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Resources for Environmental Literacy: Five Teaching Modules for Middle and High School Teachers


By: Environmental Literacy Council and National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)

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Details

Type of Product:NSTA Press Book (also see downloadable PDF version of this book)
Average Rating:
 based on 1 review
Publication Title:Resources for Environmental Literacy Series
Publication Date:5/16/2007
Pages:189
Stock Number:PB211X
ISBN:978-1-93353-115-1
Grade Level:Middle School, High School
Read Inside:Read a sample chapter: Introduction: The Environmental Context

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Our reviewers—top-flight teachers and other outstanding science educators—have determined that this resource is among the best available supplements for science teaching.
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Description

Resources for Environmental Literacy offers a fresh way to enhance your classroom productivity. The environmental context it provides can improve your students’ science learning even as learning the science improves their ability to deal with five real-world topics:

• Biodiversity
• Genetically modified crops
• Earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis
• Global climate change
• Radioactive waste

But this resource doesn’t encourage students to take a particular stand on these subjects. Instead, it builds skills in critical thinking and analytical reasoning about complex issues.

For ease of teaching, each of the book’s modules includes such useful features as:

• Student learning goals based on Benchmarks for Science Literacy and the Standards
• Background content for teachers, organized into sets of “essential questions”—such as “What is a species?” and “What is the science involved in the genetic engineering of crops?”—with answers you can draw on when guiding students.
• A suggested teaching approach, including misconceptions to watch out for and assessments to use.
• Student activities and materials you can adapt to your classroom needs.

Resources for Environmental Literacy is designed especially for teachers of middle school life science and physical science as well as high school Earth science, biology, and physics. The modules offer appropriate teaching strategies plus high-quality resources to deepen your students’ understanding of key environmental topics.


Ideas For Use

Additional Info

Science Discipline: (mouse over for full classification)
Global climate change
Water cycle
Seasons
Sun
Earthquakes
Erosion
Mountain building
Plate tectonics
Volcanoes
Weathering
Atmosphere
Biosphere
Geosphere
Hydrosphere
Oceans
Energy sources
Energy transfer
Clouds
Dinosaurs
Chromosomes
DNA
Genes
Mutations
Pollution
Temperature
Absorption
Reflection
Refraction
Transmission
Fission
Fusion
Radioactivity
Analyzing data
Communicating
Hypothesizing
Scientific habits of mind
Biotechnology
Science and technological challenges in society
Biodiversity
Intended User Role:Curriculum Supervisor, High-School Educator, Middle-Level Educator, Teacher
Educational Issues:Assessment of students, Classroom management, Curriculum, Educational research, Inquiry learning, Instructional materials, Interdisciplinary, Learning theory, Professional development, Teacher content knowledge, Teacher preparation, Teaching strategies

Contents

Preface
Introduction
About the Authors
Dedication

Biodiversity

Acknowledgments
Introduction

Student Learning Goals
From Benchmarks for Science Literacy
From National Science Education Standards

Background Content for Teachers
Essential Question 1: What Is a Species?
Essential Question 2: How Do Scientists Estimate the Number of Species?
Essential Question 3: Why Is There Greater Diversity in the Tropics?
Essential Question 4: How Are Humans and Other Organisms Dependent on Earth’s Great Biodiversity?
Essential Question 5: How Is the Earth’s Biodiversity Impacted by Human Behaviors?
Essential Question 6: What Are the Present Threats to Earth’s Biodiversity?

Teaching Approach
Activities Overview
Misconceptions
Assessing Student Learning
Recommended Resources:
• Books
• Websites

Student Activities
Activity 1: What in the World Happened to the Dinosaurs?
Activity 2: Are We Going to Follow the Dinosaurs?
Activity 3: What Is the Extinction Story Right Now?

Student Materials
What Do You Know About the Extinction of Dinosaurs?
Are We Going to Follow the Dinosaurs?
Benefits of Biodiversity
Threats of Species Extinction

Global Climate Change

Acknowledgments
Introduction

Student Learning Goals
From Benchmarks for Science Literacy
From National Science Education Standards

Background Content for Teachers
Essential Question 1: What Is the Difference Between Weather and Climate?
Essential Question 2: How Does the Earth Gain and Lose Heat?
Essential Question 3: What Causes the Earth’s Climate to Change?
Essential Question 4: If Global Warming Is Actually Happening, What Are the Likely Consequences?
Essential Question 5: If Global Warming Is Actually Happening, What Can Be Done About It?

