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Climate Change Education for Student Agency
Get PDFWhile there is no single solution to climate change, climate change education has been identified as a key component. This capstone paper and the unit plan developed for this capstone project seek to answer the research question: How can a biology curriculum that incorporates climate change science, impacts, and solutions foster a global citizenship mindset and pro-environmental behaviors in high school students? The literature review covers dimensions of global citizenship, defines climate change education, identifies what influences pro-environmental behavior, and discusses adolescent development as it relates to pro-environmental behavior. The resulting ten-lesson unit plan is designed for high school teachers to use as an introduction to climate change education in their biology curriculum. The unit plan introduces the causes and effects of climate change. It allows students to explore and advocate for solutions, allowing themselves to explore their roles and responsibilities as global citizens. The unit plan ends with a summative product in which students explain their connection to climate change and advocate for solutions
Experiential Gardening for Environmental Literacy and Food Systems Awareness
Get PDFSchool and community gardens have a rich history from the late 19th Century to the present, which includes the voices of Agassiz, Greene, Dewey, Washington Carver, Du Bois, and Montessori. This history spans the periods of school gardens from ‘nature study,’ the School Garden Army, Victory Gardens, the Tbilisi Declaration, and Garden-based learning. The purpose of this capstone project was to answer the following question: What are the individual lessons needed in a curriculum to support and connect experiential school and community garden programs for K-2 youth to serve as effective educational tools for environmental literacy and food systems awareness? The literature reviewed included school and community garden content highlighting experiential learning in an elementary setting, focusing on building awareness of environmental literacy and food systems. The project created is a designed school garden curriculum intended for the use of K-2 formal and informal educators with the intent of connecting Kolb’s experiential learning theory, Minnesota Department of Education standards, and the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning framework by using Wiggins and McTighe\u27s curriculum framework, The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units. The goal of the project is to help alleviate the issues of educators lacking the time, resources, and lack of connection to academic standards to gardening with students in the elementary school setting to help students build environmental literacy, social and emotional skills, and the awareness of the origins of food through the use of hands-on, experiential learning
The History of the Philosophy of Science and its Impacts on Modern Science Education
Get PDFThis capstone project explores the question of the philosophical ideas that have given rise to modern conventions of teaching and learning science, and what alternatives exist to these methods. By exploring the philosophies that underpin our modern methods of science teaching and learning, and how have they come to dominate the space of scientific thought, the author has created a website resource for teachers to use for professional development, to learn about the philosophical history of science, in order to fully understand the reasons why science operates within specifically empirical and mechanistic paradigms. The project includes an interactive historical timeline integrating multimedia to tell the story of the history of science parallel to shifts in Western philosophical thought. In addition to exploring this history, the author analyzed state standards to make clear the ways that our conventions of teaching science continue to advance an anthropocentric and mechanistic worldview. Finally, the project contains a resource bank for educators to use to incorporate concepts and practices into their teaching that uphold an organismic worldview, valuing observation, studies phenomena in-context, and centers around community and place-based knowledge. As we look forward to the future of science education, and knowing our history, it’s our responsibility to make choices in our instruction that divest from anthropocentric and domineering relation to the natural world, and look to sustainable communities as guides for teaching science in a way that advances and sustains the wellbeing of individuals, communities, and our shared planet
Parks and Education
Get PDFParks and education have a substantial correlation. People of all ages, from young to old, learn from their surroundings by spending time in parks. Public parks can play a significant role in a child\u27s education, simultaneously offering a place for learning and free play. Outdoor education is crucial to a child\u27s development, from mental and physical health to social skills and developmental benefits. Outdoor education has two branches: adventure and environmental education. Understanding these branches will help us explore how these experiences must be accessible. The experiences of outdoor, adventure, and environmental education should be accessible to the masses. Race, socioeconomic standing, location, and understanding all make these experiences accessible to only a portion of the population. Through parks and recreation, outdoor education can become accessible to students of all ages and backgrounds
Identifying and Removing Barriers to Accessibility in Environmental Education and Outdoor Recreation
Get PDFThere are numerous mental, physical, and socio-emotional health benefits to spending time outdoors, and this is especially true for people with disabilities. However, outdoor spaces such as park systems, nature centers, and other natural places are typically not accessible for people with disabilities. Research shows there are numerous barriers they encounter when trying to attend outdoor areas. The capstone project, titled Nature Adapted: Guidebook for evaluating and modifying current programs and practices to increase outdoor accessibility, was created to assist environmental education centers and outdoor recreation organizations in becoming more inclusive. It includes information sections, pre-assessements, reflections, and places to identify barriers and goals. This guidebook will hopefully be used by nature centers and park systems to take a deeper look at their current practices and learn ways to incorporate more accessible programming at their organization. The goal is to increase the level of access to natural spaces and become a more welcoming place for the disability community to enjoy
Using Group Work in Mathematics to Introduce Social Justice Concepts: Curriculum to Help Students Learn About Each Other Through Mathematics
