michigan state university

A K-12 LEARNING PROGRESSION TO SUPPORT UNDERSTANDING OF WATER IN THE ENVIRONMENT

Beth Covitt & Kristin Gunckel

Geological Society of America, North-Central Section MeetingAkron, April 21, 2006

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Environmental Literacy Research Group

LEARNING PROGRESSIONS TOWARD ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACYCharles W. Anderson, Ajay Sharma, Lindsey Mohan, In-Young Cho, Hui Jin, Christopher D. Wilson, John Lockhart, Blakely Tsurusaki

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

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.

CONVERGING TRENDS

Science Education Policy: Critiques of standards

Science: Interdisciplinary research on coupled human and natural systems

Citizenship: The need for environmental responsibility

Science Education Research: Creating learning progressions


RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSHIP and ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE LITERACY

Human impacts on systems are increasing

Citizens need to consider environmental consequences in concert with diverse values

Citizens take actions and make decisions everyday

Environmental science literacy is the ability to… Understand and evaluate scientific arguments (including

arguments among experts) Reconcile actions or policies with values Enact personal agency with respect to environmental issues


Creating Grounded Learning Progressions

A learning progression is a description of successively more sophisticated knowledge and practices that can follow one another as children learn about and investigate a topic over a broad span of time. (Smith & Anderson, 2006)

Our water learning progression will synthesize…

– Current scientific understanding

– Review of relevant research on student learning

– Results of our research on student learning

Product will include instructional materials and assessments


WATER DATA SOURCES & ANALYSIS

Data Sources 11 Volunteer teachers Student assessments

- 40 elementary (3rd & 5th grade) - 40 middle (7th & 8th grade)- 40 secondary (Chemistry & Biology classes)

Items focused on role of water

Data Analysis Rubrics capture patterns in responses and

developmental trends- Reliability checks and revision of rubrics- Interrater agreement for all items ≥ .75


PRINCIPLES, PROCESSES and SYSTEMS

Applying fundamental principles…

Structure of systems: – Scale: microscopic,

macroscopic, large– Connecting Natural and

Engineered Systems Constraints on processes:

- Tracing matter: Water and Contaminants

…to processes in coupled human and natural systems

Human Water System Watersheds Groundwater Landfill Contamination

SCIENCE and RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSHIP

Using scientific reasoning to determine…

Actions that protect water quality

Students’ personal agency as evident in…

Individual & group locus of control

THE HUMAN WATER SYSTEMWhere does water come from before it gets to your house? And where does it go after?

THE HUMAN WATER SYSTEMWater Treatment

Water Treated Before Home

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

TreatedBefore

Not TreatedBefore

No Answer

Per

cen

t Elementary

Middle

High

Water Treated After Home

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Treated After Not TreatedAfter

No AnswerP

erce

nt Elementary

Middle

High

Most students do not mention water treatment More of elementary & middle mention treatment before More of high school mention treatment after

THE HUMAN WATER SYSTEMWater Recycling in the Human System

Water Recycles Before Home

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Recycles in HumanSystem

No Recycling No Answ er

Per

cen

t Elementary

Middle

High

40 percent of high school students indicate that water recycles

Water Recycles After Home

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Recycles in HumanSystem

No Recycling No Answ erP

erce

nt Elementary

Middle

High

WATERSHEDSIf a water pollutant is put into river at town C, which towns will be affected?

Few students understand how water flows in watersheds

Which towns will be affected?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

A orA&C

ABC orAB or

BC or B

ABCDor D

C Only Other /No

Answer

Pe

rce

nt

Middle

High

WATERSHEDSIf a water pollutant is put into river at town C, which towns will be affected?

Why were towns affected?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Explains howwater moves

All areconnected

Water flowsother way

Pollutionevaporates

Other / NoAnswer

Pe

rce

nt

Middle

High

GROUNDWATERDraw a picture or explain what it looks like underground where there is water.

Underground Water

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

In S

pace

s

In L

ayer

s & P

ools

Human Con

taine

rs

Uninterp

reta

ble/O

ther

Per

cen

t Elementary

Middle

High

GROUNDWATERDraw a picture or explain what it looks like underground where there is water.

Example from High School

LANDFILL CONTAMINATIONCan a landfill (garbage dump) cause water pollution in a well?

Can a Landfill Contaminate a Well?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Yes No Don't Know

Per

cen

t Elementary

Middle

High

LANDFILL CONTAMINATIONHow could a landfill contaminate a well?

How Landfill Contaminates Well

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Water

Tra

nspo

rt

Liquid

w/out

Wate

r Tra

nspo

rt

Solid

w/out

Wate

r Tra

nspo

rt

Above

Gro

und M

echanis

m

Uninterp

reta

ble/O

ther

Per

cen

t Elementary

Middle

High

LOCUS OF CONTROLBy taking actions, I can make a difference in protecting water quality in my community.

I can protect water quality (Mean Rating)

1

2

3

4

5

Elementary Middle High

Str

on

gly

Dis

ag

ree

<--

> S

tro

ng

ly A

gre

e

Working Alone

Working w/Others

P<.001 P<.001P<.001

Students aren’t sure if they can make a difference working alone. Students think they can make a difference working w/others.

ACTIONS THAT PROTECT WATER QUALITYDescribe one (two) actions you could take to protect water quality in your community.

Actions could impact water quality (informed) Use toxics appropriately or less (e.g., fertilizers). Dispose of properly

(e.g., auto oil). Do not put pollutants in surface water. Educate and/or work with others (e.g., water clean up day) Someone else could do this (e.g., stop filling in wetlands, pass laws) Take trash/litter out of surface water

Environmental mantras Conserve or use less water Recycle Don’t litter / Pick up litter Don’t pollute

Unhelpful or no answer

ACTIONS THAT PROTECT WATER QUALITYDescribe one (two) actions you could take to protect water quality in your community.

Actions to Protect Water Quality

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Actions thatConnect to

Water Quality

EnvironmentalMantras

Unhelpful or NoAnswer

Pe

rce

nt Elementary

Middle

High

47% of elementary did not name 1 action 39% of middle & high did not name 2 actions Most recommended action at all 3 levels “Don’t Litter”

KEY FINDINGS

Because parts of systems are invisible, students have limited experiences.

• Human system, groundwater and watersheds

With limited experiences, students are unsure how systems work.

• How does a pollutant move in a watershed?• Can a landfill contaminate a well?

Without knowing how systems work, students are unable to determine effective roles.

Students believe they can help, but they are not adequately informed.


MORE INFORMATION

Papers, Tests, and Other Materials are Available on Our Website:

http://edr1.educ.msu.edu/EnvironmentalLit/index.htm


michigan state university

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