Teaching Approach
Activities Overview
Misconceptions
Assessing Student Learning
Recommended Resources:
• Books
• Websites

Student Activities and Materials
Activity 1: LEARN Activity 5: Atmospheric Processes—Radiation
Activity 2: LEARN Activity 8: Differences Between Climate and Weather
Activity 3: LEARN Activity 9: Climate Variability
Activity 4: LEARN Activity 12: What Is a Greenhouse?
Activity 5: LEARN Activity 13: What Factors Impact a Greenhouse?
Activity 6: LEARN Activity 15: What Is the Carbon Cycle?

Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis

Acknowledgments
Introduction

Student Learning Goals
From Benchmarks for Science Literacy
From National Science Education Standards

Background Content for Teachers
Essential Question 1: What Are the Components of the Earth’s System?
Essential Question 2: Where Are Volcanoes Located, What Kinds of Eruptions
Do They Have, How Are They Related to Earthquakes, and What Effect Do They Have on the Environment?
Essential Question 3: Where and How Often Do Earthquakes Occur, How Is Their Magnitude Expressed, How Are They Related to Volcanoes, and What Effect Do They Have on the Environment?
Essential Question 4: What Are Tsunamis and Lahars, and How Are They Generated?
Essential Question 5: What Is the Main Idea of the Theory of Plate Tectonics, How Is It Different From the Notion of Continental Drift, What Kinds of Evidence Led to Its Acceptance by the Scientific Community, and How Does It Help Explain Earthquakes and Volcanoes?
Essential Question 6: What Hazards Do Volcanoes and Earthquakes Present, and How Can the Risk Associated With Them Be Reduced?

Teaching Approach
Activities Overview
Misconceptions
Assessing Student Learning
Recommended Resources:
• Books
• Websites

Student Activity
Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Us

Student Materials
Case Study Instructions for Students
Natural Hazards Case Studies: Earthquakes
Natural Hazards Case Studies: Volcanic Eruptions
The Nature of Risk

Genetically Modified Crops

Acknowledgments
Introduction

Student Learning Goals
From Benchmarks for Science Literacy
From National Science Education Standards

Background Content for Teachers
Essential Question 1: What Is the Science Involved in the Genetic Engineering of Crops?
Essential Question 2: How Is Genetic Engineering Different From More Traditional Genetic Manipulations, Such as Hybridization?
Essential Question 3: What Steps Are Usually Involved in Genetically Modifying a Crop?
Essential Question 4: What Are the Known or Projected Risks and Benefits of Genetically Modifying Crops?
Essential Question 5: Under What Conditions, if Any, Should Crop Biotechnology Be Pursued?

Teaching Approach
Activities Overview
Misconceptions
Assessing Student Learning
Recommended Resources:
• Books
• Websites

Student Activities
Activity 1: Building Proteins
Activity 2: Genetic Engineering
Activity 3: Are Monarchs Threatened by Bt Corn?
Activity 4: Spectrum of Opinion

Student Materials
Genetic Modification
Designing Transgenes
How Do You Make a Transgenic Plant?
Bounty or Bane—Taking a Position
The Nature of Risk

Radioactive Waste

Acknowledgments
Introduction

Student Learning Goals
From Benchmarks for Science Literacy
From National Science Education Standards

Background Content for Teachers
Essential Question 1: What Is Radioactivity?
Essential Question 2: How Long-Lived Are Radioactive Substances?
Essential Question 3: What Are the Hazards Posed by Radioactivity?
Essential Question 4: How Is Radioactivity Measured?
Essential Question 5: Where Do Radioactive Wastes Come From?
Essential Question 6: What Ways Are There for Disposing of Radioactive Wastes, and What Are the Risks Associated With Them?
Essential Question 7: How Can Radioactive Waste Be Moved Safely to a Storage Facility, and What Are the Risks Associated With the Different Transport Options?

Teaching Approach
Activities Overview
Misconceptions
Assessing Student Learning
Recommended Resources

Student Activities
Activity 1: Detecting Radiation
Activity 2: Half-Life
Activity 3: Making Decisions

Student Materials
Detecting Radiation
Half-Life
Making Decisions
What Should Be Done With Radioactive Waste?