Get PDFThis curriculum addresses the research question: What are the best practices for engaging with social justice topics and goals in a modern, constructivism-based mathematics course? The paper documents the reasons why the author chose to approach this question, then consists of a literature review into the topics of constructivism, social justice, and group work. The paper then includes a plan for the construction of curriculum for a precalculus class and ends with a reflection on the curriculum itself. The project consists of a unit planner alongside five lessons, each of which has problems and activities that address this question in different ways. Some lessons include overt discussion of social issues, like the criminal justice system and global warming, while others feature an emphasis on group work in order to advance goals related to social justice
Teaching American History in Multicultural Classrooms
Get PDFThis capstone project explores the challenges and strategies involved in teaching American history within multicultural classrooms, focusing on creating a curriculum that addresses the diverse experiences of Black and Indigenous peoples before and after colonization. The project aims to develop a Grade 5 curriculum that highlights the complexity and richness of Black and Indigenous civilizations, offering a more nuanced understanding of history. The curriculum, based on the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework, spans seven days and covers three main strands: the pre-colonization civilizations of Black and Indigenous peoples, the impact of colonization, and the history of British settlers. The project highlights the importance of inclusive curricula that reflect diverse perspectives, boost students\u27 self-esteem, and foster empathy. Limitations of the project include the need for students to have completed certain prerequisite benchmarks and the inapplicability of the curriculum for younger grades. Despite these limitations, the project promises significant benefits, such as increased student engagement, enhanced understanding of historical complexities, and personal growth for educators
Enhancing Civic Education and Engagement in High School Students
Get PDFThis capstone project examines educational methods on how to increase civic engagement and education in high school students, centering on a resource guide and civic learning project. This study discusses how students can utilize family and community support to engage inquiry-based learning skills through a supplementary civics curriculum, and how it enhances their civic knowledge. The literature review delves into themes of civic education, civic engagement, and the integration of local government in civics. Key findings include an analysis of the current state of civics education and its variable knowledge base, an exploration of differing definitions of civic engagement and its application in community and educational settings, and an evaluation of service learning as an effective educational method for bridging connections between local government and civics curriculum. This project aids educators in how to utilize a supplemental civics curriculum in their classroom to best support civic knowledge retention while building key community relations for students. The project is formatted as an online resource guide that can be modified for educators\u27 needs and includes instructions and a weekly timeline. The resource guide is broken into four sections that include: a general research portion of the student’s local government, a survey of students\u27 local community, a survey of parent’s views on local community and government, and the civic learning project for students to create a presentation on a local public policy issue. The conclusion of this project discusses in summary its implications, limitations, and potential for future research can help to increase student engagement in their civics education and community
The Impact of Explicit Instruction in Phonics and Phonological Awareness on Kindergarten English Learners’ Reading Scores
Get PDFGoranson, E. (2024). The Impact of Explicit Instruction in Phonics and Phonological Awareness on Kindergarten English Learners’ Reading Scores
Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, or LETRSR, is a popular professional development course among early elementary teachers, which promises to restructure the teaching of literacy. An English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher inquired if LETRSR-endorsed practices would benefit the reading growth of English language learners. This research posed the question, How does explicit and systematic instruction in phonics and phonological awareness impact reading growth for kindergarten students who qualify for English language services? The LETRSR framework seems to end The Reading Wars between whole-language and phonics paradigms. However, the effectiveness of LETRSR was not examined with English learners represented. This research analyzes word recognition skill development through the lens of improving English learner outcomes. The study used a mixed methods approach, utilizing FastBridgeR progress monitoring data in Onset Sounds, Letter Sounds, Word Segmenting, and Decodable Words, oral language proficiency scores, and AI-analyzed teacher journals. The study found positive student growth in Onset Sounds, Letter Sounds, and Word Segmenting skills, limited growth in Decodable Words, improved overall word recognition, and a minimal effect of oral language on skill growth. The findings suggest that LETRSR training is beneficial for English learners and supports the involvement of ESL teachers in developing phonics and phonological awareness skills
Fostering a Sense of Place in Language Immersion Preschool Through Environmental Exploration
Get PDFThis paper endeavors to address the need of outdoor environmental education in language immersion early childhood education settings. It investigates the impact of outdoor education on child development, looking at cognitive, social/emotional, and physical benefits. It examines the affective impact of attention fatigue, attention restoration, learned helplessness, and action competence. It also looks at the effect of place-based education in fostering a sense of place, and the role of sense of place in encouraging the development of an environmentally aware lifestyle. Finally, it proposes a place-based environmental education curriculum of six lessons, in French and English, around the subject of a prairie garden and bumblebees. The lessons are interdisciplinary, covering the topics of math, art, science, visual discrimination (pre-literacy), and physical education, and are designed for preschool aged children (ages 4-5). The findings of this paper suggest that time spent in nature has numerous benefits for children, and reinforces the need for all early childhood learning programs (language immersion programs included) to add place-based nature education to their curriculum