Environmental Science

The CRIS “7e” lesson plan template, adapted from the Next Generation Science “5e”, centers the importance of including Elders and Environment in Indigenous STEM teaching and learning. The template is a way for teachers to weave Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Western Science into lessons, and has been formative in helping team members integrate community knowledge and land-based education into science learning experiences. 

Frausto, A., Morales-Doyle, D., Fitch, A., Hatch, S., & Nagy, K. (2019, April). Toward Youth Participatory Science: In Search of Science (Education) for the People. Presentation at the annual international conference of NARST, Baltimore, MD.

Morales-Doyle, D., Frausto, A., Childress Price, T., Chappell, M., & Hatch, S. (2019, April). Science curriculum from the grassroots. Presentation at the annual conference of the National Science Teachers Association, St. Louis, Missouri.

Morales-Doyle, D., Frausto, A., Chappell, M.J., Childress-Price, T.L., Collins, D.A., Levingston, A., Aguilera, A., Canales, K., & Herrera, E. (2019, April). Beyond PCK: Science Teachers Building Critical Historical Knowledge for Environmental Justice. Presentation at the annual international conference of NARST, Baltimore, MD.

Developing scientific literacy about water systems is critical for K‐12 students.

• Genetics

Recent reform efforts and the next generation science standards emphasize the importance of incorporating authentic scientific practices into science instruction. Modeling can be a particularly challenging practice to address because modeling occurs within a socially structured system of representation that is specific to a domain. Further, in the process of modeling, experts interact deeply with domain-specific content knowledge and integrate modeling with other scientific practices in service of a larger investigation.

Reasoning about ecosystems includes consideration of causality over temporal and spatial distances; yet learners typically focus on immediate time frames and local contexts. Teaching students to reason beyond these boundaries has met with some success based upon tests that cue students to the types of reasoning required. Virtual worlds offer an opportunity to assess what students actually do in a simulated context. Beyond this, mobile devices make it possible to scaffold and assess learning in the real world.