Using Computers to Learn Chemistry Through Water Analysisrwilczew/MCEP HMK... · 2007. 11. 12. · Wilczewski 2006 Mini Grant Final Report ADJUSTED FOR WEB.doc page - 1 - Using Computers

Wilczewski 2006 Mini Grant Final Report ADJUSTED FOR WEB.docpage - 1 -

Using Computers to Learn Chemistry

Through Water Analysis

Final Grant Follow Up Report

Richard Wilczewski

MCEP Program

University of Pennsylvania

Due: June 25, 2007


1. Project Summary

Background

This project has its origins in a 2001 chemistry field trip composed of high schoolstudents who canoed one of the rivers in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. This trip becamean annual event. The trip did not include any specifically designed chemistry lessons. Itcertainly did not include any lab ware or computers or high tech probe ware. The tripparticipants were asked to consider appreciating the environment around them and toimagine the chemistry connection to the content learned in the classroom thought the useof antidotal environmentally inspired stories.

Gradually we acquired some inexpensive paper testing strips and began to test forthe presence of phosphates, nitrates and pH. It wasn’t until the MCE Program Grant thatthe trip began to take on the real form of a classroom in the outdoors.

In 2005 the MCE Grant Program awarded us Vernier probe ware. The probe wareenabled the students to collect quantitative data that had far more significance than thesubjective matching of colored test strips.

In 2006 the MCE Grant Program enabled the students to experience real time dataresults because the program awarded a lab top that could be brought into the field.

It is my hope to continue to improve this educational experience, in the years tocome, with the assistance of MCEP grants and by applying for other grants. The MCEProgram has given my students more that just grants. It has given me the ability andconfidence to apply for other grants.

2006 Improvement Goals

The purpose of the program improvements made in 2006 was to provide studentswith an enriched learning experience by using a new lap top computer to utilize existingprobe ware to perform labs that enable students to learn chemistry by engaging in handson testing of the water quality of a pond near their community which was located in thesurrounding wild lands.

The addition of a portable computer to the project has enabled the students toview their data collection in real time. Making the experience more immediatelygratifying as well as more visual and more readily understandable.

This year the students were able to have a “real world” experience of Chemistry,and to make more immediate and stronger connections between their everyday lives andthe chemistry that they learn in the classroom. The students actually measured the pH,nitrates ions, hardness, and chloride ions levels of water collected from a local pond andviewed their results on the computer screen while in the field.


2. Project Outcomes & Evidence

The Importance of This Project

The project is important because it enabled the students to see their data on the computerscreen in real time.


Project Outcomes & Evidence (continued)

The project is important because it helped students relate the chemistry learned intheir classroom to their everyday lives. See the student survey below and other surveyscontained in the survey book. Note that the student below admits that what he has learnedin class in the past was seldom important or relevant to his life. As a result of theactivities on this trip he professes to having a change in attitude.



The project was important because lessons that relate to everyday lives form lifelong memories and life long memories enable long-term retention and subsequent futureapplication of the concepts learned during those lessons. See the student survey below.

This student is planning to use chemistry to help him fish. I am not a seasonedfisherman and I am not sure how pH relates to the location of fish. However I find thequestion interesting. More importantly this is an attempt to apply knowledge to a newarea of interest; and that attempt is what is important here. If we can stimulate students toapply knowledge to new areas we have succeeded.



The objectives of this project are met when students can describe how chemistry relatesto their own lives. See the Non-Experimental Conclusion in the student lab reportbelow.



The instructional objectives of this project were met because students were able touse existing logger pro software on the new laptop in order to analyze stream water forPolyatomic ions.



Other Adult Faculty Involvement

Tom Loschiavo, another MCEP graduate, assisted in the project as a co-teacher.Tom and I are both teaching chemistry at Moorestown High.

The decision of the grant committee to award the laptop computer was extremelyproductive because it enabled another teacher, Tom Loschiavo, in the photograph belowon the far right, to contribute to the over all project by designing and implementing anew computer component to the water analysis field trip.



Other Adult Faculty Involvement

Three other teachers besides myself, were involved in the trip. Mrs. BethGlennon, on the far left, is a math teacher . I have had several conversations with herabout including math students in future trips. The prime candidates are students who areconcurrently taking math and chemistry. Ms. Ayanna Boxley in the middle is anenvironmental science teacher. She is also considering bringing her students on futuretrips. On the far right is Tom Loschiavo who designed and implemented a newcomponent to the computer water analysis performed on the trip.



