Best practice: A Grade 11 Workplace Environmental Science teaching and learning success story! Imagine that you are asked to teach a science course about environmental issues for students on the workplace destination pathway. Now imagine that 90% of the students enrolled in the course are there not because they are passionate about the environment, but because it is a convenient credit or it solves a timetabling problem. That was exactly the make-up of the students sitting before Stewart Grant when he volunteered to pilot one of the two new environmental science courses for the Ministry of Education at Cedarbrae CI last year.

The course, created to fulfill one of the recommendations of Minister Kathleen Wynne’s Working Group on Environmental Education (in Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our Future: Environmental Education in Ontario Schools), offered the students fundamental knowledge of environmental science that could help them succeed in work and life after secondary school. In the process of exploring topics such as human impact, human health and the environment, energy conservation, and safety and environmental responsibility in the workplace, students not only achieved a new level of scientific and environmental literacy, but refined their literacy and mathematical literacy skills as well. Improving literacy skills, focusing students’ attention: case study analysis Case study analysis became a powerful means to help students improve both their general literacy skills as well as their environmental literacy. One particularly arresting case study dealt with the Dryden Pulp and Paper mill’s effluent contaminating the English-Wabigoon River with mercury, and the resulting impact on the health of the Ojibwa natives fishing the river and living on the nearby Grassy Narrows reserve. Students gathered information by viewing video clips from CBC archives and listening to audio interviews in preparation for writing an opinion response. Their assignment was to contend with the assertion that the Ontario government was guilty of environmental racism and neglect in their treatment of the Grassy Narrows natives. To help students organize their opinion piece, Stewart provided the students with a template. He supplied guiding prompts such as:

My opinion about the topic is___________________________________ I think this because__________________________________________ Other people might think that__________________________________ I don’t agree because_________________________________________

The back of the template sheet provided students with lined space where they could draft their response. Stewart remembers the response of one student in particular. He had been told by this student’s guidance councillor that the student “hated science,” but loved to read and write—as was apparent from his constantly reading from whatever current piece of fiction that he always carried with him. Along with guidance councillors, Stewart also worked closely with the attendance secretary, the student success teacher and other colleagues at Cedarbrae to tap into the full learning potential of each student in the course. In this particular case, he was hoping that the writing activity might engage the student’s interest—and the student did not disappoint. In fact, he far exceeded Stewart’s expectations.

After spending about 20 minutes working through the opinion response template, the student asked for another piece of paper. He had completely filled the back of the template and required more space for his draft! The finished prose was passionate and persuasive, beautifully incorporating the relevant science concepts as outlined in the curriculum. This was but one of many success stories that Stewart has from his work in piloting this “workplace” environmental science course. Other stories include students independently asking if they could collect samples to test the water quality of a local stream; students evincing pleasant surprise that the course “didn’t seem like other science courses” they were used to taking; students reminding fellow group members of their roles and responsibilities during the construction and monitoring of an air biofilter— with no need for Stewart to say a thing!

Air Bio-filter constructed by Stewart’s students in their Environmental Science class Lessons from this approach to teaching and learning What was the biggest change? Stewart comments: “I found that my role in the class changed significantly while piloting this course. I no longer was the conductor of the classroom, orchestrating the actions of the students. Rather, I became a facilitator, guiding students in their acquisition of the intended concepts and knowledge.”

Such facilitation allows for improved dialogue between teacher and student to identify misunderstandings and alternate conceptions. It also makes the learning environment safe for the student—an environment where students can offer options and suggestions without fear of ridicule or put-down. Were there other advantages? Stewart says yes, that “having access to a plethora of engagement opportunities just by stepping outside the school made prepping lessons for this course easier than other science courses. The topics are current. All a teacher need do is to peruse a newspaper to find numerous local environmental issues that can easily be incorporated into the course.” Why try this approach? “I would recommend this path for teachers because students become so engaged in their learning. They are not doing it because they have to —they are doing it because they want to. The difference in attitude and therefore ability to learn is remarkable.” How hard is it to make this shift in the teacher’s role? How does it change the students’ role? “The hardest part of the process is being willing to ‘let go’ of the notion that students learn best in a highly disciplined environment. I am not advocating total anarchy and giving the students free reign. Instead, establishing your class as a scientific community at the beginning of the year through low-stakes activities, but with specified outcomes, sets a tone of serious purpose. An effective scientific community involves four elements: trust, collaboration, communication, and safety. When these elements are firmly entrenched in the class, students are more engaged in the learning tasks because they become responsible for their own learning and even see themselves as taking part in the larger scientific enterprise.” This best practice case shows us learning that is connected to students’ every day lives. It makes their education relevant. And it bestows on them a much more active role. As a result, understanding, knowledge acquired, and achievement levels jump. As does teacher satisfaction. And in keeping with the Ministry’s environmental policy framework, the learning is clearly in, about, and for the environment…as well as in, about, and for the students!