LEARNING PROGRESSIONS TOWARD ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY Charles W. Anderson, Beth Covitt, Kristin Gunckel, Lindsey Mohan, In-Young Cho, Hui Jin, Christopher

LEARNING PROGRESSIONS TOWARD ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY

Charles W. Anderson, Beth Covitt, Kristin Gunckel, Lindsey Mohan, In-Young Cho, Hui Jin, Christopher D. Wilson, John Lockhart, Ajay Sharma, Blakely Tsurusaki, Jim Gallagher

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Environmental Literacy Research Group

PARTNERS

Mark Wilson, Karen Draney, University of California, Berkeley

Joe Krajcik. Phil Piety, University of Michigan

Brian Reiser, Northwestern University Jo Ellen Roseman, AAAS Project 2061 Long Term Ecological Research (LTER)

Network Alan Berkowitz, Baltimore Ecosystem Study Ali Whitmer, Santa Barbara Coastal John Moore, Shortgrass Steppe


CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY LEARNING PROGRESSION

PracticesPrinciplesProcesses in systems



PRACTICES for ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE LITERACY (SECTIONS OF TABLE)1. Inquiry: Learning from experience (not addressed in these

papers) Practical and scientific inquiry Developing arguments from evidence

2 and 3. Scientific accounts and applications: Learning from authorities

Applying fundamental principles to processes in systems

Using scientific models and patterns to explain and predict

4. Using scientific reasoning in responsible citizenship: Reconciling experience, authority, and values

Enacting personal agency on environmental issues Reconciling actions or policies with values Understanding and evaluating arguments among

experts


ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE ACCOUNTS and APPLICATIONS

Applying fundamental principles (rows of table)…

Structure of systems: nanoscopic, microscopic, macroscopic, large scale

Constraints on processes: tracing matter, energy, information

Change over time: evolution, multiple causes, feedback loops

…to processes in coupled human and natural systems (columns of table)

Earth systems: Geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere

Living systems: Producers, consumers, decomposers

Engineered systems: Food, water, energy, transportation, housing

METHODS FOR INVESTIGATINGPROGRESSIONS IN STUDENT PERFORMANCES

Data sources– Volunteer teachers in working groups– Tests administered to upper elementary, middle, and high school

students (available on website)

Data analysis– Developing rubrics for open-response questions– Searching for patterns and common themes within and across

tests Patterns in accounts of environmental systems (Practices 2 and 3) Patterns in reconciling experience, authority, and values (Practice 4)

– Looking for developmental trends


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

Beth Covitt & Kristin Gunckel

CCMS Knowledge Sharing InstituteJuly 10, 2006



TRACING WATER IN ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS

What to know about “tracing water and other substances”

In environmental systems, water usually exists as a mixture

When moving through systems, water carries other substances

Substances “picked up” by water occur naturally or are result of human action

Humans prefer to find and use water with few added substances

Humans treat water to minimize harmful substances before/after use

Humans return used water to natural systems. Water travels through water cycle and is reused by humans and other species.

PRINCIPLES, PROCESSES and SYSTEMS

One facet of water literacy is that…

Students can apply FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES (e.g., structure of connected human & natural systems)

to PROCESSES IN SYSTEMS (e.g., tracing water & other substances through systems)

Examples Groundwater Landfill Contamination Watersheds Ocean Water Human Water System

SOME QUESTIONS NOT ADDRESSED TODAY

Watersheds If a pollutant is put into a river at Town C, which towns will be affected?

Ocean WaterWhy can’t we drink clean ocean water without treating it first? How could you make ocean water drinkable?

Human Water SystemWhere does water come from before it gets to your house? Where does it go after your house?

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

KEY FINDINGS: PROGRESSION IN STUDENT UNDERSTANDING OVER TIME

Increasing understanding of complexity of systems BUT invisible parts of systems remain invisible

Water as mixtures; transport substancesGroundwater, watersheds, atmospheric systemsConnections between natural & human systems

Increasing understanding of need for processes & mechanisms, BUT how these mechanisms work & constraints on processes remain poorly understood.