Additional Evidence of A Life Long Memory

This field trip and its computer related activities were also documented on film.Three different video camera and one digital still camera were taken on the trip. Astudent took one of the videos. The student asked if he could edit his work and present itto the class. A copy of that video is included with this report and will be playing duringthe poster board presentation.

The viewer should note that this video has been taken by a student and, as such,gives a good representation of the student’s viewpoint. This video was quite differentfrom that taken by the teachers in that the student video focused on the fun parts of thetrip but not the scientific parts. This video is valuable because of its student vantagepoint.

One of the most important goals for this project is the one that is most easilyforgotten by teachers. That goal is to create a life long memory. This student made videois evidence indication that this goal was achieved .

The still pictures will also be displayed during the poster presentations and areincluded with this report.


3. My Evaluation of the Project

An attempt was made to measure the chances in student attitude and abilities byusing surveys and cogenerative dialogues. Student performance on chemistry tests werealso noted as indicators of academic progress. This is another skill set that I acquiredfrom the MCEP courses. The education courses have enabled me not only to bring aboutpositive changes in the classroom but also to construct and implement tools by whichthose changes can be measured.

Observations of students’ classroom performance, before and after the trip, aswell as analysis of the surveys and cogenerative dialogues indicated that the goals of thisproject has been met, for the most part and there is much room for improvement.

The below observations concerning this field trip and the use of a computer tolearn chemistry were made as a part of a catalytic activity that was undertaking to meetthe requirements of Education course Educ 636, Advanced Topics in ChemistryEducation. This course was taken, during the MCE Program, during the fall and spring of2006-2007 at the University of Pennsylvania.

One of the objectives of the Educ 636 catalytic activity was to apply for a grant,to ask for material to improve the annual chemistry field trip. The grant I applied for wasthis MCEP grant. As an additional requirement of this catalytic activity I wrote a paper,which described the catalytic activity in detail. The computer acquired by this grant ispart of a larger project to improve education.

In order to understand the role that this MCEP grant has had in the larger educationalproject I encourage the reader to also read this paper titled Improving Critical ThinkingSkills & Chemistry Education Using The Classroom of the Great Outdoors. This paperhas been attached to the appendix of this report.

Below please find my observations regarding the success of this project.

“The students who participated in the field trip improved their performance ontests requiring the recall of ion names and formulas by an average of 8% while theaverage of the students that remained in the classroom declined by 1.5 %. This indicatesthat the trip experience had a positive effect on the students’ ability to recall the namesand formulas of ions.

Analysis of the student surveys and audio recordings of the cogenerativedialogues indicated that there was significant change in student attitudes towardschemistry and towards the environment. Most of the students surveyed reported that theynow saw the importance of chemistry not only in their own lives but also in regards to itsrole in shaping the environment both for good and bad. One of the students commented,“Chemistry or the use of chemistry by big business is causing harm to theirenvironment.” Her perception of chemistry before participating in the filed trip wasextremely negative. She associated chemistry with smog and pollution and global


warming. Now she realizes that chemistry can also be the tool by which we can undo thedamage and prevent future damage.

Regarding the role of students as future stewards of the environment the tripseems to have had a positive influence. Both in the surveys and In the cogenerativedialogues the students stated that given a choice as consumers they would choose topurchase more environmental friendly products over less friendly products. In additionmore than half of the students who participated in the field trip said that environmentalissues will definitely influence choices that they will make in the future as votingcitizens.’

4. Improvements

There is much room for improvement. Below I have described several of thepotential areas for improvement.

There could be more students involved with the computer station for longerperiods of time. Although the computer offered the most immediate and satisfyingfeedback and real time data, there was only one computer station.

Students would bring their samples up to the computer one student at a time.Although each student had the opportunity to analyzed their sample using the computer,each student only spent a few minutes actually in front of the computer while the otherstudents conducted other parts of the water analysis. The obvious solution to thischallenge is to acquire additional computers and additional probes over time.

This project could be improved by taking more students. Since students have topay for the bus this goal could be accomplished with addition funding. Local businessesmight be a good source for this type of support.

The productivity of students in the field could be improved if they had pre-tripcomputer training. This would enable them to be familiar with the data logger programbefore they actually used it in the field. This could be accomplished by reschedulingsome chemistry labs to occur before the trip.

