Transcript Poster - Environmental Literacy

Developing a K-12 Learning Progression for Biodiversity in Environmental Systems
Josie
1*
Zesaguli ,
Laurel
3
Hartley ,
Courtney
1,
Schenk
Jonathon
1
Schramm ,
Edna
1
Tan ,
Brook
2
Wilke ,
& Charles W.
1
Anderson
1- Department of Teacher Education, Michigan State University, 2 – Crop and Soil Science, Michigan State University, 3- Biology Department, University of Colorado – Denver. *Corresponding Author ([email protected])
ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY
Methods
Introduction
“Biodiversity includes all organisms, species, and populations; the genetic variation among these; and all their complex assemblages of communities and ecosystems”
(ESA
1)
2)
3)
4)
1997). This variation in life is valued for several key reasons, including:
Humans rely on the Earth’s biodiversity for food, shelter and medicines
Diversity at one trophic level leads to diversity in other trophic levels
Many ecosystem services (clean water, fertile soils, pest control, etc.) are enhanced by biodiversity
Diversity provides the background for evolution and succession following environmental changes
Currently, the loss of biodiversity is occurring at the fastest known rate in history, and is caused primarily by human activities. The causes of biodiversity loss include:
habitat destruction, species introductions, over harvesting, pollution, climate change and community alterations. Daily, humans make decisions that impact biodiversity,
and it is essential that citizens understand the implications of these decisions. Yet, biological systems are extremely complex, with many details still being discovered.
To simplify this complexity, we have identified several key principles below that are responsible for the complexity we see in ecosystems, and act as a framework for
developing a biodiversity learning progression.
Key Principles for the Biodiversity Learning Progression
Characteristics of Systems
•Hierarchy of systems at different scales: Biodiversity exists in 3 levels: genetic diversity at the individual and population level, species diversity at the community
level, ecosystem diversity.
•Structure and Function: Genetic characteristics: individual genotypes, population genetic variability, community species diversity, Phenotypic structure, function,
relationships, Non-living environment
Principles Constraining Processes
•Genetic continuity: Every organism inherited its genes from parents of the same species.
•Ecological Dynamics: Populations have the potential to expand exponentially, but there are multiple ecological constraints preventing exponential increase, including 1)
dispersal constraints, 2) environmental constraints and 3) internal dynamics (biotic constraints). Constraints can act as selection pressures on populations.
Written Assessments
Clinical Interviews
Assessment Instruments:
1)A range of open response written items were answered by 475 students in grade 4
through high school.
2)Open-ended interview items were formulated requiring subjects to assemble either a
‘natural’ system (A forest) or a ‘managed’ system ( A farm), based on a selection of
pictures of different animals, plants and decomposers that are found in Michigan
forests and farms, respectively. The extent of probing depended on the responses given
by the respondents. The interviews were conducted in 2009 by the researchers. The
sessions were audio- and video-taped and later transcribed (See Website:
http://edr1.educ.msu.edu/EnvironmentalLit/index.htm).
Sample: A random sample of middle and high school students (Grade 5- 10) and science
teachers in Michigan participated in the study.
Analysis: Units of analysis were the students’ transcribed accounts of their assembled
forest or farm. Initial analyses gave an indication of the students’ general scope of
understanding of the biodiversity concepts and processes. This led to the formulation
of critical key biodiversity principles, which was then used as a basis for revisiting data
from both the interviews and the previous written tests. Formulated learning
progression levels were validated based on students’ levels of achievements that were
reflected in their responses. Exemplars of the latter are presented in Table 1 below.
Results and Conclusions
Table 1. Exemplar responses are highlighted for questions about several key biodiversity processes at multiple scales. Responses were taken from written assessments and clinical interviews.
Lower Anchor
Scale
Linking
Process
Typical
Question
http://www.freewebs.com/nukagir
l/lion%20king%201.jpg
Upper
Anchor
Accounts
Intermediate
Level
Accounts
Lower
Anchor
Accounts
Organism
Population
Individual Adaptation
Natural Selection
Tell a story about one organism in your forest or farm. (The accounts
here are specifically focused on turkeys, both domestic and wild)
Level
Description
Organisms are
part of a
network of
ecological and
genetic
relationships
Example Accounts
The domestic turkeys are going to have more
problems with disease and that kind of thing,
potentially, than the wild ones. The less genetic
diversity, the more problems you’re going to have, in
terms of trying to keep the animals alive and that
kind of thing. But sometimes diversity is something
you have to give up if you’re trying to key in on
certain traits, like trying to get meat that tastes a
certain way. (Teacher – Middle School 2009)
Which ones do you think are maybe more
Organism
adaptations are susceptible to getting turkey sicknesses?
I’m not I don’t know this for sure, but I think they
a function of
(domesticated animals) lose some of their immunities
ecological
that they would have if they lived out in the wild
mechanisms, but because if you live in the wild you need more
the specific
protection from like weather and diseases. (7th
mechanism is not Grade – NF 2009)
articulated.