Index


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National Standards Correlation

This resource has 76 correlations with the National Standards.  
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This resource has 76 correlations with the National Standards.  
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  • Physical Science
    • Structure of atoms
      • The nuclear forces that hold the nucleus of an atom together, at nuclear distances, are usually stronger than the electric forces that would make it fly apart. (9-12)
      • Nuclear reactions convert a fraction of the mass of interacting particles into energy, and they can release much greater amounts of energy than atomic interactions. (9-12)
      • Fission is the splitting of a large nucleus into smaller pieces. (9-12)
      • Fusion is the joining of two nuclei at extremely high temperature and pressure, and is the process responsible for the energy of the sun and other stars. (9-12)
      • Radioactive isotopes are unstable and undergo spontaneous nuclear reactions, emitting particles and/or wavelike radiation. (9-12)
      • The decay of any one nucleus cannot be predicted, but a large group of identical nuclei decay at a predictable rate and this predictability can be used to estimate the age of materials that contain radioactive isotopes. (9-12)
    • Transfer of Energy
      • Heat moves in predictable ways, flowing from warmer objects to cooler ones, until both reach the same temperature. (5-8)
      • Light interacts with matter by transmission (including refraction), absorption, or scattering (including reflection). To see an object, light from that object—emitted by or scattered from it—must enter the eye. (5-8) (5-8)
      • To see an object, light from that object--emitted by or scattered from it--must enter the eye.
      • The sun is a major source of energy for changes on the earth's surface. (5-8)
      • The sun loses energy by emitting light. (5-8)
      • A tiny fraction of that light reaches the earth, transferring energy from the sun to the earth.
      • The sun's energy arrives as light with a range of wavelengths, consisting of visible light, infrared, and ultraviolet radiation. (5-8)
  • Life Science
    • Diversity and adaptations of organisms
      • Millions of species of animals, plants, and microorganisms are alive today. (5-8)
      • Extinction of a species occurs when the environment changes and the adaptive characteristics of a species are insufficient to allow its survival. (5-8)
      • Fossils indicate that many organisms that lived long ago are extinct. (5-8)
    • Molecular basis of heredity
      • In all organisms, the instructions for specifying the characteristics of the organism are carried in DNA, a large polymer formed from subunits of four kinds (A, G, C, and T). (9-12)
      • The chemical and structural properties of DNA explain how the genetic information that underlies heredity is both encoded in genes (as a string of molecular "letters") and replicated (by a templating mechanism). (9-12)
      • Each DNA molecule in a cell forms a single chromosome. (9-12)
      • Changes in DNA (mutations) occur spontaneously at low rates. (9-12)
      • Some of the changes in DNA make no difference to the organism, whereas others can change cells and organisms. (9-12)
      • Only mutations in germ cells can create the variation that changes an organism's offspring. (9-12)
    • Biological evolution
      • Species is the most fundamental unit of classification. (9-12)
  • Earth Science
    • Structure of the earth system
      • The solid earth is layered with a lithosphere; hot, convecting mantle; and dense, metallic core. (5-8)
      • Lithospheric plates on the scales of continents and oceans constantly move at rates of centimeters per year in response to movements in the mantle. (5-8)
      • Land forms are the result of a combination of constructive and destructive forces. (5-8)
      • Constructive forces include crustal deformation, volcanic eruption, and deposition of sediment. (5-8)
      • Destructive forces include weathering and erosion. (5-8)
      • Water, which covers the majority of the earth's surface, circulates through the crust, oceans, and atmosphere in what is known as the "water cycle." (5-8)
      • Water evaporates from the earth's surface, rises and cools as it moves to higher elevations, condenses as rain or snow, and falls to the surface where it collects in lakes, oceans, soil, and in rocks underground. (5-8)
      • The atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and trace gases that include water vapor. (5-8)
      • The atmosphere has different properties at different elevations. (5-8)
      • Clouds, formed by the condensation of water vapor, affect weather and climate. (5-8)
      • Global patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather. (5-8)
      • Oceans have a major effect on climate, because water in the oceans holds a large amount of heat. (5-8)
    • Earth's history
      • Fossils provide important evidence of how life and environmental conditions have changed (5-8)
    • Earth in the solar system
      • The sun is the major source of energy for phenomena on the earth's surface, such as growth of plants, winds, ocean currents, and the water cycle. (5-8)
      • Seasons result from variations in the amount of the sun's energy hitting the surface, due to the tilt of the earth's rotation on its axis and the length of the day. (5-8)
    • Energy in the earth system
      • Heating of earth's surface and atmosphere by the sun drives convection within the atmosphere and oceans, producing winds and ocean currents. (9-12)
      • Global climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun at and near the earth's surface. (9-12)
      • The greenhouse effect is the warming effect on the air caused by heat rising from the surface of the Earth and being trapped by gases in the troposphere. (9-12)
      • The energy transfer from the sun at and near the earth's surface is influenced by dynamic processes such as cloud cover and the earth's rotation, and static conditions such as the position of mountain ranges and oceans. (9-12)