The project could be improved by having the students write another formal labreport that focused on the computer generated data. The students did one formal labreport that focused on the hardness test that was completed on the water samples. Perhapscombining the reports into one larger report might be the best answer.

We could also improve the trip by training the other teachers in the use of thecomputer and probe ware before the trip. This might be offered as a professionaldevelopment in our district. This would go hand in hand with the MCEP supported goalof encouraging teachers to work together collaboratively.


Appendix


Improving Critical Thinking Skills&

Chemistry Education

Using The Classroom of the Great Outdoors

Richard Wilczewski

Teacher: Dr. Dr. Sonya N. Martin

EDU 636: Catalytic Activity Proposal

University of Pennsylvania

Due April 21, 2007

Last Revised April 8, 2007


Original Proposal Goal

For my catalytic activity I hoped to make substantial progress towards theformation of an active Environmental Education Outreach Project in my community.Below I have outlined my expectations for this project. I realize that the scope and depthof this project goes beyond the limits of what could be accomplished within theboundaries of this assignment. I do not expect to be able to complete all the steps of thisproject within the confines of this course. However I will make substantial progress inthose key areas that will help sustain and propel the project into the future.

Pre-Activity ReflectionExamination and reflection upon aspects of my current teaching practice in order to determine anarea that has potential for improvement.

Upon reflection I have realized that I could do more to make science “real” and“alive” for my students. As I have learned in the MCE Program there is literature tosupport the fact that students learn more content and retain more content when theyperceive the material to be relevant to their lives. One of the ways that I have tried tobring relevance to the students is by taking them on a chemistry field trip. I was please tolearn that several of my cohort members also run similar field trips. After talking withthem, I realize that I have just scratched the surface in this area and that there is muchpotential for improvement.

I could do more trips to different locations. I could expand the activities that thestudents engage in on these trips as well as before and after the trips. I could expand thebase group from which participants are invited, to include students taught by otherteachers, as well as young men and women outside the traditional school setting, such asmembers of the local boy/girl scout Venture Crew 74. Someday perhaps this projectcould include students from other schools. I could leverage energy put into this projectby recruiting other teachers, not to act as chaperones, but rather to help develop their ownoutdoor activities and lesson plans. I could seek out support from the community in theway of funding and resources.

Literature

Literature supports the fact that students learn more and retain more content whenthey perceive the material to be relevant to their lives (Germinario, 2000). Currentresearch on the brain and learning, proposes that the human brain is designed to filter outstimuli that are initially perceived as irrelevant. The brain processes and storesinformation that has strong connections to previously learned material (Germinario,2000). In this way the acquisition, storage and revival of knowledge is dependent uponthe perceived relevance of the curriculum content. Research reveals that there is a strongcorrelation between the meaning a student attaches to a lesson and the student’smotivational level to engage in learning the topic of that lesson (Germinario, 2000).


According to Ernst and Monroe (2004), engagement in an environmental-basedprogram has a positive effect not only on students’ critical thinking skills, but also ontheir disposition towards critical thinking.

Howe and Warren (1998) state that critical thinking skills are absolutely essentialto the proper functioning of our society as it is today as it and as it will grow in the future.They have shown that environmental education can be utilized as an effective tool tocultivate critical thinking in today’s youth. Their work suggests that the extent to whichwe are successful in enabling our youth to think critically and the extent to which wepredispose them to choose to utilize that skill on a daily basis, is the extent to whichsociety will flourish or flounder.

It is within the light of this vantage point, that I have undertaken this quest, toutilize the classroom of the great outdoors, under the name of “environmental education”to better teach chemistry and the critical thinking skills required by chemistry, to studentswho may or may not become chemists, but who will become good “thinking” citizensand stewards of the future.

Measurement of Changes in Student Abilities & Attitudes

As an historical note this catalytic activity is a much improved extension of thecollaborative action research that was started in Educ 536 during the fall of 2004. A copyof that report can be found on the author’s web site (www.mrwilczewski.com)

The study conducted in 2004 focused on measuring how the students changedtheir ability to perform on an ions tests, as well as how their motivation to learn waschanged by the trip. This activity is focused on measuring changes in critical thinkingskills and changes in “thinking as good citizens and stewards of the future.”

Three measuring instruments were use to measure student change. Thesequestions were given to trip participants and non-participants so that their answers couldbe compared. The comparison between the answers provided evidence of the effect of thetrip on student thinking and attitudes.