Evaporation, condensationTreating water

Increasing awareness of scales, BUT little success in connecting accounts across different levels

Macro-Large Scale: Watersheds


DEVELOPING A CARBON CYCLE LEARNING PROGRESSION FOR K-12




Applying fundamental principles… Structure of systems:

– atomic-molecular (CO2 and organic materials),

– single-celled and multicellular organisms (producers, consumers, decomposers),

– ecosystems Constraints on processes:

– Tracing matter: inorganic to organic forms

…to processes in coupled human and natural systems

Physical Change of Dry Ice

Burning Match Losing Weight Plant Growth

TRACING CARBONIN ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS

Living systems follow the basic principles of physical and chemical change, including conservation of mass and conservation of atoms

Organisms are made mostly of water and organic substances

Organic substances consist of molecules with reduced C plus H, O, and a few other elements

Virtually all reduced C is created from CO2 and H2O through the process of photosynthesis

Virtually all organisms get their energy by oxidizing reduced C compounds in cellular respiration

The products of cellular respiration are CO2 and H2O

Summary: CO2 + H2O + minerals with N, P, etc.Organic substances + O2

CO2 + H2O + minerals


photosynthesis

c. respiration

CONSERVING MASS DURING PHYSICAL CHANGE

A sample of solid carbon dioxide (dry ice) is placed in a tube and the tube is sealed after all of the air is removed. The tube and solid carbon dioxide weigh 27 grams.

The tube is then heated until all of the dry ice evaporates and the tube is filled with carbon dioxide gas. The weight after heating will be:

a. less than 26 grams.b. 26 grams.c. between 26 and 27 grams.d. 27 grams.e. more than 27 grams.

Explain the reason for your answer to the previous question.


Dry Ice

CHANGE OF STATE

“Because going from a solid to a gas, it weighs less” “Because of the law of conservation of mass”


Conserving Mass During Physical Change

0

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20

30

40

50

60

70

Weight isless after

sublimation

Weight isthe same

aftersublimation

Weight ismore aftersublimation

Noresponse

% o

f s

tud

en

ts

Middle

High

Dry Ice

BURNING MATCHEnvironmental Literacy

Research Group

What happens to the wood of a match as the match burns? Why does the match lose weight as it burns?

Elem Middle High

Account for matter (CO2 and H2O) 0% 0% 10%

Match turns to gases, do not specify gases 0% 10% 5%

Account for matter as visible products 12.5% 15% 12.5%

Matter is transformed to energy 0% 0% 5%

Matter disappears, evaporates, disintegrates 27.5% 47.5% 17.5%

Physical “visible” changes (turns to smaller pieces) 10% 20% 20%

I don’t know or no response 50% 7.5% 30%

LOSING WEIGHT

A person on a diet lost 20 pounds. Some of his fat is gone. What happened to the mass of the fat?

“As mass is converted into energy for energy for use, it has to go somewhere. This energy is used to power the body and the fat (now transformed to energy) is spent and no long in the body”

“I think it is turned into energy and it also comes out by it turning into water or gas”

“it will come out of the large intestine” “the person sweats”


LOSING WEIGHTEnvironmental Literacy

Research Group

A person on a diet lost 20 pounds. Some of his fat is gone. What happened to the mass of the fat?

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

Fat is brokendown to CO2and H2O in

cells

Fat ischanged intowater / sweat

Fat isconverted into

energy forbody functions

Fat is storedin the body

Fat isreleased inthe form of

feces

Fat burns outor disappears

I don’t know /no response /unintelligible

% o

f st

ud

ents

Elem

Middle

High


The fundamental principle of tracing matter is not being applied by students.

Few students understand gases as products or reactants in cellular respiration

Students frequently interconvert matter and energy.

