1. Goals of the Workshop By the end of the workshop participants will:
Brainstorm a Project-Based Science activity around the issue of Energy Conservation

2. How Are You Intelligent?
The Benefits of Knowing Your Students
As the course was to be delivered through the use of project-based science, problem-based learning and case study analysis, it is extremely beneficial to spend time at the beginning of the course getting to know your students.
Helps with the creation of groups, project activities and evaluation tasks
First step is to find out a bit out your students through a interest inventory
Next, a learning inventory can be used to discover how your students like to learn

3. Learning about the Environment via Science
Problem-Based Science (PBS) instructions as a means of teaching SVN3E and SVN3M
emphasis the importance of environmental education  the themes of relationship to, dependence on, and Impact on the environment are no longer the sole property of the geography, science, or outdoor education instructor
they now belong to every subject in every discipline in every grade in the province of Ontario
Background
In the fall of 2007, the Ministry of Education put out a request to school boards across the province. The request was for any teachers interested in piloting a proposed environmental science course.
The course came as a result of one of thirty-two recommendations from the Roberta Bondar report Shaping our Schools, Shaping our Future.
RECOMMENDATION 18: In addition to providing an environmental
education focus across compulsory courses,
ensure that secondary students have the
opportunity to take at least one additional
course with an environmental focus during
their senior high school program. It is recommended
that such a course option be available
to students in Grade 11 to maintain continuity.
Stewart Grant

4. Why Environmental Science?
“Schools have a vital role to play in preparing our young people to take their place as informed, engaged, and empowered citizens who will be pivotal in shaping the future of our communities, our province, our country, and our global environment.” (p. 1)
From the report Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our Future

5. Why Environmental Science?
An expert panel, convened by the Ministry of Education’s Curriculum Council and chaired by Dr. Roberta Bondar, was given the mandate “to analyse needs and research successful approaches to teaching and learning about the environment in elementary and secondary schools”(p. 3)

6. Why Environmental Science?
Recommendation # 1
Develop a provincial policy as defined in this report, in collaboration with Ontario government ministries, whose mandate are related to environmental issues, to signal the importance of environmental education and guide its implementation in Ontario schools through leadership and accountability measures, curriculum development, teacher training, and resources (p. 11)

7. The Policy Document
Ministry of Education’s policy document on all 32 recommendations made by the working group in Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our Future
The policy sets three goals 1. By the end of Grade 12, students will acquire knowledge, skills, and perspectives that foster understanding of their fundamental connections to each other, to the world around them, and to all living things. 2. Increase student engagement by fostering active participation in environmental projects and buildings links between schools and communities 3. Increase the capacity of system leaders to implement evidence-based environmental education programming, practices, and operations.
The goals are organized around the themes of teaching and learning, student engagement and community connections, and environmental leadership

8. Other Ministry Resources
Environmental Education: Scope and Sequence of Expectations (Grades 1 – 8)
Environmental Education: Scope and Sequence of Expectations (Grades 9 – 12)

9. Why Environmental Science?
Recommendation # 18
In addition to providing an environmental education focus across compulsory courses, ensure that secondary students have the opportunity to take at least one additional course with an environmental focus during their senior high school program. It is recommended that such a course option be available to students in Grade 11 to maintain continuity. (p. 15)

10. The Piloting of an Environmental Focus Course in Science
in the fall of 2007, the Ministry of Education put out a request school boards across the province. the request was for any teacher’s interested in piloting a proposed environmental focus science course
selection for the pilot was based on three criteria: 1. be offered only in the second semester of a semestered school 2. be the only section of the course 3. not be taught as a split-grade or split-level offering
ten teachers from across the province meet at the Ministry of Education office in Toronto in November of 2007 and began planning the delivery of a new environmental science course at the secondary senior level – the course was to be test piloted in February 2008.
the course was to replace the current grade 11 workplace course (SNC3E)
the team meet on two more occasions:
in January to finalize preparation and
the first of April to review and reflect on how the implementation was progressing and to develop an action-research project as the summative evaluation
the goal for this course was to try and move away from paper-and-pencil forms of assessment and to develop authentic learning tasks that were relevant to the students and reflected local, environmental issues

11. Demographic Map

12. Schools Involved in the Pilot Project
Cedarbrae Collegiate Institute (TDSB)
Kernahan Park Secondary (DSBN)
Grey Highlands Secondary and Bruce Peninsula District School (Bluewater)
Queen Elizabeth District High School and Sir Winston Churchill CVI (Thunder Bay)
Ecole secondarie catholique de Hearst (Conseil scolaire catholique de district des grandes rivieres)
Ecole secondaire de la Riviere-des-Francais (Conseil scolaire public du grand nord de l’Ontario)
Ecole secondaire cathaloique l’Escale (Conseil scolaire de district catholique de l’est Ontarien)

13. The Course
the course was grouped around three topics: 1. Human Health and the Environment 2. Energy Conservation and Consumption 3. Natural Resource Science and Management
two underlying themes throughout each topic were Human Impact on the Environment and The Safe and Environmentally Responsible Workplace
the expectations in the unit on Scientific Investigation Skills were addressed throughout

14. Instructional Approaches Used
The term mark (70%) was based on the following forms of assessment:
Problem-Based Science (Air Bio-Filter; Building a device that operates on renewable energy)
Problem-Based Learning (Water quality monitoring)
Case Study Analysis (The Poisoning of the Grassy Narrows; Storm that Drowned a City; Toxic Work! It’s all in your Head)
term mark based on: PBS, PBL and Case study analysis

15. “Case studies are especially useful in science education because they emphasize that learning is founded in experience and that knowledge is constructed through problem solving” J. Dewey (1938)