Organisms are
Which one do you think would be faster?
actors that
The wild turkeys, because they have longer legs and
purposefully
their bodies are thinner, and the domestic ones have
adapt to their
really, really short legs and they’re bigger. (7th
environment
Grade – AM 2009)
Farmers often spray their crops to help prevent bugs from eating
their crops. Over time, the bugs slowly become resistant to these
sprays, and so the farmers have to use different sprays to protect
their crops. Tell a story about how the bugs become resistant to the
sprays.
Level
Example Accounts
Description
Natural
With repeated use of the pesticide the bugs
selection
through evolution (survival of the ones that survive
(existing genetic the spraying) produce offspring that are resistant
diversity,
to the pesticide (Teacher - N26 2008).
differential
survival and
reproduction)
Development of
immunity is
passed on to
offspring
Organisms
develop
immunity to
insecticide
The bugs can become resistant [sic] to the sprays by
one getting immuned to it through their bloodstream
and pass it on to bug babies it has so they would all
be immuned to it (9th Grade - BLE 2008).
Probably you keep spraying them with it and keep
spraying them with it, they probably get used to it
and it doesn’t bother them. [6th Grade BJW.Farm.Grade6.p.12]
Upper Anchor
Community
Community Assembly
What organisms would fit in your forest ? Why?
Invasive Species
In Michigan zebra mussels have rapidly expanded … (a) Why do you
think that these two species have done so well in their new
environments? (b) Why do you think invasive species like these might
be a problem in new ecosystems?
Level
Description
Community
structure
determined by
genotype,
phenotype and
environment
interaction
Example Accounts
Level
Description
Well it is a web, so the birds eat the termites; I
Invasive species
don’t know, the lynx might eat the birds; the moose are subject to
eat the trees; the voles eat anything they can get
same constraints
their hands on; who knows, maybe the wolves eat the
as native
lynx; and then when all these things die it all feeds
the bacteria and the bugs and the insects; and then species, but
when the big predators, like let’s say a wolf dies, and alter internal
dynamics of
they get eaten by everything else, too. [Graduate
student-C.ABP, p.16 -17].
system
Organisms have
“needs” but are
constrained by
ecological
dynamics to
some degree
“Cactus live in dry deserty areas ... Trees need a lot
of water, cactus don’t. Cactus are made in such a
way that they store water in their fleshy leaves and
trees can do that a little but not for long” [Law
Professor-C.DHS, p. 11]
Organisms
belong or don’t
belong in an
environment
based on value
judgments
I put especially endangered ones because it’s good
to preserve all animals that we can for future
generations to be able to observe, since it’s part
of nature. We put flowers for the beauty of it. It
wouldn’t look beautiful. I put mountains I guess for
variety and not a plain forest (10th Grade- JZ.C,
p.1).
Organisms well
adapted to
conditions, but
specific
mechanisms are
vague
New species do
or do not fit in a
given
environment, and
ecological
relationships
identified only
[I put orchids in the forest] because that would look involve predation
prettier (5th Grade-ET. Brenna, p. 4).
This research is supported in part by grants from the National Science Foundation: the Center for Curriculum Materials in Science (ESI-0227557) and
Targeted Partnership: Culturally relevant ecology, learning progressions and environmental literacy (NSF-0832173). Any opinions, findings, and
conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science
Foundation.
Example Accounts
There are no natural predators to the new organisms
... their population increases ... and the new species …
disrupts the whole ecosystem. The zebra mussels
and purple loosestrife are eating another animal's
food source and taking over their habitat destroying
the organisms that was originally part of the
ecosystem. (High School –BAS 2008)
These species must adapt well. If they could handle
many different conditions well. (High School – CTW
2008)
They don’t have any natural predators.
They disrupt the food web. (High School – WWC
2008)
They have no predators that can eat them since
they normally are not in this environment. They take
over many things and cause problems. (High School –
MAT 2008)
Because they evolved to get well adapted.
Because they will eat the other species that were
here before them. (High School – NDC 2008)
http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitter_production/profile_i
mages/114922619/twitter-logo-nature_normal.gif
http://www.fantasticfiction.c
o.uk/images/x3/x19457.jpg
Lower anchor students take landscapes as settings, and
systems and processes are described in terms of actors
with needs, powers and abilities, similar to the events in
“The Lion King” story. To achieve their purposes, the actors
use enablers in the environment and cooperate or compete
with other actors.
In contrast, upper anchor
accounts of biodiversity
processes are guided by several key principles, including
reference to genetic continuity and ecological dynamics,
ultimately leading to an understanding of complex
ecosystems.
Intermediate levels for individual processes are still being
fleshed out; accounts tend to include the idea that
organisms are constrained by ecological mechanisms, but
students aren’t necessarily committed to those mechanisms,
often including anthropomorphizing tendencies.
ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY