PS 26-103 - Middle and high school ecology curricula: Preparing students for 4D ecological learning

Abstract: Early exposure in a person’s education to ecology problems and potential solutions based on scientific evidence is essential. The Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012) made clear that students’ grade science education should prepare them with “sufficient knowledge of science and engineering to engage in public discussions on related issues” and to become “careful consumers of scientific and technological information related to their everyday lives.”



Since 1987, the Science Education for Public Understanding Program (SEPUP) at the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley, has produced science curricula and associated instructional materials for grades 6–12 centered around real-world socioscientific issues, including ecology. All of these curricula utilize a model for issue-oriented curriculum and instruction, starting with motivating students to investigate an issue and concluding with using evidence to address the problem. Students engage in an iterative process of gathering and analyzing evidence before they apply that evidence to an issue.



Our presentation will describe three ecology-focused curricula aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards based on the Framework. These curricula—one high school and two middle school—center student learning around important socio-ecological issues in ecology. Throughout the instructional materials, students engage in sensemaking around ecological concepts while at the same time considering how an understanding of these concepts can be used to address these issues. The units focus on the following:

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  Middle School: Human Disruptions in Ecosystems–Ecosystems can be disrupted in a variety of ways, both natural and human-caused. What are the short and long-term effects of different types of disruptions in ecosystems?
  
  


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  Middle School: Invasive Species–Introduced species are changing environments all around us, causing problems for people and biodiversity. How do introduced organisms interact with their environments and what can be done to prevent harmful interactions?
  
  


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  High School: Sustainable Fisheries–People rely on natural resources, including fish, for many reasons including food, yet many fisheries are no longer sustainable. How can we use our understanding of ecological concepts to promote sustainable fisheries?
  
  

We will share insight into the process used to design these curricula and feedback from both students and teachers who used the programs. We will illustrate how these curricula align with the four-dimensional ecology education framework developed by the ESA, providing a progression in student understanding of ecological concepts and issues. We will also detail lessons learned from developing each of the curricula, which are broadly applicable to a wide variety of educational purposes.