1. 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 0529636), the Center for Curriculum Materials in Science (ESI-0227557) and Long-term Ecological Research in Row-crop Agriculture (DEB 0423627. 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. EVIRONMENTAL LITERACY ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY Center for Curriculum Materials in Science (CCMS) A Learning Progression for Processes that Move Water through Socio-Ecological Systems Water in Environmental SystemsLearning Progression MethodsDiscussion of Trends Ecosystem Service: Fresh water for personal use and consumer products Processes Structure of Systems Human Actions: Change distribution and quality of fresh water Environmental SystemsHuman, Social, & Economic Systems Structure of Human Engineered Systems Water collection Water cleaning Water distribution Processes that Move Water groundwater pumping water diversions Processes that Alter Water Composition pollution water treatment distillation Dissolution Filtration Erosion Suspension Processes that Alter Water Composition Evaporation Condensation Precipitation Transpiration Structure of Fresh Water Systems Atmospheric Water Surface Water Groundwater Living Systems Run-off Infiltration Processes that Move Water Kristin L. Gunckel, Beth A. Covitt, Hasan Abdel-Kareem, Rebecca Dudek, Charles W. Anderson Michigan State University Kristin L. Gunckel, Beth A. Covitt, Hasan Abdel-Kareem, Rebecca Dudek, Charles W. Anderson Michigan State University Students as young as second grade learn about the water cycle and can often draw the iconic water cycle picture with arrows showing water evaporating from oceans, condensing into clouds, precipitating on the mountains, and flowing in rivers back to the ocean. Yet, by high school, few students can use an understanding of the processes that move water through and among the interconnected natural and human systems to analyze and make decisions necessary to maintain a sustainable supply of fresh water. We are developing a K-12 learning progression that will support students in becoming environmentally literate citizens who understand how water moves through coupled human and natural systems. LevelCharacteristicsWatershed QuestionPuddle & Bathtub Questions Groundwater Pumping Question If a water pollutant is put into the river at town C, which towns (if any) would be affected by the pollution? Puddle Question: After it rains you notice puddles in the middle of the soccer field. After a few days you notice that the puddles are gone. Where did the water go? Bathtub Question: Could any of the water end up in your bathtub? (Answers listed for each level are from the same students.) Could a well affect the level of the water in a river? 5 Qualitative Model- based Accounts Uses models to account for multiple pathways through systems Can explain processes at atomic scale Does not consider quantitative variables in assessing water quantity issues A - Since the river will run downhill to a large body of water, it can't go upstream to B and it is not connected to D. On the way to the lake it crosses by A. Puddle Question: Into the ground and into the air. The molecules are soaked into the ground like a sponge. Then in evaporation the molecules are heated and forced around to move more, and eventually become gas. Bathtub Question: (Bathtub question was not asked on this version of the assessment) Yes, the well provides a constantly (or almost so) empty area for ground water to flow to, and because gravity, the ground water that flows to the well will be replaced with water from the river in an everlasting cycle. 4 School Science Narratives of Process Provides or repeats school stories or pictures Tells a story that follows water through multiple pathways Locates water correctly in invisible parts of system Uses spatial visualization to trace matter and explain mechanisms Recognizes matter transformation at atomic scale A - Because town A is downstream from town C and town C runs downhill through town A. Puddle Question: It evaporated into the cloud or ran off or sunk into groundwater or transpired. Bathtub Question: Yes. Through a well. Yes, a well gets its water from the ground, so if the river has some water in the ground and it pulls it out, the river is going to be lower. 3 Causal Events with Hidden Mechanisms Tells a story about where water goes Recognizes need for mechanisms, but not limitations of processes Conserves water for visible changes Does not recognize connections among systems Has difficulty with spatial reasoning A, B - These towns would be affected is that towns A and B are connected to C so that the pollutant would spread through C to A and B rivers causing a problem. Puddle Question: The water had evaporated into the air and when it does that it moves to a pond, river, or lake. Bathtub Question: Yes. If yesterday was a rainy day and if there were puddles saved from yesterday and you open the door it could go in to the bath tub then there would be puddles in the bathtub. No I don't think that it can affect the river. Because the fact that water is getting replaced when it rains anyways. 1-2 Events-based or Human-based Narratives Tells a story about where water goes Uses iconic representations Does not recognize invisible parts or mechanisms May explain what happens in terms of human needs and agency B,C - cause they are closer. Puddle Question: Into the ground or up in the air. Bathtub Question: No. It would make the river go smaller. Implications We have identified the following trends in student thinking as they move to progressively higher levels of achievement. 1.Awareness of Smaller Systems – students become increasingly more able to consider the structure of matter and explain processes at the atomic scale. 2.Awareness of Larger Systems –students become increasingly more able to envision landscape scale structures and processes operating on a very large scale. 3.Awareness of Connections Among Systems – students become increasingly more aware of connections among multiple systems. Two important system connections are: A.Connections between groundwater and surface water systems (i.e. how water gets into a river or an aquifer) B.Connections between the natural and human systems (i.e. how water gets to the faucet and where it goes after the drain) 4.Even by high school, Level 5 achievement is infrequent. Based on student’s current learning performances and levels of achievement, this work has the following implications for the K-12 science curriculum. Coherent Instruction - Instruction in the structures and processes necessary to understand water in environmental systems is too fragmented across the K-12 curriculum. For example, students learn about matter transformation in physical science and groundwater in Earth science. Watersheds are not currently included in the National Science Education Standards or AAAS Benchmarks. The curriculum needs to synthesize these processes more coherently. Experiences in Multiple Scales - Students need more experiences with the small scale and large scale aspects of water systems. Systems then Connections - Students need to explore structures and processes within individual systems (i.e. surface water, human systems, etc.) and then learn how the systems are connected and how water moves among the systems. The frameworks presented on this poster represents three years of iterative design research. In each design cycle we Developed/revised a conceptual framework for what environmentally literate citizens should know about water in coupled human-natural systems. Developed/revised and administered assessments for elementary, middle school, and high school students. Developed/revised rubrics to analyze the student responses. From this process we have identified learning performances, levels of achievement, and progress variables that are Conceptually coherent with respect to the scientific disciplines that they represent Compatible with current research on student learning Empirically validated Individual learning performances actual performances of real students. Upcoming analyses will validate levels of achievement for students across questions & examine levels of achievement across grades. Future work will validate progress variables using pre-post teaching assessment results.