The Critical Thinking Survey & Dialogue Questions (see appendix) was used tomeasure the changes in critical thinking skills. In addition the students engaged in a posttrip cogenerative dialogue.

In order to uncover any changes in student attitude and “thinking as good citizensand stewards of the future environment of the planet” the students participated in asecond paper survey and dialogue. See The Attitude Survey & Dialogue Questions in theappendix.

The students also generated a lab report based upon the results of their waterquality testing. In the report the students were asked to discuss their finding. They werealso asked to write a second conclusion, which addressed changes in their attitudes


towards chemistry and the environment. See Formal Lab Report Conclusions in theappendix.

The Original Plan “Development of a plan for changing my practice”

In order to accomplish the goal of utilizing the classroom of the great outdoors,under the name of “environmental education” to better teach chemistry and the criticalthinking skills required by chemistry, I plan to do the following.

Complete and mail or otherwise cause to be submitted, to the United StatesGovernment, the application for the letter of recognition of exemption undersection 501(c.)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. This will be done under thename of “The Council for Environmental Education” a non-profit corporation Iformed for the purpose of environmental education. This is necessary in order tobegin applying for most grants, because many grants are awarded only toorganizations with nonprofit status.

Complete the application for at least one grant, to any source, pertaining to one ormore environmental education related trips or activities. Note the actualsubmission of the grant may require possession of the above-mentioned letter ofrecognition of exemption. The MCEP Grant will qualify for this requirement.

Plan, organize, and execute a field trip to Pinetree Environmental EducationCenter in Tabernacle NJ to test the pond water and conduct other learningactivities related to the subjects of Chemistry and Environmental Science.

Revise and improve the chemistry water quality testing field trip as follows Reach out to community resources by hosting the field trip at a location

different from that of last year. Last year’s trip was held at Atsion Lake,Atsion, NJ. The new trip will be held at the Pinetree EnvironmentalEducation Center in Tabernacle NJ.

Include a miniaturized version of the water hardness test lab that wasperformed during the Environmental Chemistry Course of the MCEPprogram during the summer of 2006 Field trip to the Wissahickon Creek.

Have students execute a pre-trip activity designed to improve theirperformance and enjoyment of the field trip labs and activities.

Design a post trip activity that will bring closure to the students whoparticipated in the trip and will provide them with the opportunity to teachother students, who did not participate in the trip, how to execute the watertesting experiments. This activity will also serve as a conduit by whichthe benefits of the field trip can be shared with those students who couldnot participate in the trip.

Invite another chemistry teacher to participate in the trip as an active“owner” co-leader. Encourage and support that teacher to design his /herown activities for the trip that relate to their curriculum and that havefollow up activities that can be used in their classroom.


Invite another teacher from a slightly different discipline such asenvironmental Science or Mathematics to become an observer and activeparticipant in the trip.

Encourage other teachers to invite students from their classrooms on ourfield trip. Note in the past only students from my class were invited on thetrips.

Plan organize and intent to execute the following Coed-Venture Crew 74 fieldtrips for youth outside the traditional school walls in order to expand the basegroup from which participants are invited to include young men and womenoutside the traditional school setting.

Cold Weather Trip To Harriman State Forest to Retrieve WaterSamplesand Measure Overnight Temperature

Winter Trip to Runoff Streams and Springs on Mount Adams inLowe, NH.

Canoeing & Water Sampling Expedition to The Allagash River inNorthern Maine.

The Original Evaluation Criteria“Consider in advance of implementing the change, how you will be able to evaluate theeffect (student survey, data from test scores, interview with parents, teachers, or students,video analysis of your teaching)”

I will evaluate the success of the overall project by the completion of at least 51%of the above listed items before the due date of the project and by the completion of theevaluation (positive or negative) of the first field trip to the Pinetree EnvironmentalEducation Center as described below.

I will evaluate the success of the field trip by interviewing students and possiblyother teachers concerning their opinions of the effects of field trips on learning andstudent attitude. I will ask questions similar to those below.

What was your overall impression of the trip? What evidence, if any, did you see for learning that occurred during the trip? What were the effective benefits or detriments of the trip? Did you witness any changes in attitude of students during the trip or after the

trip? What were they? Please be specific. Do you thing the trip is worth repeating ….why or why not?

