Naming & Explaining  Advantage: Naming and explaining enabled us to find important patterns of students’ understanding.  Disadvantage: Naming and explaining progress variables tend to describe performances in ways that lose track of science.  Science-based progress variables—Energy  Advantage: Energy is an important concept in science, science education, and everyday reasoning.  Disadvantage: Level 1 and Level 2 of the energy progress variable are not about energy. Performance-based progress variables or science- based progress variables?

+ Stage Identify progress variables that are both science- based and performance-based Energy is an abstract quantity that is conserved— continues through events “Energeia” (Energy) means being-at-work, the opposite to being-at-end

+ Stage  Naming  Explaining: What is the entity students use to construct accounts? How is the entity used to construct the explanations.  Association:  Do students associate the entity with different things? What are those things?  Tracing:  Do they trace the entity backward and forward? How? If they do not trace the entity, do they trace anything else? What do they trace? Association and tracing as explaining progress variables

+ Stage  Level 1. Natural Ability as a naturalistic and psychological entity  Broad association: Associate natural ability with elements of events (i.e., actors, enablers, and settings).  Only cause-effect tracing: Trace the macroscopic action-result chain. Do not trace the entity of natural ability. Elements of Events: Result: Actor reaches its goal; Changes happen Actors Enablers Settings

+ Stage  Level 1 Example (4 th grader; American pre-interview) Researcher: Do you think the girl’s body uses the food for energy? Watson: Yes. Researcher: Do you know how? Watson: Because the food helps make energy for the girl so then she can like learn how to walk and crawl and stuff. And it will also help the baby so it will be happy, be not mean and stuff. Researcher: Yes, ok. Let’s talk about the next one. You said sleep, right? So say a little bit about that. How is it related to growth? Watson: Because it will make it somehow so you’ll grow. Because that way you will get more energy so you can like run and jump, and jump rope and walk and play. And that’s it. Researcher: Does the baby’s body need sleeping for energy? Watson: Yes. Because then it will be happy and it won’t cry. And it will be able to play and make it so it will eat and stuff. Researcher: What do you think is energy? What energy is like? Watson: We think energy is like, it helps it grow and it helps it so it won’t be crabby, like when you get mad.

+ Stage  Level 2. Vital Power as a mechanical entity  First signs of energy specific association: Associate vital power with physical and biological properties and structure of enablers such as nutrients, power, vitamin, foods, fuels and energy.  Initial tracing: Trace power-result chain (trace vital power backward not forward) Enablers Vital power Result: Actor reaches its goal; Changes happen Enablers: Vital power Elements of Events: Settings Actors

+ Stage  Level 2 Example (11 th grader, American Pre-interview) Researcher: And when they arrived in Chicago, they found that the gas tank is almost empty, right? Jim: Ok. And then they need to fill up. Researcher: So where does the gas go? Jim: The gas is used up by all the parts. It’s also exhausted. It’s exhausted through the gas pipe or the exhaust pipe We mean. And it goes back into the air. Researcher: Ok. So do you think the car needs the energy in order to move? Jim: Yes. The gasoline is their form of energy Researcher: Ok. So when the gasoline is used up or become exhaust, where does the energy go? Jim: The energy goes with it into the air – back into the air. Researcher: What form of energy is that? Oh. That’s fine. Jim: We can’t think anymore. Researcher: Yeah. Ok. Jim: But We guess it – the energy is used in all of the different parts and that’s where it goes. But all the energy that’s like left out… that the car doesn’t need goes through the exhaust pipe and back into the air. It pollutes our air.

+ Stage  Level 3. Tracing Energy Unsuccessfully  Energy/matter association: Associate energy with energy indicators including the unobvious indicator—organic molecules, but may identify other substances as energy sources. Do not distinguish energy from organic molecules.  Energy/matter tracing: Attempt to trace energy backward and forward, but cannot do that successfully: matter-energy conversion; tracing energy without degradation. Elements of Events: Actors System Enabler Matter Energy Matter Energy Matter Energy

+ Stage  Examples High school pre-test (11 th grader) Where does the light energy go when it is used by the plants? The light energy is used in photosynthesis, to use sunlight and convert it into sugar (glucose). High school pre-test (11 th grader) A. Please describe how one glucose molecule from the grape you eat helps to move your finger. When you eat the grape you are giving yourself glucose. For cellular respiration, you need glucose. ADP+P and oxygen and this makes ATP which your cells can use for cell work which you can use to move your finger. B. Does the same glucose molecule also help you to maintain your body temperature? No, because the glucose is a part of the ATP, but another glucose molecule can be used.

+ Stage  Level 4. Tracing Energy Successfully  Energy distinguished from matter association: Associate energy with energy enablers and associate matter with matter enablers successfully  Tracing energy and matter as enduring entities: Trace matter and energy backward and forward successfully Enablers: Systems Matter Useful Energy form Heat Useful Energy form Elements of Events:

+ Stage  Example (7 th Grader; Post-interview) Researcher: So how does a tree use air? Eric: The carbon dioxide in the air contains molecules, atoms, We mean specifically oxygen and carbon, which will store away and break apart to store it and use as food. Researcher: So do you think that the tree also uses water? Eric: Yes. The tree also needs water. All living things do. The water is used to help break apart food so that the tree can have energy. It’s also used to combine parts of the water molecules together with parts of the carbon dioxide in photosynthesis and used as food. Researcher: So, you know, the tree, it begins as a very small plant. So over time, it will grow into a big tree and it will gain a lot of mass. Where does the increased mass come from? Eric: The mass comes from the food that the tree is producing during photosynthesis, which is mostly carbon and hydrogen pieces bonded together and that is then being stored away … … Researcher: So you also talk about energy, light energy. So where does light energy go? Eric: Light energy is, first it’s absorbed through the leaves. It is then converted to a stored energy by combining the hydrogen and carbon atoms into various molecules.

+ Environmental Literacy Research Project htm Andy Anderson, Hui Jin, Jing Chen, Kennedy Onyacha, Hamin Beak, Li Zhan, Jonathon Schramm, Jennifer Doherty, Dante Cisterna from Michigan State University; Karen Draney, Mark Wilson, Jinnie Choy, Yongsang Lee from University of California, Berkeley

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