Many students saw “fat burning” as a process involving “breaking down”, but did not trace it to a chemical process of oxidation into CO2 and H2O in cellular respiration


PLANT GROWTHEnvironmental Literacy

Research Group

A small acorn grows into a large oak tree. Where do you think the plant’s increase in weight comes from?

Elem Middle High

CO2 in air and H2O from roots 0% 0% 0%

From food or glucose 15% 15% 12.5%

From air, sun, water, minerals and/or soil 12.5% 7.5% 25%

H2O from roots 15% 25% 10%

Air 2.5% 0% 0%

From the ground or roots 12.5% 17.5% 5%

Natural growth 7.5% 12.5% 7.5%

Other or Unintelligible 10% 17.5% 32.5%

I don’t know or no response 25% 5% 7.5%

PRINCIPLES, PROCESSES and SYSTEMSEnvironmental Literacy

Research Group

• The fundamental principle of tracing matter is not being applied by students.

• Few students understand gases as products or reactants in photosynthesis.

• Students frequently saw water and soil nutrients as the critical source of plant weight.

KEY FINDINGS: FROM YOUNGER TO OLDER STUDENTS, WE SEE PROGRESS…

From stories to model-based accounts– Shift from why to how--purposes to mechanisms – BUT lack knowledge of critical parts of systems

From macroscopic to hierarchy of systems– Increased awareness of atomic-molecular and large-scale systems– BUT little success in connecting accounts at different levels

Increasing awareness of constraints on processes– Increasing awareness of conservation laws– BUT rarely successful in constraint-based reasoning

Increasing awareness of “invisible” parts of systems– Increasing detail and complexity – BUT gases, decomposers, connections between human and

natural systems remain “invisible”

TO DO LIST

Systematic review of literature Better assessments

- for inquiry (Practice 1)- for applications to citizenship (Practice 4)- Psychometric quality (BEAR assessment system)

Understanding pre-model-based reasoning in elementary students (and all of us)

- Embodied reasoning and inquiry- Storytelling and scientific accounts

Teaching experiments at upper elementary, middle school, and high school levels


MORE INFORMATION

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

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


SLIDES AFTER THIS ARE FOR BACKUP IN

RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS

NEXT STEPS

Continue literature review

Revise and expand assessmentsGreater emphasis on inquiry and citizenship

Develop “mini water units”

Conduct teaching experiments

Further articulation of “K-12 Water in Environmental Systems Learning Progression”


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

OCEAN WATERWhy can’t we use clean ocean water for drinking without treating it first?

Why can't we drink ocean water?

0

20

40

60

80

100

Too

sal

ty

bact

eria

/ger

ms

pollu

ted

harm

ful

othe

r

don'

t kno

w

did

not

answ

er

Per

cen

t Elementary

Middle

High

OCEAN WATERHow could you make ocean water drinkable?

How would you make ocean water drinkable?

0

20

40

60

80

100

Boi

l &

Con

dens

e

Boi

l onl

y

Filt

er

Cle

an/T

reat

Com

bina

tion

Oth

er

Did

not

answ

er

Per

cen

t

Middle

High

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

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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

PRACTICES 2 and 3: SCIENTIFIC ACCOUNTS and their APPLICATIONS

From stories to model-based accounts– Shift from why to how--purposes to mechanisms – BUT lack knowledge of critical parts of systems

From macroscopic to hierarchy of systems– Increased awareness of atomic-molecular and large-scale systems– BUT little success in connecting accounts at different levels

Increasing awareness of constraints on systems– Increasing awareness of conservation laws– BUT rarely successful in constraint-based reasoning

Increasing awareness of “invisible” parts of systems– Increasing detail and complexity – BUT gases, decomposers, connections between human and

natural systems remain “invisible”

Documents

LEARNING PROGRESSIONS TOWARD ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY Charles W. Anderson, Beth Covitt, Kristin Gunckel, Lindsey Mohan, In-Young Cho, Hui Jin, Christopher