Environmental Science for Grades 6-12

A Project-Based Approach to Solving the Earth's Most Urgent Problems

Jorge Valenzuela, James Fester

• Publisher: International Society for Technology in Education
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781564849236
• Topic: Ciencias biológicas
• Subtopic: Ciencia medioambiental

Apply high-quality project-based learning strategies to create lessons and units that help students solve a variety of urgent environmental problems. Environmental science (ES) education is essential to preparing today's students for the future. We must create opportunities for hands-on investigations that explore complex environmental problems in order to find solutions and meet the challenges of our changing world. Educators looking to bring ES-focused experiences to their students can turn to technology and social-emotional learning (SEL) strategies to connect students with real-world situations and citizen science opportunities, while fostering empathy and a love for the natural world.Project-based learning (PBL), with its emphasis on inquiry and authentic challenges, can be an effective approach to teaching ES. Those new to PBL may not feel they have adequate training. Likewise, teachers who haven't taught ES may question how to incorporate it into their curriculum. This book addresses both situations, providing practical guidance for teachers, along with examples of technology-rich, learner-centered student projects addressing timely topics such as sustainability, human impact and climate change.This book:

• Helps teachers design learning experiences that model authentic problems and processes practiced by scientists and engineers, to prepare students for future careers in science.
• Addresses diversity, equity and inclusion in ES, and shares resources and strategies for addressing racial equity in ES.
• Introduces facilitation techniques that redefine the teacher's traditional role as one that supports increased student agency, the development of critical thinking skills and an expanded awareness of their place in the global community.
• Includes a chapter that focuses on applying the principles and strategies shared in the book in an online learning environment.
• Addresses Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) topics in environmental science and is aligned to the ISTE Standards for Educators.

PBL is one of the best ways for students to explore complex processes and concepts, and this book will help teachers leverage this approach to empower students to take action toward a better future and world. Audience: 6-12 science educators, instructional coaches, preservice teachers

Are you a PBL expert? Do you have the NGSS memorized? Don’t worry, you don’t have to! This first section of the book will orientate you to the main elements that we feel need to be incorporated into the design of authentic and engaging project-based learning (PBL) focused on environmental science (ES), such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the ISTE Standards for Students and Educators. The foundation that will be laid out in this chapter will be drawn upon in later parts of the book as we illustrate what high-quality PBL looks like through project examples and the experiences of teachers engaged in the work. It will also provide insight into common challenges and problems of practice that first time PBL teachers often encounter.

CHAPTER 1: Environmental Science Introduction and Application. In this chapter, we provide a summary of the current state of Environmental Science education as a way to illustrate why well-designed PBL opportunities are important for all students to experience.

CHAPTER 2: The Intersection of ES and PBL. This chapter illustrated the connections between the elements of the High Quality Project-Based Learning framework (HQPBL) and the processes and practices involved in the study of ES.

CHAPTER 3: Aligning Authentic Projects to the NGSS and ISTE Standards. This chapter provides guidance on how to incorporate the ES standards outlined in the NGSS as well as the ISTE Standards into authentic project designs. The chapter also illustrated how proper alignment of these different standards and elements can lead to well-articulated learning goals for students.

CHAPTER 4: Designing and Facilitating High-Quality PBL. In this chapter we share valuable tips on how to get off to a successful start when transitioning to a learner-centered PBL practice. It also shared practical strategies for overcoming some of the most common challenges associated with designing and facilitating project-based learning experiences.

Environmental Science Introduction and Application

We must do the necessary preparation to understand the environment we are trying to preserve. Although a hefty statement to unpack, if made actionable, the endeavor of preserving the environment encompasses several fields of study that would take lifetimes to comprehend fully (if at all possible). However, as most conscious citizens of the world are aware, there is a lot everyone can do daily to understand and learn to protect the environment. Scholastically, environmental sciences (ES) are the study that can make learners of all ages aware of what they can do to help too.