TimelineThis project was undertaking within a time line that started in September 0f 2006

and continued until Aril of 2007. The specific timeline can be found in the appendix.


Analysis and Final Findings

The students who participated in the field trip improved their performance on testsrequiring the recall of ion names and formulas by an average of 8% while the average ofthe students that remained in the classroom declined by 1.5 %. This is indicates that thetrip experience had a positive effect on the students’ ability to recall the name sandformulas of ions.

Analysis of the student surveys and audio recordings of the cogenerativedialogues indicated that there was significant change in student attitudes towardschemistry and towards the environment. All of the students survey reported that they nowsaw the importance of chemistry not only in their own lives but also in regards to its rolein shaping the environment both for good and bad. One of the students commented,“Chemistry or the use of chemistry by big business is causing harm to theirenvironment.” Her perception of chemistry before participating in the filed trip wasextremely negative. She associated chemistry with smog and pollution and globalwarming. Now she realizes that chemistry can also be the tool by which we can undo thedamage and prevent future damage.

There was evidence of improved critical thinking skills contained in the criticalthink surveys and the formal lab reports. Students correctly referred to the unitcancellations in the calculations water hardness lab as proof of the existence of CaCO3

ions in the water samples. However there seems to something lacking in thismeasurement process. The lab procedure clearly delineated the process of calculatingCaCO3 ions. Are the students really exercising critical thinking or are the just followingthe cookbook procedures? How can we tell the difference? This is an area in need ofimprovement. If anyone reading this report knows of a better way to measure criticalthinking skills please contact the author.

Regarding the role of students as future stewards of the environment the tripseems to have had a positive influence. Both in the surveys and In the cogenerativedialogues the students stated that given a choice as consumers they would chose topurchase more environmental friendly products over less friendly products. In additionmore that half of the students who participated in the field trip said that environmentalissues will definitely influence choices that they will make in the future as votingcitizens.

In the final analysis all of the goals were not met. However much more than 51%of the goals were achieved to a satisfactory level. Fifty-one percent was set as the benchmark for success. That being said the author is disappointed but not discouraged thatmore was not achieved.

In order to accomplish the goal of utilizing the classroom of the great outdoors,under the name of “environmental education” to better teach chemistry and the criticalthinking skills required by chemistry, the following results are reported:


The application for the letter of recognition of exemption under section 501(c.)(3)of the Internal Revenue Code was started but not completed at the time of thiswriting.

The application for one grant, the MCEP grant was completed and the grant wasreceived. The grant provided an IBM Think Pad laptop that was used on the filedtrip to enable the students to measure the concentration of ions in the watersamples.

A field trip to Pinetree Environmental Education Center in Tabernacle NJ wasplanned , organize, and executed to test the pond water and conduct learningactivities related to the subjects of Chemistry and Environmental Science.

The chemistry water quality testing field trip was improved as follows Community resources were utilized by hosting the field trip at a new

location. The trip was held at the Pinetree Environmental EducationCenter in Tabernacle NJ.

The trip activities included a miniaturized version of the water hardnesstest lab that was performed during the Environmental Chemistry Course ofthe MCEP program during the summer of 2006 Field trip to theWissahickon Creek.

Students executed a pre-trip activity designed to improve theirperformance and enjoyment of the field trip labs and activities.

Students also participated in a post trip activity that brought closure to thetrip and provided the trip participants with the opportunity to teach otherstudents, who did not participate in the trip, how to execute the watertesting experiments. This activity also served as a conduit by which thebenefits of the field trip were shared with those students who could notparticipate in the trip.

Tom Loschiavo, MCEP graduate from cohort 2 was not only invited onthe trip he also participated as a co-creator, “owner” and co-leader. Mr.Loschiavo used the MCEP Grant computer to design a whole new PC-probe component to the trip. With his help students were able to use thecomputer to measure more ions more accurately than on any previous fieldtrip. This activity was related to the Honors Chemistry curriculum andthat had follow up activities that were used in the classroom.

Other teachers from the disciplines of environmental Science andMathematics were invited and participated in the trip.

These other teachers were encouraged to but did not invite students fromtheir classrooms on the field trip.

The program was extended beyond the school walls by conducting the Coed-Venture Crew 74 cold weather overnight trip to Harriman State Forest wherewater samples were retrieved for measurement.


In terms of improving instruction in the classroom, and improving students’ skillsand influencing their attitudes, this activity was a success. In terms of expanding theprogram by forming a non-profit vehicle in order to raises funds and expand our area ofinfluence we still have a long way to go.

