Introduction |
| Anchor Video |
| Concept Map |
| Project Calendar |
| Lesson Plans |
Letter to Parents |
| Assessments |
| Resources |
Modifications |
| Grant |
Project Description
In order to address the declining performance of American students in Science, we propose a unit of project-based instruction that will not only education students about important and relevant earth science topics, but also develop skills in data collection and analysis, critical thinking, and community involvement. Students will pick one natural disaster to study in order to begin answering the question: “Are Natural Disasters Getting Worse in Texas?” Each student researches the history, frequency, and strength their natural disaster has had in Texas for whatever amount of time they choose. Students will also research how their natural disaster forms and make a model of this. An analysis of the data will then be conducted where they will go through the process of actually measuring different factors that affect their natural disaster with that data and the data from studying the history, they will make predictions of what they think will happen in the future. They will also discuss factors that are affecting the frequency and strength of their natural disaster, what effects their natural disaster has on the community and what changes could be made if it is getting worse.
When the students are done with this aspect of their project, their group (of four students) will present their project to the other groups. Then, based on the information they have learned from each other a debate will be conducted where they each play a different role: scientist, policy maker, and an everyday person, and discuss what issues need to be addressed, why, and what should be done. Based on the conclusions they draw from their projects and debate, students will draft policy recommendations to state and local lawmakers and present them to relevant community decision-makers. This not only facilitates ownership of the knowledge they generate, but also promotes its application and their involvement in community.
Rationale
In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the coastline of Louisiana, sending tens of thousands of evacuees into Texas cities. A month later, thousands were evacuated again as Hurricane Rita hit the Texas and Louisiana coasts. A year later, the economic, social, and political impacts of these hurricanes continue to resonate in Texas. Residents and politicians call into question how well the state is prepared for such natural disasters, and how equipped we are to recover. Many have wondered why two hurricanes of such magnitude occurred in rapid succession, and whether this could happen again, and if other natural disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity as well.
Disasters such as these are tragedies, but they are also an opportunity for learning and policy change. We propose to build upon student interest in the events that have affected their environment by engaging them in a comprehensive unit investigating natural disasters in the state of Texas. Focusing on their home state will engage students by examining phenomenon they have more experience with, and can affect policy toward. Students will learn about the conditions that promote different natural disasters, look for long term and short term trends, and make predictions regarding future activity. Students will also assess the preparedness of their state for various disasters, modeling damage and recovery physically or mathematically. They will make risk assessments and policy recommendations based on the conclusions they draw from this data. They will share this information not only with their classmates, but also with local lawmakers.
This project makes a unique attempt to connect classroom content to students’ lives, which in turn places the material in a more meaningful context and increases retention of information. It also asks students to draw conclusions from data and transform these conclusions into policy recommendations. Students will take on the role of citizens, scientists, and policymakers throughout the project, giving them the opportunity to examine issues from multiple perspectives. This approach will give students the opportunity to employ scientific methods to examine a real phenomenon and illustrate its relevance to their lives. Studies show that connections made to life tend to attract students to careers in Science, which is lacking in the United States.
Potential Impact
Students will learn about the process of science by generating and conducting their own inquiry into natural disasters in Texas. This teaches them not only about the topic, which addresses a number of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Earth Science, but also teaches valuable skills in data collection and analysis, scientific methodology, and application and interpretation of scientific data.
Students will gain experience with making meaningful models and other ways to communicate information to their peers. They will gain valuable public speaking and presentation skills, as well as social skills attained from dynamic group work.
Students will examine their own environment and learn about events that have affected them directly or might in the future. They will analyze their own surroundings and hypothesizing about the past and future of their state, which serves to make them good, aware citizens of the state and of the world in general.
Students will make policy recommendations based on the data they collect. This allows them to see the link between scientific knowledge and local, state, and federal political, social, and economic ramifications of how that knowledge is or is not applied. This prepares students to be consumers of science as well as scientists, and to make meaningful connections between their project and society.
This project will directly impact the 100 students in earth science classes at our school. We hope to set an example for other students and teachers in the school with our project and ultimately impact them as well. Our students will also interact with several state lawmakers and community leaders.
Evaluation Plan
In order to evaluate the success of this project, we will have students engage in a debate in which they will discuss the question, “Are natural disasters getting worse in Texas? If so, what can we do about it?” Students will rotate through the roles of scientist, consumer, and policy maker during this debate, making the arguments and taking the positions appropriate to their role. Students will also write a policy recommendation to a state lawmaker regarding the issue of natural disaster frequency and/or recovery in Texas. These activities will be videotaped and available to educators and community members.
These two assessments allow us to evaluate our project in multiple ways. On the most basic level, it allows students to showcase what they have learned and apply their data to real life. A debate also is an opportunity for students to experience the different ways in which their data could be applied, and individuals with different perspectives might have different interpretations of the same information. Students who are able to perform in this fashion clearly have learned quite a bit about not only their project topic, but also about data interpretation and analysis, and applying that knowledge to a real-world scenario.
Students will also make a policy recommendation to a state or local lawmaker. This policy may address efforts to reduce natural disasters or efforts to aid in recovery. This exercise helps to assess students efficacy at applying data to a real situation, communicating about science, and taking an active role in their community.
Budget
Office and Creative Supplies $1000
6 Video Cameras $3000
Data Analysis Software
Logger Pro $200
CarpoCab Software $200
6 Temperature Probes $300
6 CO2 Probes $300
Total $5,000