Download - Learning Progressions in the Carbon Cycle
Karen Draney (University of California, Berkeley)Lindsey Mohan (Michigan State University)Philip Piety (University of Michigan)Jinnie Choi (University of California, Berkeley)
2007 AERA Annual Meeting, ChicagoSymposium on Learning Progressions
April 12, 2007
Overview of the Carbon Cycle project
Applying the BEAR Assessment System Theories around the Carbon Cycle progress variables Qualitative differences among student responses Describing & revising the levels More complications
Next Steps
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Environmental Science Literacy Project▪ Funded by National Science Foundation▪ The goal is to integrate Environmental Science Literacy into
contemporary K-12 curriculum▪ Expected products are 1) research-based learning
progressions, 2) assessment resources, and 3) teaching resources
Big Ideas▪ Environmental science literacy▪ Learning progressions
▪ Upper elementary (4th grade) – High school
▪ Progress variables
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Working groups▪ Carbon cycle/ Water cycle/ Biodiversity and evolution/
Connecting actions
We are now…▪ Developing learning progressions▪ Qualitatively analyzing assessment items and student
responses▪ Designing additional items▪ Developing accompanying teaching modules▪ Conducting teaching experiments
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Environmentally literate students are expected to be able to
apply fundamental principles to processes in coupled human and natural systems
Focuses of the Carbon Cycle project ▪ Systems: coupled human and natural systems▪ Processes: generation, modification, and oxidation of
organic carbon▪ Principles for scientific accounts: structure of systems,
tracing matter, tracing energy, change over time
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Progress Variables
Connections between progress variables and environmental science literacy
What is a connection between a car driving down the road, a tree growing in a forest, and global warming?
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CO2CO2CO2 CO2
Example: Tracing Matter Grandma Johnson (GRANJOHN)
Describe the path of a carbon atom from Grandma Johnson’s remains, to inside the leg muscle of a coyote. NOTE: The coyote does not dig up and consume any part of Grandma Johnson’s remains.
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?
Grandma Johnson
Plants
Decomposers
Herbivores
Coyote
Organic carbon
Organic carbon
Organic carb
on
Carbon dioxide
Generation of organic carbon- Photosynthesis
Modification of organic carbon - Food Chain
Oxidation of organic carbon
- Cellular Respiration
CRD does not have understanding of key processes: the process are very physical
CRD Identify changes by common sense of natural phenomena, but not as changes in materials and does not identify material kinds.
CRD: “A carbon atom from Grandma Johnson's remains sink into the ground and mixes with the soil. Then when the soil is mixed and churned, it rises to the top of the ground. When the coyote kills something upon that dirt, he may consume it and have some of the soil come with it, which produces him with Grandma Johnson's carbon atom.”
2007 AERA Annual Meeting
Grandma Johnson
Plants
Decomposers
Herbivores
Coyote
Soil
MCK describes the movement of carbon atom not necessarily through decomposers, but through a food chain.
MCK pays attention to hidden mechanism, but does not identify any material kinds.
MCK: “The carbon in grandma body is decomposed into the ground. The plants then use the fertile soil to use her carbon atoms. As the soil passes it to the plant, the plant is eventually eaten by the coyote. The carbon atom then travels to its leg.”
2007 AERA Annual Meeting
Grandma Johnson
Plants
Decomposers
Herbivores
Coyote
Soil
DES: “Grandma Johnson's remains decay and decomposers use respiration and turn it to carbon dioxide. The plants absorb the carbon dioxide. Rodents eat the plants and then the coyote eats the rodent.”
2007 AERA Annual Meeting
DES traces carbon atom through decomposers, photosynthesis, and food chain
DES correctly identifies reactants and products of individual chemical processes: identifies carbon dioxide, but not the organic carbon compounds in living organisms.
Grandma Johnson
Plants
Decomposers
Herbivores
Coyote
Carbon dioxide
CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONSES
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o CRD does not have understanding of key processes: the process are very physicalo CRD Identify changes by common sense of natural phenomena, but not as changes in materials and does not identify material kinds.
Tracing Matter: Material Kinds, Properties of Matter
7Correctly characterizes reactants and products of all processes in terms of how they affect organic carbon compounds
6
Correctly identifies reactants and products of individual chemical processes: Substances/molecules and the elements/atoms of which they are composed.
5Correctly identifies some reactants and products of single chemical process, and solids, liquids, and gases involved.
4Correctly identifies some reactants and products of single chemical process, and solids, liquids, but not gases involved.
3 Attention to hidden mechanism, but cannot identify any material kinds
2Identify changes by common sense of natural phenomena, but not as changes in materials and cannot identify material kinds.
1 Egocentric/Naturalistic Reasoning: Respondents use human analogy to explain the changes in materials
oMCK describes the movement of carbon atom not necessarily through decomposers, but through a food chain.oMCK pays attention to hidden mechanism, but does not identify any material kinds.
◦ DES traces carbon atom through decomposition, photosynthesis, and food chain◦ DES correctly identifies reactants and products of individual chemical processes: identifies carbon dioxide, but not the organic carbon compounds in living organisms.
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PROCESSES MATERIAL KINDS
14
EventsEvents
Hidden mechanismsHidden mechanisms
Incomplete descriptions of chemical reactions
Incomplete descriptions of chemical reactions
Complete chemical reactionin single organism
Complete chemical reactionin single organism
Not identifying materialsNot identifying materials
Recognizing materials are made of smaller parts
Recognizing materials are made of smaller parts
Recognizing some reactants and products, such as CO2
Recognizing some reactants and products, such as CO2
Recognizing complete reactants and products, including organic materials
in processes
Recognizing complete reactants and products, including organic materials
in processes
Multiple reactions in multiple systemsMultiple reactions in multiple systems
Refine assessments (current) Work on other progress variables Designing additional items Items revision based on the levels of scaffolding Quantitative analyses of item responses
Conduct teaching experiments to… Refine understanding of how students engage with and learn about
environmental science
Use research to… Inform development of curriculum materials Inform development of new standards for formal K-12 science education
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Environmental Literacy research groups▪ Michigan State University▪ Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network▪ University of California, Berkeley▪ University of Michigan▪ Northwestern University▪ AAAS Project 2061
Visit our websites at…▪ Environmental Literacy website
▪ http://edr1.educ.msu.edu/EnvironmentalLit/index.htm
▪ Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research (BEAR) Center▪ http://bearcenter.berkeley.edu
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