Reflection Upon the Implementation of the Plan “Reflect upon the activity andgive a bases for the analysis”

Upon reflection this catalytic Activity ha been an opportunity to integrate some ofthe best practices from the MCE Program into one’s teaching repertoire. This writtenreport has enabled the author to reflect upon this experience. Because this project was notmeant to be an in-depth study over a long period of time, the author has not dwelled toomuch on the detailed data resulting from the students’ test results, surveys and dialogues.Although the data is very tempting it is secondary to the real purpose of this activity.

Rather than being an in-depth pedagogical study, this project was more like anexercise in developing a Habit of Mind. The exercise and the resulting Habit of Mind gosomething like this. First the teacher develops a do-able plan for bringing aboutmeaningful, positive, and sustainable change in their classroom. The plan should be onethe teacher is familiar with, although a certain degree of discomfort is acceptable,because after all this should be a stretching / growing experience. The plan shouldinclude a vision of how the classroom should be, as well as a means for measuring itssuccess or failure. After executing the plan the teacher reflects on how close or how faraway the actual results of the plan are from the intended vision and why. The self-reflection not only results in a conclusion but also in a new plan that again will beimplemented and tested. The results of which will be and reflected upon etc.

This cycle of inventing, implementing, testing, and reflection is a Habit of Mind.By adopting this habit, and engaging in this repeating cycle of invention-reflection, theauthor of this report intends to engaging in a lifetime of making small, positive stepswhich improve his teaching even after he leaves the program.


Appendix To The Catalytic Activity


References

Ernst, Julie; Monroe, Martha; ( 2004) The Effects of Environment-Based Education on

Students' Critical Thinking Skills and Disposition toward Critical Thinking.

Journal of Environmental Education Research v10 n4 p507-522 Nov 2004 ERIC

#: EJ680718

Germinario , V. & Cram H. G., (2000) Leading and learning in schools: Brain-Based

practices. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press Inc.

Howe, Robert W.; Warren, Charles R.; (1989) Teaching Critical Thinking through

Environmental Education. ERIC/SMEAC Environmental Education Digest No. 2.

ERIC #: ED324193


Catalytic Activity Rubric: This rubric was left in place for the convince of the instructor.

Category Satisfactory(S)

NeedsImprovement

(NI)GENERAL MECHANICSPaper includes title, date, and name SPaper was submitted on time (December 3, 2006) SMechanics – grammar and spelling are correct SPaper is well organized and formatted for ease of reading. SPaper is written with enough detail to understand what the catalyticactivity will address.

S

EVIDENCE OF REFLECTIVE PRACTICECandidate examines and reflects upon some aspect of their currentteaching practice.

S

Candidate determines an area in which they want to try and improvetheir practice.

S

EVIDENCE OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE EDUCATIONCandidate briefly considers how current research supports this changein practice as a positive direction for improving science education byciting the literature that supports/ examines this particular teachingpractice.

S

PLAN FOR CATALYTIC ACTIVITY EXPLAINEDCandidate presents a well-developed plan for changing their practice. SPLAN FOR EVALUATING EFFECT OF ACTIVITYCandidate provides a plan, in advance of implementing the change,detailing how they will be able to evaluate the effect of the catalyticactivity (student survey, data from test scores, interview with parents,teachers, or students, video analysis of your teaching)

NI

TIME LINE FOR IMPLEMENTING CATALYTIC ACTIVITYCandidate provides a reasonable, detailed timeline for implementingcatalytic activity and evaluation of activity.

S

TEACHER REFLECTION PAPER (PART 2) NACandidate will produce a formal paper reflecting upon the changesmade based on an analysis of the some aspect of this process.SHARING CATALYTIC ACTIVITY WITH COMMUNITY (PART 2)Candidate will share what was learned with peers in a mini-presentation of catalytic project on the last day of classes usingPowerPoint or ePortfolio. More details will be provided closer todate.

NA

TimelineThis project was undertaking within a time line that started in September 0f 2006

and continued until Aril of 2007. The specific timeline can be found below.


Catalytic Activity Timeline by Rich Wilczewski

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Ap

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8

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12/3

1

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50

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Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr

2006 2007


Attitude Survey & Dialogue Questions

Complete the below questions as honesty and sincerely as you are able.