Environmental Science Defined in the Real World

ES is a branch of science dedicated to studying the physical, chemical, and biological states of the environment and how the natural systems they are a part of interact with the systems created by humans. Scientists study these systems’ interactions so they can better address the changes that result and their implications for all living organisms (i.e., animals, plants, and single-celled life forms). For many environmental scientists, ES is more than a field of study; it is their lives’ work. Through their research studies, advocacy, and personal projects, environmental scientists utilize their knowledge of ES to help preserve both the environment and the well-being of humans and other living organisms.

Examples of environmental scientists doing their necessary work include publishing their findings in scientific journals, advising policymakers on how to help, organizing cleanups of areas affected by pollution, and assisting industries in developing innovative ways of reducing harmful waste. They can do this because they are dedicated to analyzing the adverse effects on ecosystems caused by both natural processes and humans.

ES in Policy and Schools

Congress passed the National Environmental Education Act in 1990 in an effort to charge the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with providing leadership nationally to help boost environmental literacy (EPA, 1990). For this purpose, the EPA established the Office of Environmental Education. Through this office, the EPA continues to develop and support activities and programs that help grow environmental education—including training for ES teachers, recognition of excellence by both teachers and students, and access to grant funding. Through environmental education, public awareness, and knowledge—along with the necessary skills and resources to address environmental issues—have been enhanced.

Today many educators are empowering learners in their ES classes through rich and interdisciplinary projects that help students bridge their knowledge of geography, geology, chemistry, physics, and biology for the greater good of the environment and its inhabitants. Many of these valuable classroom experiences are enhanced by using the PBL instructional approach and partnerships with organizations and out-of-school programs that help both teachers and learners connect with the environment in meaningful ways. Research supporting the PBL practice informs us that partnerships with entities outside of schools enhance both the academic and career learning of participating students because of the authentic learning opportunities they can provide.

The Current State of ES Education

While government legislation and the growth of environmental awareness has done much to provide enhanced learning opportunities for students in ES, this progress comes paired with the somewhat surprising stigma. ES as a distinct discipline is still widely considered to be a “lesser” or “softer” subject when compared with more traditional and established subjects such as physics, chemistry, or biology. This makes schools less likely to offer ES as a standalone course and teachers more likely to de-emphasize its importance, despite the fact that there is no scientific discipline more essential to the survival of our species than ES.

As of this writing, the earth’s population is approximately 7.6 billion people, and according to the United Nations we are en route to reaching 9 billion by 2050. Most scientists agree that this is well beyond the earth’s estimated carrying capacity, which respected scientists like Harvard sociobiologist E. O. Wilson have pegged at 7 billion. This means that as the human population continues to grow, it will continue to strain the earth’s natural systems, causing irreversible environmental changes that will, in turn, affect the supports that all of humanity depends on. You’ve probably heard the environmental slogan “Save the Earth,” but perhaps a more attention-getting rallying cry would be “Save the Humans.”

In June 2021, just as this book was being finished, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its latest report. This UN-sponsored body began releasing periodic reports summarizing the most current climate science in 1988, with previous versions of the report helping direct landmark international efforts such as the Paris Climate Accords.

The most recent 3,949 page version, representing a consensus by the scientists of 195 nations, makes three things abundantly clear. One, there is no question that climate change is happening and that it is the result of human activity. Two, every inhabited region of the world has been impacted by the effects of carbon pollution. Third, and perhaps most importantly, while some aspects of climate change (such as sea level rise) are irreversible, the worst impacts of climate change can still be avoided or, with the right solutions, reversed. This last point is especially important in the context of this book. The impacts of climate change and other forms of environmental degradation present challenges that must be solved for the good of the entire planet. The deeper our pool of experienced, environmentally-literate critical thinkers, the more likely we are to solve them in a timely manner.

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Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• About ISTE
• About the Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Dedication
• Foreword by Dr. Marquita S. Blades
• Foreword by John Larmer
• Introduction
• Part 1 Background on PBL, NGSS, and ISTE Standards Alignment
• Conclusion
• References
• Resources Appendix
• Index