    • Origin and evolution of the earth system
      • Interactions among the solid earth, the oceans, the atmosphere, and organisms have resulted in the ongoing evolution of the earth system. (9-12)
      • We can observe some changes such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on a human time scale. (9-12)
      • Many processes resulting in the ongoing evolution of the earth system, such as mountain building and plate movements take place over hundreds of millions of years. (9-12)
  • Science as Inquiry
    • Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
      • Use data to construct a reasonable explanation.
      • Communicate investigations and explanations.
      • Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data.
      • Think critically and logically to make the relationships between evidence and explanations.
  • Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
    • Natural hazards
      • Natural hazards(disasters), include earthquakes, landslides, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, floods, storms, and even possible impacts of asteroids.(5-8)
    • Risks and benefits
      • Risk analysis considers the type of hazard and estimates the number of people that might be exposed and the number likely to suffer consequences. (5-8)
      • The results of risk analysis are used to determine the options for reducing or eliminating risks. (5-8)
      • Students should understand the risks associated with natural hazards (fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions) (5-8)
      • Students should understand the risks associated with chemical hazards (pollutants in air, water, soil, and food). (5-8)
      • Individuals can use a systematic approach to thinking critically about risks and benefits. Examples include applying probability estimates to risks and comparing them to estimated personal and social benefits. (5-8)
    • Natural and human-induced hazards
      • Normal adjustments of earth may be hazardous for humans. (9-12)
      • Humans live at the interface between the atmosphere driven by solar energy and the upper mantle where convection creates changes in the earth's solid crust. (9-12)
      • As societies have grown, become stable, and come to value aspects of the environment, vulnerability to natural processes of change has increased. (9-12)
      • Natural and human-induced hazards present the need for humans to assess potential danger and risk. (9-12)
      • Many changes in the environment designed by humans bring benefits to society, as well as cause risks. (9-12)
      • Students should understand the costs and trade-offs of various hazards--ranging from those with minor risk to a few people to major catastrophes with major risk to many people. (9-12)
      • The scale of events and the accuracy with which scientists and engineers can (and cannot) predict events are important considerations. (9-12)
    • Sci and Tech in local, natl, and global challenges
      • Understanding basic concepts and principles of science and technology should precede active debate about the economics, policies, politics, and ethics of various science- and technology-related challenges. (9-12)
      • Individuals and society must decide on proposals involving new research and the introduction of new technologies into society. (9-12)
      • Decisions involve assessment of alternatives, risks, costs, and benefits and consideration of who benefits and who suffers, who pays and gains, and what the risks are and who bears them. (9-12)
      • Students should understand the appropriateness and value of basic questions--"What can happen?"--"What are the odds?"--and "How do scientists and engineers know what will happen?" (9-12)
      • The influence of humans on other organisms occurs through pollution--which changes the chemical composition of air, soil, and water. (9-12)
  • Process Standards for Professional Development
    • Design
      • Introduce teachers to scientific literature, media, and technological resources that expand their science knowledge and their ability to access further knowledge. (NSES)
  • Content Standards
    • Quality Teaching
      • Deepens educators’ content knowledge, provides them with research-based instructional strategies to assist students in meeting rigorous academic standards, and prepares them to use various types of classroom assessments appropriately. (NSDC)
  • Teaching Standards
    • Teachers of science plan an inquiry-based science program for their students.
      • Select science content and adapt and design curricula to meet the interests, knowledge, understanding, abilities, and experiences of students.
      • Select teaching and assessment strategies that support the development of student understanding and nurture a community of science learners.
    • Teachers of science guide and facilitate learning. In doing this, teachers
      • Encourage and model the skills of scientific inquiry, as well as the curiosity, openness to new ideas and data, and skepticism that characterize science.
      • Orchestrate discourse among students about scientific ideas.
    • Teachers provide students with the time, space, and resources needed to learn science.
      • Create a setting for student work that is flexible and supportive of science inquiry.
      • Make the available science tools, materials, media, and technological resources accessible to students.
    • Teachers of science develop communities of science learners that reflect the intellectual rigor of scientific inquiry.
      • Nurture collaboration among students.


Published Reviews

“Having these turnkey units ready to implement is a gift for teachers who are moving more toward Understanding by Design (UbD) units, wanting to incorporate ethical or otherwise controversial topics to enliven a science course, or seeking interesting applications for science topics already taught.”
Science Books & Films, January/February 2008


Customer Reviews
How nice
  Reviewed by: Thomas M ( , ) on November 4, 2007
  I have used one of the modules in my 7th grade class and the students responded well. I look forward to using another. Great teaching resource.

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