1. Did the lab/ field trip change how you feel about chemistry?

2. How do you think chemistry can be used as a tool to improve our understandingof the environment?

3. Do you think chemistry and knowledge of chemicals could be used to harm yourenvironment? Explain.

4. How do you think chemistry can be used to protect the environment? Explain.

5. List three ways you might use your knowledge of chemistry, as an adult, to makebetter decisions as a voting citizen and active consumer in today’s society.

Reread you answers to the above questions. Take a few minutes to reflect on howyour experience of the field trip ( or experience in the lab) may have influence youranswers to the above questions. Please explain in detail.


Formal Lab Report Conclusions

The students were asked to generate a lab report based upon the results of their waterquality testing. In the conclusion of the report they were asked to discuss their finding.They were also asked to write a second conclusion. In the second conclusion the studentswere asked to address the following questions

1. In your experience did the field trip/ lab influence how you think and feel aboutchemistry and the real world around you.

2. How will this experience influence how you will make decisions in the future as avoting citizen of the planet earth

Critical Thinking Survey & Dialogue QuestionsIn order to measure the changes in critical thinking skills I intent to interview the studentsusing a paper survey and a cogenerative dialogue that addresses the following questions.

1. How does the field trip relate to the water-testing lab performed in class?

2. What did you discover about the pond water, the tap water and the well water?

3. How can you prove that what you discovered about each water sample above istrue?

4. If you were a participant on the chemistry field trip of November 28, 2005 reflectupon how your experience on the field trip influenced your thinking regarding thiswater-testing lab.

5. If you did not participate in the actual field trip please indicate how viewing thevideo of the trip influenced your perception of this water-testing lab.


Bibliography

The below list contains articles that were discovered in the research process but that werenot specifically cite in the final paper. These references are included for the benefit offuture study. Should the author or someone else decide to resume this study the belowarticles provide a starting point.

Cameron, J., (2001) Negative effects of reward on intrinsic motivation--A limited

phenomenon: Comment on Deci, Koestner, and Ryan. Review of Educational

Research. 71 n1, 29-42.

Deci, E. L., Koetner, R., & Ryan, R. M.(2001) Extrinsic rewards and intrinsic motivation

in education: Reconsidered once again. Review of Educational Research. 71, 1-

27.

Dika, S., Granville, M., Singh, S., (2002) Mathematics and science achievement: Effects

of motivation, interest, and academic engagement. The Journal of Educational

Research 95 no6, 323-32..

Ernst, Julie; Monroe, Martha; ( 2004) The Effects of Environment-Based Education on

Students' Critical Thinking Skills and Disposition toward Critical Thinking.

Journal of Environmental Education Research v10 n4 p507-522 Nov 2004 ERIC

#: EJ680718

Germinario , V. & Cram H. G., (2000) Leading and learning in schools: Brain-Based

practices. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press Inc.

Howe, Robert W.; Warren, Charles R.; (1989) Teaching Critical Thinking through

Environmental Education. ERIC/SMEAC Environmental Education Digest No. 2.

ERIC #: ED324193


Landis, Carol (1996) Teaching Science in the Field. ERIC Digest. Source: ERIC

Clearinghouse for Science Mathematics and Environmental Education Columbus

OH. Publication Date: 1996-09-00

Manzanal, R. Fernandez; Barreiro, L. M. Rodriguez; Jimenez, M. Casal; (1999)

Relationship between Ecology Fieldwork and Student Attitudes toward

Environmental Protection. Journal of Research in Science Teaching. v36 n4 p431-

53 Apr 1999 from Wiley InterScience.

Palardy, J. M., (1999) Some strategies for motivating students. NASSP Bulletin. 83

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Sagor, R., (2002) Lessons from skateboarders. Educational Leadership. 60 n1 ,34-38.

Todd, John J. ., Ed (1997) Earthlinks ’97 Proceedings of the biennial NationalConference of the Australian Association for Environmental Education andMarine Education Society of Australasia (9th, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia,January 13-17, 1997) Australian Association for Environmental Education,Tasmania. Tasmanian Branch ISBN –0-9586537-5-5 ERIC ED446 893


Original Grant Application

Attached

Documents

Using Computers to Learn Chemistry Through Water Analysisrwilczew/MCEP HMK... · 2007. 11. 12. · Wilczewski 2006 Mini Grant Final Report ADJUSTED FOR WEB.doc page - 1 - Using Computers