Location
University of Nevada Las Vegas, Student Union Room 207
Start Date
6-3-2009 10:30 AM
End Date
6-3-2009 12:00 PM
Description
MORNING CONCURRENT TRACK 1: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR K-12 STUDENTS TO THINK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY IN THE WESTERN U.S.? Moderator Kent Crippen Student Union Room 207 Ellen Ebert - Using the STS/EEE Model in 6-12 Curriculum to Understand the Sustainability Issues Related to the Colorado River System (repeats Afternoon Concurrent Session #1) Abstract: Beginning in 1982, the National Science Teachers Association called for curriculum designers to develop materials that demonstrate the interconnectedness among science, technology and societal issues while presenting both positive and negative influences. This session will focus on using the STS/EEE learning model to design curriculum for secondary science that emphasizes sustainability issues focused on the Colorado River system. The presentation will outline the essential features of the STS/EEE model, then engage participants in applying the model in a novel situation. Rebecca Reichenbach – CCSD Action Research: Understanding the Urban Heat Island Effect (repeats Afternoon Concurrent Session #1) Abstract: Due to the unique placement of Western High School within a concrete and asphalt island and a result construction project to rebuild it, a group of science teachers from Western High became interested in how the new construction would affect the urban heat island footprint of their school. A student project was developed to track and document the construction process over a two-year timeframe. The participating teachers used action research to study the impact of the project on their teaching practice and student learning. Three inquiry-style laboratory activities were created to teach students about heat concepts and the effect of heat islands. A misconceptions survey, along with student journaling, were used as data sources for determining changes in student understanding. Results show significant conceptual change in the grade 9 students, with less significant change for the older student population. This presentation will describe the research context, process, and its impact on participating students and teachers. Allison Brody, Amy Page – Environmental Literacy as an Indicator for Urban Sustainability Abstract: For sustainability initiatives to be successful, citizens must have the knowledge, action skills, and motivation to support and participate in these initiatives. In other words, Urban Sustainability will not be successful unless our citizens are environmentally literate. The responsibility for creating this “environmentally literate” citizenry should fall in large part to educators, both in the formal and non-formal sectors. Therefore, these educators need a clear understanding of the specific knowledge and action skills that our citizens need. In this session, we will explore the competencies that citizens need to engage in sustainability practices in Nevada, and how educators can incorporate these competencies into their curricula and programs. Marcel Parent, Signa Gundlach – Sustainability Education at the Springs Preserve: Broad Strokes and Targeting Standards Abstract: Sustainability is a rather unwieldy and challenging area in education. From the broad but vague concepts defining it, to the innumerable sectors of human activities in which it applies, learning about sustainability is at the same time wonderfully simple and terrible complex. This presentation will introduce the participants to some of the approaches taken at the Springs Preserve to make learning about sustainability an engaging experience that will impact future behavior.
Keywords
Climatic changes – Study and teaching (Secondary); Curriculum planning; Forums (Discussion and debate); Global warming – Study and teaching (Secondary); North America -- Colorado River Valley; Sustainability – Study and teaching
Disciplines
Climate | Curriculum and Instruction | Environmental Sciences | Fresh Water Studies | Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching | Natural Resources and Conservation | Science and Mathematics Education | Sustainability
Rebecca Reichenbach-CCSD Action Research: Understanding the Urban Heat Island Effect, 13 PowerPoint slides
ABrody_EnvironLiteracy_USIConf_PPt_03-06-2009.pdf (1749 kB)
Allison Brody, Amy Page-Envrionmental Literacy as an Indicator for Urban Sustainability, 19 PowerPoint slides
MParent_SustainEducSpringsPres_USIConf_PPt_03-06-2009.pdf (1192 kB)
Marcel Parent, Signa Gundlach-Sustainability Education at the Springs Preserve: Broad Strokes and Targeting Standards, 11 PowerPoint slides
Included in
Climate Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Fresh Water Studies Commons, Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Science and Mathematics Education Commons, Sustainability Commons
Morning concurrent track 1: What does it mean for K-12 students to think about sustainability in the Western U.S.?
University of Nevada Las Vegas, Student Union Room 207
MORNING CONCURRENT TRACK 1: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR K-12 STUDENTS TO THINK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY IN THE WESTERN U.S.? Moderator Kent Crippen Student Union Room 207 Ellen Ebert - Using the STS/EEE Model in 6-12 Curriculum to Understand the Sustainability Issues Related to the Colorado River System (repeats Afternoon Concurrent Session #1) Abstract: Beginning in 1982, the National Science Teachers Association called for curriculum designers to develop materials that demonstrate the interconnectedness among science, technology and societal issues while presenting both positive and negative influences. This session will focus on using the STS/EEE learning model to design curriculum for secondary science that emphasizes sustainability issues focused on the Colorado River system. The presentation will outline the essential features of the STS/EEE model, then engage participants in applying the model in a novel situation. Rebecca Reichenbach – CCSD Action Research: Understanding the Urban Heat Island Effect (repeats Afternoon Concurrent Session #1) Abstract: Due to the unique placement of Western High School within a concrete and asphalt island and a result construction project to rebuild it, a group of science teachers from Western High became interested in how the new construction would affect the urban heat island footprint of their school. A student project was developed to track and document the construction process over a two-year timeframe. The participating teachers used action research to study the impact of the project on their teaching practice and student learning. Three inquiry-style laboratory activities were created to teach students about heat concepts and the effect of heat islands. A misconceptions survey, along with student journaling, were used as data sources for determining changes in student understanding. Results show significant conceptual change in the grade 9 students, with less significant change for the older student population. This presentation will describe the research context, process, and its impact on participating students and teachers. Allison Brody, Amy Page – Environmental Literacy as an Indicator for Urban Sustainability Abstract: For sustainability initiatives to be successful, citizens must have the knowledge, action skills, and motivation to support and participate in these initiatives. In other words, Urban Sustainability will not be successful unless our citizens are environmentally literate. The responsibility for creating this “environmentally literate” citizenry should fall in large part to educators, both in the formal and non-formal sectors. Therefore, these educators need a clear understanding of the specific knowledge and action skills that our citizens need. In this session, we will explore the competencies that citizens need to engage in sustainability practices in Nevada, and how educators can incorporate these competencies into their curricula and programs. Marcel Parent, Signa Gundlach – Sustainability Education at the Springs Preserve: Broad Strokes and Targeting Standards Abstract: Sustainability is a rather unwieldy and challenging area in education. From the broad but vague concepts defining it, to the innumerable sectors of human activities in which it applies, learning about sustainability is at the same time wonderfully simple and terrible complex. This presentation will introduce the participants to some of the approaches taken at the Springs Preserve to make learning about sustainability an engaging experience that will impact future behavior.
Comments
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