goals of the workshop

Goals of the Workshop

By the end of the workshop participants will:

• Brainstorm a Project-Based Science activity around the issue of Energy Conservation

How Are You Intelligent?The Benefits of Knowing Your

Students

Learning about the Environment via Science

Problem-Based Science (PBS) instructions as a means of

teaching SVN3E and SVN3M

Stewart Grant

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)

Why Environmental Science?

Why Environmental Science?

Recommendation # 1Develop 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)

The Policy Document

Other Ministry Resources

Why Environmental Science?

Recommendation # 18In 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)

The Piloting of an Environmental Focus Course in

Science

Demographic Map

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)

The Course

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)

“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)

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

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)

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 monthsThomas and Megendoller 2000; Krajcik, Czerniak, and Berger 2002

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)

Air Biofilter Project

Goal of the Project• To construct and monitor a functioning air

biofilter.

Air Biofilter Project

Expectations covered

during the completion of

the project

Biofilter Project Sequence

• Up Close & Toxic Video and Sick Building Syndrome discussion

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

Biofilter Project Sequence

Biofilter Project Sequence

• Biowall at Queen’s Universityhttp://livebuilding.queensu.ca/green_features/biowall

Biofilter Project Sequence

• Biowall at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Information Systems in Infrastructure & Constructionhttp://i2c.engineering.utoronto.ca/I2C/About.aspx

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

Biofilter Project Construction

Biofilter Project Construction

Biofilter Project Construction

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

Peer Evaluation

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

Resource

• Each complete project outline contains:• An overview of the project

Resource

• Each complete project outline contains:• Checkpoints to assess students for learning

Resource

• Each complete project outline contains:• Suggested lesson sequence

Reference to worksheets that can be used during 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

Resource

• Each complete project outline contains:• Classroom tested

worksheets

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.

Student Achievement

• Technology

• Numeracy

• Literacy

• Attendance

• Skill Development (ownership, self-directed learners)

• Responsible Citizens

Success Stories

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?

Energy Conservation

Big Ideas

• The impact of energy production and consumption on environmental sustainability depends on which resources and energy production methods are used.

Contact

• Stewart Grant Stewart.Grant@tdsb.on.ca