16. Instructional Approaches Used
The summative mark (30%) was based on an action-research project:
Examples:
Creating a sales pitch to sell renewable energy
Monitoring water quality on the Bruce Peninsula
Planning a roof-top garden

17. Problem-Based Science Instruction
PBS is defined as an instructional method that uses complex, authentic questions to engage students in long-term, in-depth collaborative learning, resulting in a carefully designed product or artifact.
From “Planning for Success: How to design and implement project-based science activities” by Gail Dickinson and Julie K. Jackson (2008)
This definition permits a broad range of teacher control and curricular focus.
Project-based units share key characteristics.
The units:
are central to the curriculum and address a significant number of required concepts;
related to real-world problems;
allow students to design and conduct their own investigations;
are designed so that students work autonomously in groups; and
are centered on answering a driving question that is sustainable over weeks or months (Thomas and Megendoller 2000; Krajcik, Czerniak, and Berger 2002).
Students learn concepts more deeply and are able to use the knowledge gained in authentic applications.
PBS also motivates students who do not perform well in traditional settings.

18. Problem-Based Science Instruction
Project-based units share key characteristics.
are central to the curriculum and address a significant number of required concepts;
related to real-world problems;
allow students to design and conduct their own investigations;
are designed so that students work autonomously in groups; and
are centered on answering a driving question that is sustainable over weeks or months
Thomas and Megendoller 2000; Krajcik, Czerniak, and Berger 2002

19. Problem-Based Science Instruction
PBS instruction is a science teaching approach through which students learn by conducting projects that are relevant to their lives and communities.
They select and investigate authentic research questions, and are expected to take responsibility for their own learning.
A PBS classroom is a dynamic learning environment where roles constantly change.
From “Project-Based Science Instruction: A Primer” by Kabba Colley (2008)
They select and investigate authentic research questions, and are expected to take responsibility for their own learning.

20. Air Biofilter Project Goal of the Project
To construct and monitor a functioning air biofilter.
Instead of teaching 5 different units, it was decided to merge the expectations of the units and instead teach three themes:
Human Activity and the Environment (which combined Human Health and the Environment and Human Impact on the Environment)
Energy Conservation &
Natural Resource Management
Interwoven throughout these overlying themes are the expectations from the Skills of Inquiry in Science unit and the Safe and Environmental Responsible Workplace unit

21. Expectations covered during the completion of the project
Air Biofilter Project
Expectations covered during the completion of the project
As the overview illustrates, the project meets the expectations of more than one unit

22. Biofilter Project Sequence
Up Close & Toxic Video and Sick Building Syndrome discussion

23. Biofilter Project Sequence
Up Close & Toxic Video and Sick Building Syndrome discussion
Health Canada’s responsibility toward air quality
Microscopy lesson
Schematics of a biofilter presented

24. Biofilter Project Sequence

25. Biofilter Project Sequence
Biowall at Queen’s University

26. Biofilter Project Sequence
Biowall at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Information Systems in Infrastructure & Construction

27. Biofilter Project Sequence
Up Close & Toxic Video and Sick Building Syndrome discussion
Health Canada’s responsibility toward air quality
Microscopy lesson
Schematics of a biofilter presented
Project construction

28. Biofilter Project Construction

29. Biofilter Project Construction

30. Biofilter Project Construction

31. Biofilter Project Sequence
Up Close & Toxic Video and Sick Building Syndrome discussion
Health Canada’s responsibility toward air quality
Microscopy lesson
Schematics of a biofilter presented
Project construction
Monitoring of health of the plants and presence of microbes in water and recording observations in a journal
Peer evaluation, self evaluation, rubric evaluation

32. Peer Evaluation

33. Resource
The resource contains fully developed outlines on the following projects:
Safety in the Workplace
Air Biofilters
Mercury Contamination
Hurricane Katrina
Water Quality
Energy Conservation
Safety in the Workplace is analysis of a case study of the claim of brain poisoning by workers at the Weyerhauser pulp and paper plant in Dryden Ontario during construction of one of the boilers
Mercury Contamination is another case study about mercury contamination of the English River in northwestern Ontario and the consequences it had on first nations people on the Grassy Narrows Reservation

34. Resource Each complete project outline contains:
An overview of the project

35. Resource Each complete project outline contains:
Checkpoints to assess students for learning

36. Reference to worksheets that can be used during the lesson.
Resource
Each complete project outline contains:
Suggested lesson sequence
Reference to worksheets that can be used during the lesson.

37. Grouped based on task/concept covered in the lesson
Resource
Each complete project outline contains:
A list of various resources used during the project
Grouped based on task/concept covered in the lesson

38. Resource Each complete project outline contains:
Classroom tested worksheets

39. Tasks and Culminating Activities
Any of the projects that are incorporated in the resource can be modified and used as a final culminating assessment.
The projects focus on current issues and vary from region to region.
The bonus of this course is that it is very fluid. Material does not need to be presented unit by unit and there are multiple ways to address the curriculum expectations.

40. Student Achievement Technology Numeracy Literacy Attendance
Skill Development (ownership, self-directed learners)
Responsible Citizens

41. Success Stories

42. TASK
Using only your dependency web and brainstorming map, brainstorm a meaningful problem that students would have to solve related to the topic Energy Conservation?
How will students formulate their answer to the problem? (What will the final product be?)
In what ways will their understanding of the material be assessed?
How will you monitor your students’ progress?

43. Energy Conservation Big Ideas
The impact of energy production and consumption on environmental sustainability depends on which resources and energy production methods are used.

44. Contact
Stewart Grant